Some sports rivalries are eternal, due to factors of geography or shared history. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Army vs. Navy. North Carolina vs. Duke. Yet, others wax and wane in context. For instance, the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons had arguably the NBA's best rivalry during one of the league's best eras; they battled in the playoffs every year from 1988 through 1991, the last three meetings coming in the conference finals. But Chicago and Detroit have just one playoff matchup in the past 35 years, and they haven't both reached the postseason in the same season since 2008-09.

It's difficult for a rivalry to sustain its intensity without regular playoff kindling. In an ever-changing league, then, it's worth surveying the current rivalry landscape. After a postseason and offseason that elevated some of the feistiest conflicts around, here are the NBA's top 10 rivalries entering the 2026-27 season.

10. Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers. After the Luka Doncic blockbuster in 2025, the Mavericks and Lakers will be inextricably linked for the rest of the 27-year-old future Hall of Famer's career. Doncic has averaged 37.7 points in three games against the Mavericks since they traded him, and the Lakers are 3-0 in those contests.

9. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert vs. Suns owner Mat Ishbia. The board of governors' vote to allow Ishbia to buy the Suns was unanimous, but with one abstention: Gilbert. "He doesn't like me and I don't like him," Ishbia said. 8. Nikola Jokic vs. Victor Wembanyama. Jokic has scored 37.3 points per game in seven meetings, but Wembanyama is nine years his junior. 7. Boston Celtics vs. Miami Heat. Boston and Miami have the most playoff matchups -- seven -- between any two teams in the 21st century.