The 10 greatest rivalries in NBA history

#9 Pistons-Celtics

Larry Bird and Dennis Rodman (Image Courtesy: SI.com)

The Celtics had dominated the East for much of the early 1980s and with the Sixers in decline, the road to the Finals had seemingly cleared up, but a new and completely different challenge popped up, the Pistons.

They'd brushed aside the Pistons in 85, but were pushed all the way in 87. As in every other series involving Detroit, punches were thrown, players ejected, and much more. Game 5, however, produced one of the greatest moments in playoff history when Bird stole Isiah's inbound pass with 5 seconds remaining and passed it off to Dennis Johnson to win the game for the Celtics. It was a vital win as neither team won any game on the road as the Celtics escaped with a series win. After the series, Dennis Rodman claimed that the only reason Bird was rated was because he was white (Yikes!).

The next season, however, the Pistons gained control of the match-up, beating the Celtics in 6 and then sweeping them the following season. Like most of the Pistons rivalries, it didn't last too long but was as tense as it gets. The 1987 series especially is regarded as one of the physically and mentally toughest series ever.