The 10 greatest rivalries in NBA history

#6 Spurs-Lakers

The Spurs have been a part of some terrific battles over the years during this dynastic run which has stretched over 2 decades now. There's only one team, however, which can claim to have given them a run for their money, that'd be the Lakers of the early 2000s.

In the height of the Spurs dynasty from 1999-2008, the two faced off 6 times with the Lakers coming out on top on 4 occasions and it wasn't even close. After splitting the first 4 series, the 2004 encounter produced an unforgettable sequence of late-game plays. First, Duncan hit a ridiculous fade away with Shaq all over him to give the Spurs a 1 point lead with 0.4 seconds on the clock. Then, as he has done throughout his career, Derek Fisher hit the buzzer-beating game winner to give the Lakers a vital road win en route to knocking the Spurs out of the playoffs again.

The Rivalry became dormant once Shaq was traded, but was back in play once the Lakers managed to get Pau Gasol. They met in the playoffs in 2008 and the Lakers once again knocked off the defending champs in 5 games

All in all, from 1999-2010 the Spurs or Lakers made it the NBA Finals every year except once in 2006. While the Spurs remain title contenders to this day, the Lakers have slumped and it's going to be a while before we see this one renewed.