Filipinos are among the most passionate NBA fans in the world — no contest.
Making up the largest regional NBA Facebook page with over 5.1 million followers, the Philippines also holds the distinction of having the third-largest number of NBA League Pass subscribers in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
It’s more so now with NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service made more affordable and accessible by PLDT Home.
The Filipinos’ love of the game goes back to their colonial roots. The Americans’ introduction of the sport to the school system only led to more Filipinos breathing in basketball early on in their youth.
Years later, the NBA made us love the sport even more that basketball has since become an indelible part of our culture.
But what exactly makes the NBA more exciting within the Filipino basketball community?
Nothing quite answers this more perfectly than the rivalries, which have been so rich, storied, and polarizing that it has bred some truly memorable moments in basketball history.
Let’s do a rundown below on some of the fiercest matchups in league history!
Celtics vs. Lakers
The longstanding rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers is almost as old as the NBA itself.
From 1959 until 2010, the two teams squared off in the finals 12 times, with the Celtics dominating with nine championships and the Lakers snatching three. In the 1980s, the rivalry reached its most fiery with a matchup of the titans: Celtics legend Larry Bird versus Lakers icon Magic Johnson.
Lakers vs. Pistons
Making up one of the most enduring rivalries in NBA history, the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons settled eight playoff series from 1950 to 1962.
The competition, however, peaked during the NBA finals back in 1988, 1989, and 2004 – with Magic Johnson dueling against fellow superstar Isaiah Thomas.
The Lakers won a hard-fought, seven-game series in 1988. Thomas and the Pistons then got their revenge in 1989 with a series sweep.
Bulls vs. Knicks
The rivalry between the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks has been steadily brewing since the 1980s, with both teams consistently pitted against each other.
But it was in the Michael Jordan era that Filipinos started to get hooked. During Chicago’s MJ-led teams from 1989 to 1996, the Knicks and Bulls would clash six times in the postseason — with Chicago winning five of them.
Knicks vs. Heat
The fierce rivalry all started when five-time champion coach Pat Riley suddenly resigned from the Knicks to join the Heat in 1995.
The tension became full-blown when the teams met four consecutive times in the playoffs from 1997 to 2000, with New York winning three of the four meetings.
Cavaliers vs. Warriors
Relatively recent, the rivalry between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors grew while contending in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018.
The media, which hyped the David vs Goliath face-off between Stephen Curry and LeBron James, would only add fuel to the fire. The Warriors won three of these duels (2015, 2017, 2018) while the Cavaliers snatched the 2016 title.
One of the biggest games Pinoy fans have seen to come out of this rivalry was the decider in the 2016 NBA Finals.
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Fans are eager to witness current and budding rivalries, marking their calendars for the NBA Play-In Tournament and Playoffs to begin on April 13 and 17 PHT respectively.
For NBA fans in the Philippines, the easiest way to watch games live and on-demand is through NBA League Pass, which also offers access to the latest news on favorite teams and players, scores, stats, schedules, and more.
Made more affordable and accessed more conveniently through PLDT Home, recently recognized at the prestigious Ookla Speedtest Awards as the Philippines’ fastest broadband network, NBA League Pass allows Filipino fans live and on-demand access to NBA games for the remainder of the season.