The NBA, once chock full of rivalries, now runs quite thin on them.
The players—even star ones—switch teams more frequently than ever before. Many of the biggest names already have close, established friendships with opposing players before they’ve entered the league—a product of the bustling AAU circuit. And even where rivalries do exist, they often are rooted more in two individuals going head-to-head, be it Steph Curry vs. Chris Paul or LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant, rather than the teams they play for.
Because of that, the Bucks and Celtics are a welcome breath of fresh air. Aside from the clubs being clear favorites to meet in the Eastern Conference finals after a hard-fought, seven-game series last postseason, there’s one other element of the star-studded Christmas matchup that helps it stand apart from the others: The otherworldly physicality from one play to the next.
