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Is the Wizards-Celtics Rivalry NBA’s Best?

By Donnell Coley

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 04: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards battles for the ball with Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Verizon Center on May 4, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 04: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards battles for the ball with Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at Verizon Center on May 4, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /
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Washington Wizards fans will bluntly tell you how much they hate the Celtics and their fans. Boston’s fans would probably express similar feelings in reference to the Wizards. After playing 11 hard fought games last season, is this rivalry the NBA’s best?

The schedule for the 2017-18 season was recently released and Washington Wizards fans were treated to an early Christmas gift. The team will be featured in 18 nationally televised broadcasts including Dec. 25 when the Wiz kids will travel to ‘Beantown’ to take on the Celtics.

There’s no doubt in my mind that this matchup has blossomed into the league’s most entertaining rivalry.

I mean, just look at the other options available to us right now.

Sure, there’s the whole Kevin Durant v. Russell Westbrook beef that stole some headlines last season. But that was until the actual games started and we quickly found out that the Thunder weren’t on the same planet as the Golden State Warriors.

Not my definition of entertaining.

How about the two teams playing before the Wizards-Celtics on Christmas this year, Warriors and Cleveland Cavs?

We’ll, ignore the fact that All-Star guard Kyrie Irving is probably on his way out of Cleveland well before this game. Let’s just look at the last three seasons.

MVP’s? Warriors guard Stephen Curry has won two of the last three.

Championships? The Warriors have decidedly beat the Cavs two of the last three Finals, the latest featuring a quick five-game series that arguably should’ve been a sweep.

The teams’ two best players, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, put on a good show and wolfed at each other while on the floor this June but now, just two months later, they’re spotted together in a star-studded pickup game.

Not exactly Bird-Magic.

Bird can’t suit up in the Celtics’ green anymore, but you’d have to think he felt that itch again when watching his former team go blow-for-blow (literally) with the Wizards last season.

There were “funeral games.”  There were ejections.  There was even a missing tooth.

The two teams are a throwback to an era of basketball that wasn’t so sweet and cozy. When players respected each other off the court, for the most part, but would do anything to gain an advantage on the court.

The bad blood between the two has garnered the attention of media members like ESPN NBA reporter Jorge Sedano.

On the “NBA Lockdown” podcast, Sedano pegged the Christmas-day matchup at the top of his list of must-see games this season.

Judging by the social local media accounts of each respective team’s CSN, Sedano’s chose wisely.

Next: National TV Puts Respect on the Wizards' Name

There’s a few new faces on both sides this year, but both group’s core players are back so there won’t be any shortage of gifts winter.

Enjoy the holidays, ya’ll.

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