The 30 greatest NBA team rivalries in league history
25. Best NBA rivalries of all-time: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat
By the time the 2010s rolled around, the Miami Heat had shocked the NBA world with an assemblage of talent never put together on the free-agent market before. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were set to dominate the rest of the NBA en route to multiple titles and a spot among the greatest dynasties ever.
The Chicago Bulls, however, took a slower approach to relevancy. Led by the ever-improving Derrick Rose and with the addition of head coach Tom Thibodeau, Chicago set off to play the role of upset whenever it could with an unparalleled level — at that time — of toughness and physicality.
Rose became an MVP but wound up suffering several long-term injuries that kept this rivalry from reaching its full potential following an exciting duel in the 2011 Eastern Conference Finals. Luol Deng and Joakim Noah were part-time NBA All-Stars, but one would think that given what the Heat brought to the table, Chicago didn’t stand a chance against the latest super team.
Rarely did it matter who was on the court for the Bulls. Whatever Miami managed to take from them was something they had to earn every single night out. Thibodeau’s implementation of a defensive identity was a hand-in-glove fit that led to some of the best defensive efforts of the decade.
Joakim Noah: "People in this city, they don't like (the) Miami Heat. We don't like the Miami Heat. It always feels good to beat them."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) December 6, 2013
LeBron James was at the top of his game down in South Beach but took a beating every time he faced the Bulls. That didn’t stop him from imposing his will on any given game, but a simple viewing of the tape shows a far bigger challenge to accumulate those same numbers compared to any other team.
They faced off just a single other time after 2011, a 4-1 second-round victory for the Heat in 2013. There were still statement victories sprinkled throughout the years for the Bulls like that one win in 2013 where Nate Robinson dropped 27. Or who could forget about Miami’s memorable 27-game winning streak coming to an end in front of a howling United Center crowd?
There may have been a discrepancy of talent, but certainly not in effort. Chicago was down a franchise point guard more often than not, but it was a fire and desire that helped them compete against the NBA’s Goliath.