30 best personal rivalries in the NBA today
By John Buhler
They’re both tall, play in the Eastern Conference and might be the most talkative guy on their respective teams. They aren’t always on the court because they get hurt all the time. However, when it comes to two 7-foot dudes talking trash to each other on Twitter, how can you not like the Joel Embiid versus Hassan Whiteside rivalry?
Rarely do you see a rivalry between two big men that are fighting for the No. 8 seed in the East be so darn compelling. Even though you are certainly betting the under that Embiid will play 65 games this season, you know that he’s going to say some stuff to get under Whiteside’s skin from the bench in street clothes.
If the shoe is on the other foot and Whiteside is in a nice blazer and penny loafers, yes, he’ll try his best to tell Embiid exactly how he’s not living up to The Process moniker. At this time, the rivalry doesn’t feel overly caustic, but definitely one that resolves into chippiness down the stretch, along as both haven’t been shut down for the season.
For as long as these two frail big dudes can play ball, wouldn’t we all want to see the Heat play the 76ers in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 first-round series some day? The amount of pettiness that will exist between games on social media will burn Twitter to the ground. The East needs petty rivalries like this. More fuel to the fire for Embiid versus Whiteside.