How The Budding Warriors-Grizzlies Rivalry Stacks Up Against Miami Heat Foes From The Past

It’s safe to say the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies are a growing rivalry.

However, Warriors forward Draymond Green said it's yet to reach the status of any of the Miami Heat's past rivalries.

"One team has to win, and then another team has to win," Green said after the Grizzlies defeated the Warriors Thursday. "That's what creates a rivalry. Not because one team gets up for you and talk like they can beat you and then not. That doesn't create a rivalry. Rivalries are created by you win, I win. Clearly, we've won four times, and I think their organization has zero championships, so l can't consider that a rivalry."

Furthering that argument is the Warriors holding 6-3 record in the playoffs.

"Anybody can win in March,” Green continued. “Anybody can win in March. What that mean? I have a hard time getting out of my bed in March. What's a game in March mean?"

Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins disagreed during his Friday appearance on ESPN's "First Take."

“Hell yeah it’s a rivalry,” Perkins said. “And we have to stop letting Draymond Green and the Golden State Warriors try the big brother approach and throwing out those four championships. The definition of a rivalry is the act of competing. Meaning every time we see each other, we’re going to go at each other’s heads and that’s exactly what happens when the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors matchup.”

.@KendrickPerkins believes the Warriors-Grizzlies is a LEGIT rivalry 👀 pic.twitter.com/0ttrrlTdDd
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 10, 2023

The Miami Heat are very familiar with rivalries in the NBA. Here's at look at the best three:

-The Heat’s best was with the New York Knicks in the 90s. It included playoff matches and a few brawls. The most famous fight was during the 1998 Eastern Conference first round when Heat’s Alonzo Mourning and Knicks’ Larry Johnson threw punches. Although neither one connected, both players were suspended.

-The most recent rivalry was with the Boston Celtics, which started in 2010 when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They played each other twice in the playoffs with intense moments, including Wade accidentally breaking Rajon Rondo’s arm. Things worsened when Ray Allen left the Celtics to join the Heat.

-The rivalry that never happened was the Heat and Chicago Bulls in the Big Three era. They only played each other twice in the playoffs but it never reached potential because of career-altering injuries to Bulls guard Derrick Rose.

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.