By the time the Los Angeles Lakers met the Boston Celtics for the third time in the NBA Finals in the 1980s, defensive stopper Michael Cooper had enough with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and the rest of the Celtics.
"It's respectful to acknowledge the person that you're playing, but I'm not taking you out to dinner," Cooper said, thinking back on those days. "I'll spit in your food before I eat with you."
Lakers vs. Celtics. Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson. East Coast vs. West Coast.
It's the rivalry against which all others are measured, the one essentially responsible for the modern NBA evolving from a fringe sport that put its championship series on tape delay to a global sensation built around the most recognizable athletes in American sports.