III.
The idea of a rivalry in sports can often be hard to define; it’s something where we know it when we see it, because there’s a feeling that comes with it. A normal game is elevated into something much more. As the Warriors and Cavaliers tip off for their third consecutive Finals tonight, there’s no question that they have reached the peak level of rivalries.
The only person who might dispute the legitimacy of the rivalry is LeBron James himself, who earlier this year denied that he looked at Golden State as his rivals.