The Celtics and Knicks rivalry is not as crazy as the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry. It has more history, is quieter, and is more traditional. The CLNS Media article asks if it's still a "true rivalry," and its answer—cautiously yes—tells us something important about basketball rivalries: Depending on the time, passion can come and go.
In the NBA, the landscape changes with star players, unlike baseball, where the same teams win for generations. The Russell–Reed 60s, the Bird era, and the 90s Ewing matchups all had a big impact on the identity of each team. Madison Square Garden became "The Mecca," and Boston's TD Garden had the feel of a championship arena.
It's not about hate in this rivalry; it's about status. These two teams are critical to the league's history, and the rivalry is a big part of basketball history.
Still, Celtics–Knicks contains a specialized vocabulary that signals membership in its discourse community:
- “The Mecca” — a term every serious fan recognizes
- “Banner 17” — Celtics shorthand for their championship count
- “Sixth man energy” — essential to both arenas
- “Eastern Conference grind” — the physical, defensive identity of past eras
It's a historical dynamic that resurfaces whenever both teams hold significant importance. The CLNS article mixes nostalgia with relevance to today, which is a common style for sports blogs that want to teach new fans while keeping older ones interested.
There are subtle, unspoken relationships in this rivalry. Celtics fans don't often see New York as a threat unless the Knicks are having a good season. This is a form of rivalry arrogance that isn't spoken. On the other hand, Knicks fans hold on to their pride in Madison Square Garden. Even when the team doesn't play well, "the Garden is rocking" is still a sacred truth. Neither group of fans says this out loud, but they both know it.
Fans today enjoy this rivalry in a more interesting way thanks to multimodality. People share clips of Randle's spin moves, Tatum's dagger threes, or crowd-cam reactions on social media, and each highlight makes people want to see more. Sports blogs take this a step further by adding videos and turning stats into easy-to-understand graphics. Your project does the same thing.
Rhythm, not constant competition, keeps this rivalry alive. It's a historical ebb and flow that comes back whenever both teams are important. The rivalry seems ready to bloom again now that Boston is in the running and the Knicks are back on the rise.