Stephen's A-list GREATEST NBA MATCHUPS: Bird vs. Magic + Jordan vs. Isiah 🙌🏀 | First Take 

Magic and Bird were rivals since college. That's a rivalry.

Bird vs Magic ...... brought The NBA to another level .....

Ben Simmons vs shooting the ball left the chat💀

Man Legs is a SAVANT when it comes to talking hoops he blows my mind every time

Bryant vs Duncan in 6 WCF matchups - 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008

It was never LeBron vs Steph, it was Lebron vs the Warriors.

Somehow Shannon found a way to glaze bron 💀

Tim and Stephen A dapping each other up didn’t need to be that crisp 😂🔥

Duncan Shaq is such an underrated matchup. We talk Jordan-Isiah, Bron-Steph but these guys rarely got matched up against each other. That wasn’t the case for Shaq and Duncan, even though early in his career, David Robinson was trying to handle Shaq when he was there, but they did play against each other head to head a lot and between 1999 and 2005, it was Shaq or Duncan who ran the West. And if you don’t care about the individual matchups in the game, than say Kobe and Duncan. Between 1999 and 2010, a 12 year stretch, only once has the West not been represented by either Duncan or Kobe. They’ve battled each other multiple times as the 2000s were a battle between the Lakers and Spurs. There’s also a title race between these 2 and between 1999 and 2010, they’ve won a championship in 9 of those 12 years. This was a Bird-Magic level rivalry when you look at 2 guys trying to own an era over the other.

Honorable mention to Kobe Bryant/Paul Pierce, they had some epic Finals matchups

MJ vs Isiah, just never felt like a thing.. It was always the Pistons vs Mj

Bird Magic was the only ones evenly matched for real

The bron 3-1 comeback was the greatest finals I ever seen im also only 25 but geesh I remember being so hype every other night to watch those games

Kobe Bryant vs Tim Duncan is underrated… they dominated the decade 2000-2010 with 8 championships

Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee

Stephen A on 1 !! He’s got the spirit of Mad Dog

Lebron & Curry even now still get more views than any regular game, than any playoff series including the top teams lol

there will never ever be a rivalry like a Bird and Magic rivalry

Isiah so underrated he beat everyone when it matters the most

Curry beat Lebron 3 times in the finals , thats more a domination than rivalry 🤷🏽‍♂️

I didn’t even watch basketball and I know Bird vs Magic was the greatest nba rivalry of all time

This is so far the most obvious list of on the court rivals. Somewhere in that category their must be a matchup that is overlooked

CP3 vs Scott Foster

They so happy this good to see

Shannon talks about LeBron like he is his son, dad, wife and god. ReeeedickUliss.

Me being from Detroit & seeing Pistons take down Jordan & the Bulls was the greatest match ever. Bad boys for life. ☠🏀

2015 Warriors win was the best! And yes KD helped with our others, but in 2022 we showed we could do it without him.

Bron and Steph is definitely a friendly rivalry 🤷🏾‍♂️🤷🏾‍♂️

Shannon lost me with KD and LeBron, lol. I was with him until he said that.

One of the first Stephen A lists I agree with. And the way they dismissed Uncle Shay... Even Legler said: you cant do that 😂

When you are sober you will realise Lebron played with less and played against tougher opponents. Who did Michael face who is comparable to Steph Curry OR Kevin Durant and Lebron had to play against both of them.

5. Kobe vs Shaq 4. Jordan vs Isiah 3. Warriors vs Cavs 2. Russell vs Wilt 1. Bird vs Magic

KD and Bron didn’t see each other for years when they swapped conferences but I would’ve liked maybe Duncan and Kobe maybe ?🤔

Stephen A is all over the place when it's Russell vs Wilt. For one, they both played in the same conference, so that 11-2 ring argument is out. Two, it was the very first big NBA rivalry

Patrick vs Hakeem is my #1

Love the chemistry that Stephen A., Legler, and Shannon have in this! Legs is a great addition.

I 100% agreed with Stephen A's lists. That's the best Top 5 lists Greatest NBA matchup of all time. And the No 1 will top anybody in the history and future of NBA rivalries ever. no cap

KD and bron both won they're first rings on each other and play the same position and always ball out when it come between them

Duncan vs Shaq deserves a shout.

Zion vs food is underrated

Wilt owned Russell statistically in their match matchups, but Russell had a stacked all around team......Legless was an absolute beast in high school in both sports.

Lebron vs Steph should be over Thomas vs Jordan. Played each other 5 times in the playoffs and 4 straight times in the finals.

Definitely Bird vs Magic, not only once but multiple times, seven games series. Also Michigan State vs Indiana State !!!!!!

This is the first time I’ve ever thought that Shannon could be left out of a segment. Thats was a horrible take.

I have NO PROBLEM with this list! Great Job! 👏👏👏👏👏

I like Shannon on the show, he’s knowledgeable and also a great athlete. However he has to be more mindful about his love for lebron because it outweighs his judgement when giving predictions

Idk why but I love when Stephen A. hops up and down lol

honestly his list is perfect

Lmaooooo when SAS jumps >>

Jordan vs Dominique underrated

Bruh Isiah Thomas ducking the bulls not showing sportsmanship will forever be 1 of the most funniest things in NBA history 😭😭 3:30

It wasn't Jordan vs Isiah It was Jordan vs The Pistons It wasn't LeBron vs Steph It was LeBron vs The Warriors And that is why they are MY undisputed two greatest players ever - YOU NEED THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION TO STOP THEM!

Being NBA fans consist of making a "Top Anything" List ,saying "in His Prime", " OVER [insert Name here] , "Rings" & Living in the past .

Stephen A gets a couple As and gets emotional hahaha i love it, this guy is so jokesss 🤣

This was probably the best list I've ever seen from SAS, i think he got it on the spot 🔥✌🏾

Shannon says they undermine Leborn when they can’t go a day without talking about him and Shannon a second away from getting hard on tv

Isiah is also 3-1 against Jordan 😂😂😂😂 this guy is getting paid by MJ

bro said "bron kd" 😂

Russell played with with 12 or 13 HOFERS NOT 11 and he played with them almost all at the same time meanwhile Wilt played with 8 or 9 I believe and not at the same time

1. Bron vs Warriors 2. Bron vs Celtics 3. Bron vs Spurs 4. Bron vs KD 5. Bron vs Denver

Jordan vs Isaiah wasn't really a matchup because they didn't guard each other. MJ was SG and Isaiah was a PG.

He explained that perfectly

Stephen a Smith gets A+. Nice list

draymond vs nba officials

Stephen A. The Infotainer, I like this man!

Jordan vs Isiah 🏀 is like CHICAGO vs CHICAGO 🌆 😆😅🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Steven A list is AAA 💯 Keep Rolling My Brother from a Another Mother.

Isiah only beat Bird when one of the big three was getting surgery.

Lebron v curry should be atleast 2nd that 2016 playoffs was peak nba

I will never forgive KD for robbing us of the greatest rivalry in our generation. This was our Larry vs Magic

Surprised Shannon’s list didn’t have 5 Lebron vs whoever

Great list by SAS. Initially, I would have had 2 and 3 the other way around, but his rationale brought me around to his way of thinking.

Dang Stephen A Smith has never missed a 3 point shot in his entire career sad his knee went out Stephan A was going to be the next MJ #23 😞

glad to see Bird vs Dr. J on that list

Steph vs LeBron, Bird vs Magic, Patrick Ewing vs Reggie Miller

Luka is averaging 8 more points, and Luka turns his centers into Wilt-tier efficient

Honestly a pretty solid list. Can’t even argue with it

Lebron & Pierce and Wade & Dirk

great list this is my 5 I have no problems with this list even if you flip 2 and 3 I'm ok

Love this top five. If they were to add a bonus, I go Ewing vs Olajuwon - met in the 84 NCAA Championship and ten years later, Hakeem evened the score. Two dominant big men of the 80s and 90s who came in one year apart. Know it’s not player vs player, but Reggie Miller vs Spike Lee made for great entertainment.

That walk was killer🔥🔥💀

Allen Iverson VS Vince Carter go crazy

If Magic vs Bird wasn't #1, I was never going to watch Stephen A ever again.

KD and Lebron being on the list is crazy they have barely played each other for years lol

He had to plug the cognac 🥃

Heatles and the Big Three Celtics was intense

1.) Magic Johnson Vs. Larry Bird 2.) Wilt Chamberlain Vs. Bill Russell 3.) Lebron James Vs. Stephen Curry 4.) Michael Jordan Vs. Isiah Thomas 5.) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Vs. Wilt Chamberlain

Me personally would put LeBron versus Paul George in there Heat vs Pacers was a sight to behold

Can't argue with Bird vs Magic as #1

Forgotten matchup: Jordan vs Dominique.. They'd regularly get 30/40+ any given night against each other. I remember when Dominique got 57 on them and Jordan got 61...it got real, REAL fast with those two on the court.

Bird vs magic Lebron vs warriors Wilt vs Russel CP3 vs Scott Lebron vs Pierce

Shaq vs Tim

Kobe v Boston Big 3 those games were always so competitive and fun to watch and no one on either team was sitting that game out regular season or finals

The value of the Jordan vs Isiah rivalry is that it’s still going on. All the other ones eventually respected each other

Dirk vs Dwayne Wade is a sleeper

Kobe vs T-Mac just when I started watching back in the mid 2000’s was insanity

kD lebron. Come on Shannon

Tim Legler: "A lot of people vs Isiah" Stephen A: "And he beat them all" Thanks guys, Isiah deserves this..

Shannon Sharpe is always in his feelings when it comes to anything about Lebron

Glad to hear some real praise to IT. Lately it seems people have forgotten who he beat.