One of the best parts of the NBA is the rivalries and everything that goes with it.
Rivalry games are the ones fans circle on their calendar because there is always more at stake when playing games against your rival.
While rivalries within the NBA aren’t as intense as they once were, the Dallas Mavericks have a few rivalries that are often overlooked. While the Mavericks’ biggest rival is probably the San Antonio Spurs, they have also formed rivalries with the LA Clippers and Phoenix Suns in recent years.
The Suns are undoubtedly one of the Mavs’ biggest rivals, and most of their rivalry was fueled in the second round of the 2022 NBA playoffs. Dallas managed to come back from being down 0-2 in that series and won in seven games, and Devin Booker became the villain for Mavs fans.
Booker mocked Luka Doncic after he went down on the floor after a foul and called it a “Luka special” and there have been several fights between the Mavs and Suns over the years since that heated playoff run. Those altercations often revolve around Booker, and now that Klay Thompson is a Maverick, that rivalry is only going to intensify.
Booker has already said that he is excited to play against Thompson now that he’s with the Mavs, and the two already have a bit of an individual rivalry that dates back to the start of the 2022-23 season.
On October 25, 2022, Thompson was ejected from a game for the first time in his career after arguing with Booker incessantly during the second half. The argument revolved around Thompson repeatedly telling Booker he had four rings, and while Thompson later appeared to regret the decision, it was still one of the most heated moments of his career.
Thompson has only been sent off twice in his career, and it’s rare that he gets as upset as he did in this game.
Thompson and Booker both have a mutual respect for each other and everyone loses control a little sometimes, and their altercation from a few years ago will only make Dallas’ rivalry with the Suns even more heated if some of that trash talk ends up spilling over into Dallas.
The Mavs’ team cohesion was at its peak last season, and these Mavericks-Suns matchups bring out the best in everyone. Even Kyrie Irving was spotted insulting the Suns during Dallas’ game against them at the end of the 2022-23 season, and every player on both teams knows how important these games are.
While most of the rosters for Dallas and Phoenix are almost completely different than the teams that faced each other in 2022, there is always tension when these two teams face off. In two of the three games Dallas played against the Suns last year, there were altercations between players and even an ejection.
Booker was involved in one of these fights and even called former Maverick Grant Williams for his “absurd tactics” during the match on January 24.
Those moments only added fuel to the fire, but there’s no individual rivalry like the one between Booker and Doncic. In their final game against each other of the 2022-23 season, Doncic and Booker clashed and had to be separated by their teammates after the two got into an argument.
Most of the talk between Booker and Doncic is about the competitiveness of the two sides, but that rivalry between the two teams will only intensify with Thompson in the mix. He’s not afraid of anyone, and at times, he can be a great speaker.
Doncic is also fearless, and he always seems to play his best when he’s playing against Booker and the Suns. Nothing gets Doncic going like a good old-fashioned trash talk, and Booker is widely known as one of the greatest trash talkers in the league.
Booker and Doncic still appear to be in competition, and Thompson’s presence will add to the competitive atmosphere between Dallas and Phoenix, but also with Booker individually.
Thomspon is delighted to be Making a fresh start in Dallasand if next year goes as planned, Thompson might be able to raise five fingers to Booker instead of four.
