The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are batting and battling it out in this year’s edition of the World Series. Both teams have not won the title in a very long time, and it looks like history will be rewritten by the end of this season.
In the NBA, there is a basketball rivalry between the two cities, albeit not often talked about. And the reason is not only because they play in the same division.
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| Image source: nytimes.com |
The rivalry started when the teams met in the first round of the playoffs back in 1988. Both the Bulls and Cavaliers were teams on the rise. The Cavs were establishing a blue-collar squad that was prepared to grind it out to win it all. The Bulls were essentially the same, but they had a pair of players named Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Their first postseason battle ended in a hard-fought Chicago win, as Jordan led them with an unreal 45.2 points per game. This would set the tone for the next four playoffs that saw the two teams meeting every year.
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| Image source: youtube.com |
The Cavs would put up a fight, but His Airness would find a way to keep his rivals at bay. The image that best represents this is Jordan’s “The Shot” in 1989. The Cavs, though, were still able to hold their heads up high since they were up against a Chicago Bulls team that went on to win six championships and had the greatest player of all time.
Jon Bunge here, currently living in San Franciso, but still a major supporter of the sports teams of my hometown Chicago. Let’s discuss Chicago sports. All you need to do is follow me on Facebook.
