Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers: An Unnatural Rivalry

If the buzz on this site and throughout the web is any indication, the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are on the verge of becoming the next great sports rivalry.

This is unusual, as the teams (as they are now constituted) have not played a single game against each other. 

In this regard, the Heat/Lakers rivalry is "unnatural."  It has not developed in the normal manner.

How are rivalries typically developed? 

This slideshow will discuss that very issue and, in doing so, show the unique nature of this growing rivalry.

I'll leave it for you, the reader, to decide whether the "unnatural rivalry" is a good thing or a bad thing for the NBA, and for sports in general.

Let's start by discussing what this rivalry is not.

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