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Cleveland Cavaliers’ New Intro Boosts Rivalry With Golden State Warriors

By Quenton S. Albertie

Oct 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view during the ring ceremony and NBA championship banner raising ceremony before a game against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; General view during the ring ceremony and NBA championship banner raising ceremony before a game against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have heightened the emotions in their rivalry with the Golden State Warriors with their new intro video.

After meeting in two straight NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are considered to be the prohibitive favorites to return to the NBA’s biggest stage.

This isn’t your daddy’s Cavaliers team, with the Big Three of Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Larry Nance being bullied by Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls teams in the playoffs.

In fact, no Eastern Conference team has been so completely deflated by the top team in the conference like the Chicago Bulls. Even before Derrick Rose‘s ascending star was torn apart with his ACL, the Chicago Bulls found it virtually impossible to defeat James in a playoff duel.

Since 2010, the Chicago Bulls have lost 4 of their 6 playoff series against James. James’ victories in these series were split evenly between the two teams he’s played for in his career, with his victories in Cleveland (2009, 2015) bracketing the victories he had over the Bulls while playing in South Beach.

Within the new intro video for the Cavs, they’ve made it known exactly who they are. They’re the Ultimate Warriors.

While be serenaded by DMX’s “X Gon’ Give It To Ya” Cavs fans watch their team decimate one team and one team only. The Golden State Warriors.

It makes sense. Klay Thompson dropped comments about it being “a man’s league” after James voiced displeasure with Draymond Green‘s brand of trash talk.

James proceeded to drop 41 points in back-to-back games. He then capped off his NBA Finals performance by dropping a triple-double and “The Block”. James also dropped in over Thompson for a poster dunk and made Stephen Curry drop his comments about being the best player in the world.

That genuine dislike between the James Gang and the Warriors is what NBA rivalries are made of.

Sure, James has battled with the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers consistently in his career. However, the vehement energy in those rivalries didn’t exist on the same plane as what the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors have built in just two seasons.

Related Story: How The Cavs' Faith Sealed The Warriors' Fate

The Pistons didn’t have a player that could be taken seriously if they boasted about being the best player in the league.

The Spurs were too quiet and respected for that type of talk to take place.

The Pacers came the closest to having that type of rivalry with James but the never took the league by storm the way the Warriors did.

For the next five years, the NBA should belong to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors. The core of the Cavaliers, which features three of the most unique players in NBA history, is signed through 2019. The Golden State Warriors have signed Kevin Durant to play Batman to Curry’s Superman. The Wonderfriends squad they’ve assembled is the most collective talent a roster has had since the 1960s Boston Celtics dynasty.

The Ultimate Warrior and the Cleveland Cavaliers seem set to meet the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals a few more times. When those two teams meet, the NBA should brace itself for fireworks.

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Do you think the Golden State Warriors will be the Cleveland Cavaliers biggest competition of this decade? Do you think that they’re the biggest rivalry he’s had in his career? Let us know in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.