Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, and just like the rest of the all-time greats, he has accumulated his fair share of rivals along the way.

Here are the top five rivals of James' career:

5. Detroit Pistons

Before James became the superstar he is today, the first obstacle he ever had to overcome was the Pistons.

James first met Detroit in the playoffs in 2006 during his first go-around with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which ended in a seven-game victory for the Pistons. He then collided with Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals a year later, this time leading Cleveland to a thrilling seven-game victory and punching his first ticket to the finals.

James matched up against the Pistons one more time in 2009, with the Cavs sweeping what was left of Detroit in the first round. Then, in LeBron's second stint with the Cavaliers, he led Cleveland to another sweep of Detroit in 2016 (but this was long after the rivalry had already subsided).

The peak of James' rivalry with the Pistons was over a decade ago, but it has left an indelible mark on his career and helped him grow into the dominant force he is today.

4. Indiana Pacers

Between 2012 and 2014, James met the Pacers in the playoffs three straight seasons while with the Miami Heat. Two of those meetings came in the Eastern Conference Finals.

While LeBron emerged victorious in all three series, it was hardly easy.

Each matchup went to at least six games, including a thrilling seven-game series in 2013. Yes, the Heat won Game 7 in a blowout, but that was one heck of a series all the way through.

But it didn't stop there.

James then encountered Indiana in the playoffs as a member of the Cavaliers in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018. The former matchup was a Cavs sweep. The latter was another seven-game set that Indiana actually held a 2-1 lead in at one point.

The first four clashes between LeBron and the Pacers pitted James against Paul George, who could never seem to overcome James in the biggest moments. By time the last matchup occurred in 2018, George was in Oklahoma City, and Indy was led by a young, upcoming star named Victor Oladipo.

3. San Antonio Spurs

There was no bitter hatred between James and the Spurs, but one would be a fool to not acknowledge the obvious rivalry.

James has been in the finals nine times in his NBA career, and three of those meetings have come against San Antonio, with Tim Duncan and Co. getting the better of LeBron two of those three times.

LeBron first matched up against the Spurs in 2007 when he was with the Cavaliers and was swept in an admittedly boring series. He would later meet San Antonio again six years later as a member of the Heat, this time topping the Spurs in a tremendous seven-game set that included arguably the biggest shot in NBA Finals history when Ray Allen buried a game-tying three-pointer at the end of regulation in Game 6.

James would then clash with the Spurs again the following year, but this time, San Antonio dismantled James and Miami in five games, ultimately forcing LeBron to head back to Cleveland that ensuing summer.

With Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker retired and Kawhi Leonard no longer in San Antonio, the rivalry is pretty much dead now, but people will forever talk about LeBron's matches against the Spurs.

2. Boston Celtics

As much of a hurdle as the Pistons were for James early in his career, they weren't quite as tough on him as the Celtics.

LeBron met Boston in the playoffs twice during his first rodeo with the Cavaliers, falling to the Celtics in a seven-game second-round series in 2008 and later getting blasted by Boston in six two years later.

That second loss to Boston prompted James to head to South Beach to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

LeBron and the Heat would proceed to meet the Paul Pierce- and Kevin Garnett-led Celtics two more times in 2011 and 2012, coming away with a five-game victory in 2011 and then rallying from a 3-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals to best Boston in 2012.

In the latter year, James would ultimately go on to win his first championship, which served as possibly the most pivotal moment of his career (some would argue his victory over the Golden State Warriors in 2016).

LeBron has met the Celtics a couple of more times since then in his second stint with the Cavs. He first swept the Celtics in a largely non-competitive first-round series in 2015, and in 2018, he once again had to rally from a 3-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals to top a young, feisty, injury-laden Boston squad.

With James now in Los Angeles, he won't be able to meet Boston again until the Finals. Imagine how hyped-up of a matchup that would be?

1. Golden State Warriors

James met the Warriors four straight times in the finals between 2015 and 2018, falling to Golden State in three of those four matchups.

Of course, he topped the Dubs in a classic seven-game series in 2016 — you know, the year the Warriors won 73 games and held a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers before James led the Cavs to a historic comeback.

Most notably is that there seemed to be a genuine hatred (or at least dislike) between James and the Stephen Curry-led Dubs, and the fact that LeBron's good friend, Kevin Durant, joined the Warriors during the summer of 2016 made this rivalry even more intense.

Honestly, the back end of the rivalry got fairly boring. The whole world knew that Golden State was going to beat Cleveland in 2017, and by time 2018 came around, it was like chewed meat.

But as uneventful as it may have been to most of the fans, it meant a whole lot to James. The Warriors will forever remain attached to James' legacy.