With 16 championship banners hanging in the rafters at the Staples Centers, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA and in all of professional sports. That kind of history breeds content with Lakers rivals, which can result in some bitter situations with teams hoping to humble the purple and gold every chance they get.

Although teams around the NBA always seem to take it to another level when facing the Lakers, especially with Los Angeles back on top with LeBron James and Anthony Davis leading the way, five teams stick out among the rest when it comes to having a heated rivalry with L.A.

Sacramento Kings: Kobe/Shaq vs. Webber/Bibby/Stojakovic 

These days the Kings aren't much of a threat to the Lakers. De'Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield are talented players on the rise, but may need a few more years to really give Los Angeles a run. These games can still be must-see T.V. with Sacramento always motivated to take down their division rivals.

However, Sacramento was once one of the Lakers' biggest rivals when Chris Webber was leading the charge along with Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and former Laker, Vlade Divac.

The Kings were stacked during this time and gave the Lakers a run for their money every single time they took the floor. Things got so heated between these two Western Conference heavyweights that fights broke out on and off the floor on more than one occasion. There was no love lost here, and Shaq always went out of his way to make it all the more interesting by calling them the “Queens” when this rivalry was at its peak.

San Antonio Spurs: Kobe Bryant vs. Tim Duncan – 10 Titles 

As arguably the toughest opponent for the Los Angeles Lakers during Kobe Bryant's career with the franchise, the Spurs always caused problems for L.A. The Gregg Popovich-Tim Duncan combination was lethal, as they traded titles with the Lakers for more than a decade.

Both Bryant and Duncan went to win five titles during their Hall-of-Fame-caliber careers, putting together two of the most impressive resumes in NBA history. Before Kobe tragically past away earlier this year, Bryant admitted that it wasn't for the Spurs and Duncan that the Lakers would've won 10 titles during his stint with the team.

Detroit Pistons: Bad Boys vs. Showtime 

The Pistons haven't been a good team for quite some time. Detroit never really rebounded from the end of the era, which showcased a defensive-minded squad led by Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince.

Despite the team's lack of relevancy in today's NBA, the rivalry with the Lakers goes back to the days of Magic Johnson running the point in the Showtime era. Isiah Thomas was the undisputed leader of the Pistons at the time who were also known as the Bad Boys.

Detroit was a fierce opponent at the time with a defense that struck fear in every opponent in the league. The Pistons were a gritty team that played extremely well together using their hard-nosed approach by not giving anything up easy meaning they regularly threw players to the ground on layup and dunk attempts.

This wasn't exempt for superstars either as Magic, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird felt the wrath of Pistons legends like Bill Laimbeer, Dennis Rodman, and Rick Mahorn.

In fact, the Pistons, along with Jordan's Chicago Bulls, helped end the Lakers' dominance in the Showtime era and the Boston Celtics dynasty. Detroit went on to win back-to-back titles to end the '80s before Jordan took over the league to start the 90's.

As if ending the Showtime era wasn't enough, the Pistons handed the Lakers one of their worst losses in the NBA Finals in 2004 when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal attempted to win their fourth title together. Detroit almost pulled off the sweep if it weren't for some late-game heroics by Bryant in Game 4.

L.A. Clippers: Battle For Los Angeles 

With zero NBA titles to their credit, the Clippers haven't been much of a formidable rival for the 16-time champions. The history of both teams simply can't be compared, but this rivalry has heated up due to the Lakers' struggles and Clippers' rise ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

As the Lakers missed the playoffs for six years in a row, the Clippers had title hopes and were arguably the one opponent fans of the purple and gold circled on the regular-season schedule. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin helped take this rivalry to the next level, with Lob City becoming something Lakers fans despised.

This has led to the rivalry being one to watch every season, especially considering the fact that now these two teams are arguably the two best in the Western Conference with dynamic duos on both sides.

L.A. natives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George are now leading the charge for the Clippers while LeBron and Davis lead the pack for the Lakers. These two teams were on a path for an epic playoff clash before the season was suspended, and that could still be the case if the league gets back to work at some point in the coming months.

With these two superstars duos in Los Angeles seemingly not going anywhere for at least a few years, this rivalry will reach new heights as a marquee matchup not only for fans of both teams but for all basketball enthusiasts.

Boston Celtics: Best Rivalry In NBA History 

Few rivalries in professional sports stand the test of time. Every major sports league seems to have at least one, but only two are truly iconic, and there's only one in the NBA. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have an epic hatred for one another in the MLB while the Lakers and Boston Celtics can't stand each other after 12 meetings in the NBA Finals since 1959.

The NBA is a different league now where physical play is frowned upon and punished. During the Showtime era, that wasn't the case, and the battles with the Celtics was an all-out war every single game with neither team backing down. From Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain battling it out to Magic Johnson and Larry Bird going head-to-head and Kobe Bryant squaring off against Paul Pierce, this rivalry has no equal in terms of star power and pure entertainment on the basketball floor.

The last time both of these teams made it to the NBA Finals was back in 2010 with Bryant and Pau Gasol taking on Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Pierce. The series went to seven games with the Lakers pulling it out in Game 7 at the Staples Center, avenging their loss two years earlier to the same Celtics squad.

Ironically enough, these two teams could meet in the NBA Finals once again this season a decade after their last showdown.

The current Celtics squad is a young team on the rise with talented stars like Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, and Jalen Brown. Boston handed the Lakers their worst loss of the 2019-20 season, which was countered with a brilliant performance from LeBron in Los Angeles.

The rivalry may not be the physical clash it once was, but it is still a special matchup in the NBA which is highly anticipated both teams and fan bases.

Honorable Mentions: Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans (new rivalry brewing)