National Basketball Association rivalries

Turkish center Ömer Aşık posted the 45th double-double of his NBA career with 16 points and 14 rebounds as the New Orleans Pelicans beat the New York Knicks 104-93 on Dec. 9, handing New York a ninth straight defeat.

Tyreke Evans, who led his team with 27 point, netted eight points and Aşık had seven during a fourth quarter in which New Orleans out-scored New York 27-20.

LeBron James made his first public appearance since announcing he was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, holding court with a group of starry-eyed Brazilian basketballers on the eve of the World Cup final in Rio.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Miami Heat 104-87 on June 15 to capture their fifth NBA championship and deny the Heat a third straight title.

Fueled by the disappointment of a seven-game loss to the Heat in last year's finals, the top-seeded Spurs throttled the two-time defending champions in the final three games to take the best-of-seven title series four games to one.