Psychology behind sports rivalries, sports rivalries alone and derbies, are all topics that I have been analyzing deeply from day one, and even came up with a rivalry meter. Why? Because even in the earliest work I did on what makes a player hypegenic, from Bird vs. Magic to Clark vs. Reese, Messi vs. Ronaldo, the rivalry effect shows up fast. It’s one of the most powerful engines in the sports ecosystem: fans love picking sides, media loves selling the drama, and the whole thing fuels hype across the board.
That’s exactly why, when I got the chance to speak with Dr. Marc Lochbaum, a sports performance psychology professor at Texas Tech, my first instinct was clear—we need to talk about the psychology behind sports rivalries.
This episode of Play of Values is a special one, made in collaboration with the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, and recorded in Lithuanian Basketball Home, in my hometown Kaunas.
Sports rivalries have become one of the sharpest tools in the sports marketing kit. They’re not just fuel for fan hype—they’re also part of the athlete’s brand. And the ones who truly get how to build tension? They’re the ones cashing in. Whether it’s influencer athletes like Conor McGregor, sports influencers like Logan or Jake Paul, or any other modern sports celebrity—rivalries drive engagement.
But do rivalries impact more than just the fans? What about the players? The coaches? The owners?
That’s exactly what we dive into with Dr. Marc Lochbaum, a sports performance psychology expert from Texas Tech University.
Marc Lochbaum – Sports Performance Psychology Expert
Dr. Marc Lochbaum is a Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at Texas Tech University, where he teaches and conducts research in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management. He also serves as a chief researcher in the Education Academy at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. Dr. Lochbaum’s academic expertise centers on achievement motivation, self-determination theory, and the psychological aspects of physical activity and sport performance.
Beyond academia, Dr. Lochbaum has extensive practical experience in sports. He played minor league basketball in Wales and participated in summer pro leagues. His coaching career spans youth sports to high school levels, including roles as a junior college assistant coach and performance psychologist for Arizona State University’s women’s basketball team and Texas Tech University’s men’s basketball team.
Throughout his coaching tenure, he has coached well over 1,000 games.
Interview about Psychology behind Sports Rivalries
Part I: Intro—Marc’s Favorite Sports Rivalries
Before we get into the psychology behind the sports rivalries part, I want to know—because we already talked before about you being a Chicago Bulls fan—what’s the rivalry you got most excited about?
Marc Lochbaum: I’m going to go Bulls–Knicks.
Knicks. Jordan–Ewing.
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, yeah. I’m going to go Pippen—that era. It’s easy to go…
Pistons–Bulls?
Marc Lochbaum: Pistons–Bulls was a good one. You know, I’m… I’m going to change my answer. I’m going Bulls–Pacers.
Bulls–Pacers? Reggie Miller?
Marc Lochbaum: Yep. The ‘98–‘99, that era. Yeah, I’m gonna go that era. Yeah, because I was a huge Reg—I mean, I’m a huge Bulls fan—let’s not mix words—but I’m a huge Reggie Miller fan as well.
Yeah, me too.
Marc Lochbaum: Huge. And in my hometown in Illinois, easier and cheaper to drive to Indianapolis for a game than it would be, you know—so I saw a number of… when Reggie first—you know, when video screens were like Atari-type of screens. You know, it was Showtime. Reggie, Rick Smits, Mark Jackson. Yeah, it was hard. That’s a good rival.
And Reggie Miller was—for kids like me who were more about shooting—before Stephen Curry and all that—everyone wanted to be like Reggie Miller because, yeah, he was the first, like, OG sharpshooter.
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Great, great answer. I wasn’t expecting that. Thank you.
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, I had to think about that. I mean, once I thought about it—oh yeah. Bulls-Pacers.
Part II: Do All Athletes Experience Sports Rivalries the Same?
So in your work with athletes across different sports—in your experience—do players view sports rivalries differently depending on what sport they play? Or is it quite similar?
Marc Lochbaum: I think it’s quite similar. I think it’s just the word—“that’s my rival.” That’s it. Whether it’s golf, tennis, basketball… you know, there would be more potential, you know, like synergy on a team—more emotion. Because if it’s tennis, like, I have to conjure up the emotion every time. If it’s, you know, Federer versus Djokovic—something like that—they play so often, right?
Teams don’t play that often, but in those individual sports, it’s so frequent. It would be hard in golf, as an example, to say every week I’m going against someone. Because they’re out there every week, right? So it would be—shoot, you know—they’re having dinner afterward.
And as a fan—or someone who also did sports personally—do you feel like that got you more involved into sports?
Marc Lochbaum: I think it’s fun, that’s for sure. Yeah, I think it’s fun. I think that… there’s a meta-analysis, and I was thinking about this, and I can’t remember… we don’t need to pull it up, but you know, the main thing is this stuff is fun. It’s true about motivation and emotions and fans and, you know, whistles and drums and the whole thing.
In the end, I’m sure globally it ends up being 50/50, right? You know, because I—I really am not your rival if I beat—if I win every time, right? That’s not really a rivalry.
It should be about equal ability, at least again, across a 10-year span or—you know what I’m saying? If I’m always killing you, then it’s not a rival. Right? It’s just another game.
Part III: Sports Rivalries as Fuel for Greatness
Now when we go to the athletes—and primarily we go to the NBA, because basketball is our main topic here, we often hear how rivalries helped players become better. Like how Magic was obsessed with Bird, and Bird was obsessed with Magic—how they were practicing imagining each other. LeBron recently said Curry and Durant are what motivates him to push himself harder.
And from a psychology perspective, what happens in a player’s mind? Like, why is this one of the main triggers? Why do we need this external trigger to make us work harder—to find someone to be rivals with?
Marc Lochbaum: Because I—let’s talk about pro sports, or high-level college sports.
If I’m already getting paid, right? It’s easier to slide, right? But these are professionals, right? No matter what we know about them or think about them or whatever… again, when the ball’s rolled out, I think people play. Right?
So, I think—it’s… we don’t know LeBron James, but let’s use him as an example. It’s a tremendous example. His career is amazing. He started scoring, and he still scores. There’s no drop-off in that man. There’s no drop-off. If anything, he seems better, right?
And so if he needs—if he personally feels those types of triggers, being better by going against Kevin Durant—which, that’s a pretty good go, right?—makes him better. He’s not choosing somebody older than himself, right? He’s choosing… I mean, Steph Curry’s just a couple years younger. But they’re people at the top of their game, still having great moments—credible moments. And I think that’s OK.
And when it rolls out, and he doesn’t feel that, then I would think he retires. Tiger Woods always said—when he takes that ball and the first tee box and puts it in there, and he doesn’t feel nervous, he doesn’t feel a little ill—then he knows he’s going to pick it up and go home. He’ll never do it again.
Because it is external, yeah. Right? It’s me versus you.
Yes, golf could be me versus a golf course—but we’re talking basketball. I mean—it’s, you know—it’s contact, right?
And from your experience, is there like an actual scientific basis that proves competing against a rival pushes the player to perform?
Marc Lochbaum: I’m going to say no.
Because of statistics—across, let’s say, basketball—there are too many other variables involved. Right? That’s the issue.
Now, I don’t know about tennis—I listen to tennis podcasts—but like, you know, Federer, Djokovic… you think about those guys. And I can’t remember—because I like tennis, but I like basketball more—I can’t think of their career stats against each other. And let’s not talk about winning and losing, ‘cause somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose.
I don’t know—like first serve percentage? You know, something like that. That would be interesting to look at.
And it could be interesting to see, with all the analytics in basketball, whether the shot chart pattern is different in a rivalry game. Maybe I’m more conservative. You know? I don’t know what it would be. But that would be…
That’s a great idea for…
Marc Lochbaum: For researchers, yeah. We could do that. Yeah.
We should do that, yeah.
Marc Lochbaum: Cut the podcast. That data is available!
OK, so… does it go both ways? Like—can a rivalry become a mental block?
Marc Lochbaum: For sure. Right? It’s nerve-racking. Because—the fans.
Again, I love the Instagrams of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague. First practice—16,000 people, all that. And then you go over to a first practice of an NBA team—birds tweeting, right?
Because of the emotion that people put into basketball here—as we do in our college sports. I mean, we have that. You know, midnight madness. We got emotion in America. It’s just not at the NBA level.
And do you think coaches have to handle this? Like, do they…
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, they do. They—it’s still the same game plan, right? I still have to… we all have to put that away.
Again, as an American and lover of basketball, I never thought in a million years it would be USA–France as a men’s or women’s finals. You know what I’m saying? I never—I mean, I don’t know why I’d think about it, but…
Is that our rival now for the next one? You know, for the next one? That’s an interesting thought. But when you get there—whether it’s pool play or gold medal round—I still have to go win the game.
Yeah, but what I’m asking is—should coaches, for example, try to create the feeling of a rivalry in order to motivate their team?
Marc Lochbaum: No. No. I think the motivation is: go win the game.
I don’t think—because again, people are adults—and that fake “rah rah” would be seen as fake “rah rah.” I think that…
I saw a couple of clips from the Netflix Team USA doc. Just a couple of the clips. And Durant, et al., said—it’s every second of it. Everyone wants to beat us. The moment you put that uniform on—it doesn’t matter who it is. Doesn’t matter who it is. It’s go time.
So, I don’t think—in certain situations—there’s any more motivation required.
Part IV: Why Psychology behind Sports Rivalries Affects Fans More Than Players
OK, so we go naturally to our second topic—about fans. Because what you’re saying is—for players, yeah, sports rivalries are important, but it’s not that important. Would you say that it’s even more important for the fans than it is for the players? Why do sports rivalries get fans so invested? We can even take an example—like Bird and Magic. That rivalry basically created the NBA. Why do you think sports rivalries are the thing that makes…
Marc Lochbaum: Oh, it’s like a TV show. We like our stuff. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I like my home team—or whatever team it might be—and I get invested in it. And I probably spend some money on it. I probably spend a good amount of time on it.
Same if somebody likes a Mercedes-Benz versus a BMW—you know, you spend time on it. And it’s enjoyable.
Our society was built on that. I had a sociologist of sport slash American growth professor once say—the cities: Boston, New York… Parks and Recreation facilities were built because people liked to do those things. They liked to go play. It’s a good use of people’s time.
And then you get teams built around that. And it’s my team. It doesn’t have to be the Yankees. It could be my neighborhood stickball team.
Yeah, and funny you mention Boston and New York—because my next question is exactly about sports rivalries between teams. One of the sports rivalries I had in mind was Red Sox–Yankees. We also have Madrid–Barça, Belgrade derbies—all sorts of derbies. And those derbies… they’re older than the fans.
Let’s talk about that whole phenomenon—why people want to associate themselves like that.
Marc Lochbaum: Sports matter. Right? That’s the bottom line.
I started a publication with that. I tried to think I was John Steinbeck or something—you know, be a creative writer for a boring research paper. I wanted to make it creative.
And I thought—that’s the best one-liner I’ve ever had: sports matter.
I wrote a meta-analysis on athletic identity. Right? So, my identity as an athlete. But I also have that identity as a fan.
Sports matter.
I don’t have an identity with a washing machine. I don’t have an identity with grocery shopping.
But I have identity with something that elicits great emotion. And sports—sports do that.
Part V: Coaches, Owners, and the Business of Sports Rivalries
OK, and going to other people that are affected by rivalries—we already talked about coaches—but do you think those things affect coaches? Like, do they put more emphasis on those games? Do they take it more personally?
Marc Lochbaum: I think… let’s go Michigan–Ohio State football in America.
I think you can lose your job if you lose that rivalry game too many times. And you could win all the others, but if you keep losing that one—you’re going to lose your job.
So I think the answer’s: they will know when it’s more important.
And the follow-up question is about owners. At the end of the day, it’s not just the coaches. It’s probably even more important for team owners—because they’re the ones investing into the teams. Right? They’re thinking about how these rivalries and wins attract more fans, create more value.
So would you say it’s actually more important for the ones putting money into the business? Because sports is business, right?
Marc Lochbaum: And rivalries are part of that.
I mean—you need a rival. You need a great game to keep people there. To buy more food, to buy more T-shirts, and so on.
If every game was 100 to nothing, then you’re not going to sell. You know, it’s no fun. It’s no fun.
People—the most motivated, if we use a motivational theory for anything we do—it’s when it’s 50/50. Or 40/60. Or 60/40. Anywhere in that range—you’re going to get our best. Right?
And that’s what people want.
Yeah. Batman needs his Joker, right? You need to be afraid that you can lose, so that you have the attention.
Marc Lochbaum: Exactly. Nothing wrong with that, yeah.
And what’s your take on media?
Because Play of Values is first about sports, yeah—but it’s also about media. Do you think the media overdoes it? Or should they emphasize rivalries more? Does it help?
Marc Lochbaum: Sure. Yeah, yeah. It’s fun. It’s more fun.
College GameDay is the greatest morning show on planet Earth. Right? Especially if they’re at a rival game.
It’s fun when they’re at a game. But if they’re at a game—wherever—and it’s really not a rivalry game, it’s just a good place to have GameDay because one of the teams is highly ranked? It’s not nearly as fun.
If it’s Alabama–Auburn… you know, Georgia–Alabama… Texas–Tech—no, that’s not really true. Now Texas versus Texas A&M back in the day—those were it.
Those are the close-proximity rivalries.
I don’t know if that’s always true. But when you think of Boston and New York—you can get there quickly. I think of some of the college towns—you can get there quickly.
I can’t think quick enough in Europe to come up with examples, but…
Yeah, it’s called derbies. Like we have Belgrade Derby, for example. Panathinaikos–Olympiacos. Same city. Yeah—they’re crazy.
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, yeah. Proximity helps.
Part VI: Do Superstars Need a Rival to Become Great?
In my blog, I’ve come up with this term—hypegenic. And one of the things that the research found is that players—if they want to reach the level of superstar—eventually need to have a rival (part of the Hypegenic Meter).
And some people say, for example, the problem with LeBron not being considered the GOAT like Jordan is that he didn’t have rivals like Isaiah Thomas, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon—you name it. Like, those guys seemed like the…
Marc Lochbaum: Big list. Big list.
…big list of people that Jordan had to overcome. Do you agree with that take, or do you think it’s a bit built up by the media?
Marc Lochbaum: I think it’s built up by the media.
Didn’t he go to eight straight Finals?
Yeah.
Marc Lochbaum: So that’s amazing. That’s… it’s ridiculous. Right? That’s a ridiculous statistic.
So I don’t know—whatever. He won three of eight?
Yeah, yeah. That’s a separate topic for sure.
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah, that’s a separate topic.
It’s just one example.
Marc Lochbaum: It’s one example. I think some of it is player-position specific.
Like—who would LeBron’s actual on-floor rival be? Because he could play any spot, right?
You know, when people guard different positions and do different things—he’s a massive human being.
Who is Kevin Durant’s actual rival? He’s 6’11”—or whatever he is. He’s the best scorer of the basketball.
So, again—who would physically be his rival?
I don’t know.
But then I can conjure up stuff—like the three Pistons against Michael Jordan type of phenomenon.
Yeah. But like, Michael Jordan’s biggest rivalry was with Utah Jazz. And Stockton and Karl Malone didn’t play his position. But they were major rivals. Gary Payton—also not the same position—but a major rival.
I just took LeBron as an example.
Marc Lochbaum: That’s a great example.
I think we can then find great examples where we can’t name a rival—just for whatever reason, we can’t.
Like, I don’t know if Patrick Ewing’s rival was really Hakeem Olajuwon. I don’t think that’s really true.
Yeah, but what I’m saying is—let’s go to boxing. Muhammad Ali is considered the GOAT. Nobody really argues with that.
Marc Lochbaum: Even though he lost a bunch. Yeah, but that’s the GOAT.
And one of the reasons why he’s the GOAT—because in people’s minds, he defeated lots of…
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah—different…
…great players. And some of the good boxers now—even though maybe they’re better than he was—because they don’t have such good rivalries, they’re not considered…
Marc Lochbaum: Yeah. Roy Jones. Roy Jones Jr. Guys like that.
Floyd Mayweather—never lost. But you couldn’t name one person that…
Yeah, exactly. If Floyd Mayweather had had a real rival—someone he was afraid he might lose to—maybe he would be considered even better than he is now.
Marc Lochbaum: Sure. Yep.
So…
Marc Lochbaum: Rocky’s Rocky because he lost a bunch—and came back.
Part VII: The Dark Side of Sports Rivalries
At the end of the day, do you think players need rivalries to be considered great?
Marc Lochbaum: I think they make them up—whether they’re there or not—because it’s an ego-driven thing. It’s on the world stage.
And I think it’s just fine. Nobody likes being shown up—especially if you’re a star, right?
So you’d be more motivated if—let’s say—ESPN, or whatever the show is, says, “Hey, we think so-and-so is ready to overtake Player X.”
Player X hears that—bingo. Bingo.
And now—do you think, in your opinion—can sports rivalries get too toxic?
Marc Lochbaum: Oh, for fans? For sure.
Not—I don’t think for players. But I think for fans. I mean—the violence, you know?
Yeah, but for example, like rivalries between players—let’s think Pacers–Pistons in…
Marc Lochbaum: That era. Yeah.
Malice at the Palace.
Marc Lochbaum: I think it’s only toxic because it’s the playoffs. People see each other all the time, and it’s 50/50.
Those are big moments.
But I think—we could have big moments again. You don’t have big moments when you’re up 50 points, right?
You could be chippy a little bit, but it’s not going to be a fistfight—most likely—because it’s not that rebound or loose ball that you’d dive for and smash someone in the face to get a timeout.
If I’m up 50? I don’t do it.
OK. Because yeah—what I was trying to get at is that in my opinion, rivalries between players can get toxic. Like, for example, the Malice at the Palace.
And do you think—at the end of the day—the NBA is now doing everything they can to stop players from taunting each other, from showing emotion toward each other? In that way, they’re kind of making those potential rivalries and conflicts smaller. They’re trying to avoid it. Do you think that’s a good thing or a bad thing?
Like for you personally—do you like seeing emotion and players trash talking, taunting each other?
Marc Lochbaum: I think most people don’t do that anyway.
I mean, I think there’s conversation—but you don’t want ten Ron Artests out there.
Having a fight with a player. Having a fight with someone in the stands. Right?
You don’t want the person in the stands throwing a beer on somebody—calling them a name, either.
But I think it’s OK to tone it down.
Again, we’ve got to go back to thinking about the basics—which is hard to do, because we enjoy sport.
Children are watching it as well. Right?
So at some point, there’s got to be a filter.
There shouldn’t have to be a movie rating to go to an NBA game.
OK, fair. I see your point, yeah. OK.
So your final question is: in your opinion, in a few words—why are rivalries such an enduring part of sports?
What is it about a good sports rivalry that keeps us coming back?
Marc Lochbaum: We like to cheer for people—whether it’s Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible, or our favorite players and teams.
And I think it’s part of the evolution of our societies.
We’ve got free time, and we can spend our free time how we want to. And it’s fun to be part of a team.
I think we’re all team players in the end. Right?
It’s a lot more fun to be on a team than to not.
OK. And finally—how can we enjoy rivalries as fans, be passionate about them, but still stay respectful?
Marc Lochbaum: Be respectful.
I had a good friend from my hometown—someone I’ve known for a long time—say to me that he realized how he was hurting his mental health and physical health by being so invested in his favorite teams. Especially in the rival games.
He was so invested that he had to like… detox from it. Take himself out of it.
Not renew his season tickets. Not do those types of things.
And he said how much better he personally felt over those few years.
I think we have to just judge our own -isms. You know?
How toxic is this going to be for me? And make our decisions.
I will need his contacts—because I have a problem with being a fan of Žalgiris. Yeah, when Žalgiris loses—I can’t sleep. I can’t talk with my family. It just makes me wild.
And when they’re winning…
Marc Lochbaum: Yep—high as a kite.
When he said that to me—he said it to me at golf. I’d go home to Illinois, see my mom, do stuff like that. Same group of guys—forever, for a long time.
And I guess because I don’t live there, I didn’t realize he really had that problem. That there was an issue.
It didn’t seem like much to me. But he said—
You asked me about my level of involvement in things like that?
I said: “Oh, after Jordan retired? Zero.”
Still depressed about that.
So again—thank you, Marc, for this conversation.
Psychology Behind Sports Rivalries: How It Influences Athletes. Interview with Marc Lochbaum.
So, a special thank you goes out to Dr. Mark Lochbaum for taking the time to have this conversation, to the Lithuanian Basketball Federation for supporting and helping me record my first live interviews, and to Vytautas Magnus University, which continues to give me the platform to do this kind of work.
I hope you enjoyed the episode and found something valuable to take away. If you did—consider subscribing to the newsletter so you don’t miss what’s next.
CITATION
Bakanauskas, P., & Lochbaum, M. (2025, May 11). Psychology Behind Sports Rivalries: How It Influences Athletes. Interview with Marc Lochbaum. – Play of Values. Play of Values. https://playofvalues.com/psychology-behind-sports-rivalries/
IN-TEXT CITATION: (Bakanauskas & Lochbaum, 2025)
Questions related to Psychology behind Sports Rivalries
What is the psychology behind sports rivalry?
Sports rivalries tap into identity, emotion, and group belonging. They enhance motivation by creating meaningful stakes and emotional engagement.
What is the psychology of rivalry?
Rivalry intensifies focus and emotional investment. It’s driven by comparison, perceived equality, and a history of meaningful outcomes.
Is rivalry good for sport?
Yes—when balanced. Rivalry boosts motivation, fan interest, and overall performance, but can become toxic if unchecked.
What makes a rivalry a rivalry?
Repeated close competition, emotional history, and perceived equality between opponents. If one side always wins, it’s not a real rivalry.
What is the psychology behind competition?
Competition is rooted in achievement motivation and social comparison. It helps push individuals to maximize effort and performance.
What is the psychological theory in sport?
Sport psychology blends theories of motivation, identity, arousal regulation, and social dynamics to explain athletic performance.
Can rivalry be healthy?
Yes. Healthy rivalry enhances focus, motivation, and growth—as long as respect and sportsmanship are maintained.
What is the rivalry theory?
Rivalry theory suggests that performance improves when competing against familiar or emotionally charged opponents.
What is the common enemy theory in psychology?
It proposes that group cohesion strengthens when facing a shared rival or threat, increasing solidarity and motivation.
Do professional athletes need rivals to stay motivated?
Often, yes. Rivalries create external benchmarks that drive internal discipline—especially for elite athletes already at the top.
Can rivalries become a mental block for athletes?
Yes. If a player consistently loses to a rival, it can lead to stress, overthinking, and reduced performance under pressure.
Why do fans take rivalries more seriously than players?
Fans tie team identity to personal identity, investing emotionally in the outcome. Players often see it as one game among many.
How do rivalries affect coaching decisions?
Coaches may feel increased pressure during rivalry games, but elite coaching requires sticking to the game plan and avoiding hype.
How do rivalries influence sports business?
Rivalries drive ticket sales, TV ratings, and merchandise. They create storylines that attract both casual and hardcore fans.
Do sports rivalries make watching sports more exciting?
Yes. Rivalries raise emotional stakes, create drama, and make the outcome feel more personal for fans, increasing overall engagement.
What makes a rivalry a rivalry?
A true rivalry involves close competition, shared history, emotional tension, and mutual recognition—it’s not one-sided domination. Check the Rivalry Meter.
What is the biggest rivalry in sport?
There’s no single answer, but globally famous rivalries include Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Yankees vs Red Sox, and Celtics vs Lakers.
