Rivalries have defined the history of tennis. The most intriguing matchups have contrasted many playing styles and personalities: Martina Navratilova vs. Chris Evert; Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal, and both players separately vs. Novak Djokovic; Pete Sampras vs. Andra Aggasi; Serena Williams and her sister, Venus; John McEnroe vs. Jimmy
The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics. Magic vs. Bird. The glitz of Hollywood vs. a working-class city. East vs. West. An intensely private figure against one admired and revered for his warmth. Despite countless factors, the friendship between Magic Johnson and Larry Bird shows how opposite personalities can
This current subset in my series, New Year; New Types of Friends is about friendships from the world of sports. This next post is about boxers, Joe Louis and Max Schmeling. Similar to The Unlikely Friendship of Jesse Owens and Luz Long, the matches between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling