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Basketball Superstars, The Team Concept, And Winning
Basketball is a sport of grace and skill. However, it is not just about talent. Being a team sport, the most successful teams are the ones that are able to use each player, and make him play to his strengths in contributing to the team.
Superstars get all the attention, the endorsements, the posters, and the video game covers, but in the end, they are nothing without their teammates. No matter how good you are, what really matters is winning. People care about the winners, and that is why you need teammates who will work well with you.
Teams without superstars, or clear leaders, also have a tough time winning because they do not have any direction on the court. They need someone to follow, someone to call the shots and control the game on the court, not just from the bench.
"One-man teams" achieve some success, because of the sheer talent of their respective stars. But these teams never win the ultimate prize in basketball, which is an NBA championship, because one superstar is at odds versus five players working on the court together for obvious reasons.
This success in team sports, specifically basketball, is showcased best in the 2009 NBA playoffs. Blogger Sherman Mazur is very much aware of this, as he comments on the Los Angeles Lakers' run to the finals. He stated that in order to win, it was not enough that they had one of the best players ever to play the game. Nor was it enough to have good players surround their superstar-what Mazur said, was that the Lakers needed to play as a team to win.
The Lakers are a typical example of a strong team having a hard time of winning because of lack of teamwork and togetherness-basketball is about working as a team, to help each other score easily, and to make it as hard as possible for the other team to score, as a team.
However, for the 2009 playoffs, Cleveland and Houston are entirely different stories. Cleveland is the typical one-man team, relying on their superstar for the whole game. Sure their team has chemistry, but at the end of the day, they lack the talent to play at a high level with the rest of the league. Houston, on the other hand, had no superstars. They were, however, able to advance deep in the playoffs because of teamwork. They basically played together, and stuck to their coach's system, which translated into wins for them.
At the end of the day, two teams advanced to the finals: Los Angeles and Orlando. These two teams each have a respective superstar, but their superstars play within the team concept. They understand that they cannot win the championship alone, and that since they are one of the best, it is their responsibility to make those around them better. This is the key to winning ballgames.
Sure, individual statistics are seen by fans and the media, but at the end of the day, the most valuable player should be on a valuable team, a winning team.
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