Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, once said: “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” There is something about teamwork that makes the difference. Whether it’s a sports team, a club, an office, a church or a business, there is magic in teamwork.
Peter Tollman wrote an article that during the National Basketball Association 2017 season, two teams with below-average payrolls – the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics – won their respective divisions. Golden State went on to win the NBA championship.
“At the same time,” Tollman and his co-authors pointed out, “eight teams with above-average payrolls all finished with losing records. One big reason: teamwork – specifically, cooperation, or acting in ways that improve the effectiveness of others, often at personal cost.”
They demonstrated their thesis by pointing to an under-appreciated basketball statistic: assists.
What they found was enlightening: “Players on the Celtics and the Warriors ‘assisted’ their teammates far more frequently than players on other teams – on average, 15-30% above the league average.” An assist, they noted – passing the ball to another play rather than shooting yourself – is the embodiment of teamwork because players yield the possibility of scoring themselves in order to set up a teammate who might have a better shot. The sacrifice is real, because the NBA’s top-earners, those with salaries and endorsement contracts in the tens of millions of dollars, typically are the top scorers, not those with the most assists.
Their conclusion: when it comes to winning championships, it’s not always the team with the dominating superstar that wins the trophy; it’s the one that works best together as a team.
This story is anchored in Biblical principles. Jesus said: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Paul wrote: “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4) These verses point to be unselfish and other-person mindedness. It’s an “assist” mentality.
Nehemiah and his team pulled off the rebuilding of the walls around Jerusalem in 52 days. How did they do it? Teamwork. People worked together. Their mindset was to “assist” each other. Nehemiah 2:18 says: “Let us start rebuilding.” Notice the plural pronoun: us.
Talent wins games, teamwork wins championships!
Source: Grant Freeland, BCG, June 1, 2018
Larry Light, Pastor, New Hope Community Church, 607-865-5436
