Look up “team” in the dictionary and a picture of the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors should be right there.
With their 125-104 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at Oracle Arena this past Wednesday, the Warriors completed their historic season with a 73-9 record, one win more than the previous record of 72-10 by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls.
Steve Kerr, the head coach and captain of the ship for the Warriors, is no stranger to this kind of success. It is no coincidence that Kerr helped piece together this magical season for the Warriors. Kerr was a key member of the 72-10 Chicago Bulls. Along with Michael Jordan, Kerr was the only other player to play all 100 regular season and playoff games for the 95-96 Bulls.
Many fans argue that an NBA coach makes no difference in the success of his team. I’m here to tell you that without Kerr, the Warriors would not be record holders. Kerr is the perfect guy for the job. Kerr carried his magical potion from Chicago and gave it to his Warriors. That magic potion is a team full of unselfish players willing to do whatever it takes to win.
It is not a fluke this team broke the “unbreakable” record. Up and down the lineup are guys willing to fight each and every single day for one another. Guys willing to play in the shadows of Steph Curry. Guys taking pay cuts just to win. A coach that has been there and done that. These guys figured it out together, and that is the definition of a team.
Every great team needs a superstar, and the Warriors certainly have all that and more in reigning MVP Stephen Curry. Curry will be named the MVP this season after tossing in a record breaking 402 three pointers and averaging a league leading 30.1 points per game.
But without the other 15 perfectly placed pieces to the Warriors roster, Curry would not be the player we know today. Make no mistake, Curry could possibly be the greatest shooter in NBA history, but without players like Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, Curry and the Warriors could not win 73 games.
Draymond Green is the straw that stirs the drink. Green is possibly the most underrated player in the NBA and could most certainly be a superstar on any other team. A double-double machine that does it all game in and game out. Apart from his gutty performances, Green provides the spark and leadership that every team would kill to have. He is the epitome of a great leader. Ask any player on the Warriors who the leader of the team is and I guarantee the answer would be the constantly smiling and upbeat Draymond Green.
The next key cog in the machine is shooting guard and fellow “splash brother”, Klay Thompson. Thompson has quickly made a name for himself as a great shooter and second fiddle to Curry. Averaging 22.1 points per game, Thompson and Curry combine to score over 50 points per game. If Thompson were to leave the Warriors he would receive one of the largest contracts in the NBA and quickly be the superstar of whatever team he chooses, but he chooses to quietly play in the shadows of Curry. Why you may ask? Because he wants to win. He is a teammate. He is a guy that pursues rings rather than an $80 million contract.
Another prime example of a player sacrificing personal success for the betterment of the team is the Warriors starting small forward, Harrison Barnes. Coming out of high school, Barnes was the number one ranked recruit in the nation. He broke his high school’s career scoring record with 1,787 points. From there, he attended North Carolina as the team’s leading scorer and became the Warriors seventh overall pick in the 2012 draft. Now, Barnes is arguably the fifth scoring option for the Warriors, averaging just 11.7 points per game, but Barnes possesses a team first mentality that allows him to be valuable. More importantly helps his team win – and winning is something they do a lot.
Now, here goes my attempt to be motivational:
Do you want to be a “championship team?” Stop worrying about your stats and how good you did in the past game. Ask this Warriors team what their main focus was throughout each and every single game and I guarantee it was to do whatever it takes to win that game, at that moment. The second a player starts thinking selfishly, the quicker that team struggles. If a player gets caught up in their performance, he or she will never be successful. It takes a special set of players and a special mindset to achieve greatness. Talent can only take you so far in any team sport. If a basketball team doesn’t have players willing to play their role, they will never see success. Be a player of character who is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Who knows, maybe you will find your picture next to the definition of “team” someday.
