What Makes a Championship NBA Team?

Posted by The Mueller’s on February 12, 2008

‘The Formula?’ (Melissa Majchrzak - NBAE/Getty Images)

If someone had a magic formula as to what makes a championship team, what would that be? It is easy to think about the various ingredients that a team would need, exceptional players, skilled coaching, adequate financial support from the owners, energetic fans, awesome, talented bloggers. . . okay, maybe not that one. But how much of each ingredient makes the team elite. What mix of ingredients combines to make that one perfect year when it all comes together?

I would argue that the difficulty in developing such a formula is that there are far too many psychological factors that play into what makes a team — a TEAM. How do you manage those factors? (Wish I knew that, maybe I’d be a better parent).

You take ten or so talented players from very different walks of life, varied skill levels, a range of experience, wildly different personality styles . . . oh, and never forget those Egos! Then throw in the various socio-economic backgrounds, life stages, support systems, parenting styles. Add in maturity level, cultural differences, upbringing, tragedies (life lessons). Mix all that up. And that’s just the players! Now think about the coaches, owners, trainers, all with their own thoughts, feelings and agendas.

And what binds them all is a love (yes, for most I believe it is a love) for basketball. No psychiatrist, medical doctor, sports psychologist can predict what happens once all those ingredients are mixed together. . . explosion? implosion? success?

Which is why we love to watch NBA basketball. Because the mixture is always churning and we are always hopeful that the right mix will come bubbling up during the playoffs and the magic will begin. The hopes of fans everywhere rest on that churning, bubbling, mess of a recipie . . . this year, maybe, “our team” will get it right.

NBA Playoffs . . . . Mix It Up!