What Do All Great Teams Have in Common?

Andre Iguodala went to 6 NBA Finals in a row and was the 2013 NBA Finals MVP, so he knows what it takes to be a great team.

On his podcast, JJ Reddick asked Andre Iguodala, “Aside from talent, what do the great teams have in common?”

Iggy said, “On the really great teams, everyone is happy for everyone’s success.”

He said that it is important to teach the game the right way, to play the game the right way, and to focus on a winning style of play.

GREAT TEAMMATES ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE SOME INDIVIDUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEAM SUCCESS

To be happy for someone’s success and to do what it takes to win requires some level of sacrifice. It can’t be, “I want to do what it takes to win as long as it is on my own terms.” On great teams, you really can’t do that. To be a part of a great team, you have to be willing to sacrifice some individual success for team success, and we can’t get in each other's way.

DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF YOUR TEAMMATE'S SUCCESS. HELP AND EMPOWER YOUR TEAMMATES TO BECOME THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE

Andre said that he was able to start and flourish as a rookie because nobody got in his way. That experience made it easy for him to allow Harrison Barnes to take his starting spot in Golden State, a move that helped him win his first championship. Andre said that he wanted to help and empower Harrison.

Iggy also said that the really good teams that he has been on never had to have a meeting about enjoying each other’s success, doing it together, passing the ball more, or caring about someone else’s success more. The great teams just have it.

I personally think it’s important to teach and reinforce what you want to see. Leave nothing to interpretation. Define, manage, and model what it means to be a great team, and teach your athletes what your vision of being a great team is. 

I tell my team, “We want to be a great team. We want to be the best team that we can be. To do that, we have to play a winning style of play, and we have to be happy for each other’s success.”

Know what you want. Know what you expect. Be able to effectively communicate, teach and reinforce what you want and what you expect.

What does a winning team do and look like to you? How do you communicate that to your athletes (and parents)?