Great teams have one thing in common. Every player shares the same vision of team destiny. At the beginning of this year's NBA season the members of the Golden State Warriors had one solitary vision -- win back-to-back NBA Championships.
However, for the past month a new collective thought surfaced -- set the all-time regular season record of 73 victories.
Eventually this vision of 73 wins became indelibly etched into the subconscious mind of each member of this great team. "Could they do the improbable?" their fans pondered. This secondary vision started to wake each of them up in the morning and put them to bed at night. Winning is why they practiced and why they took care of themselves physically, mentally and technically.
The best basketball team I ever witnessed was the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. I watched from season ticket seats at every home game at the United Center. The Michael Jordan-led Bulls set the NBA record for wins, finishing the season 72-10. They became the first team to ever win 70 regular season games, easily finishing first overall in their division, conference, and the entire NBA. Most thought this record was untouchable. The experts said, "72 wins will never be broken."
How did the Warriors accomplish such a feat?
During all 82 regular season games you would hear no gossip from their locker room. There was no envy or jealousy, even with their amazing teammate Stephen Curry receiving the most notoriety and acclaim. No racism, prejudice or malice was evident or witnessed. There were no rumors or assumption thinking. Management was not second-guessed, even when head coach Steve Kerr took a sick leave and inexperienced assistant coach Luke Walton took the reins. In fact, under Walton's guidance the team went 39-4. Kerr received "official" credit for the wins and Walton's record would be 0-0 for the year. However, Walton had no negative thoughts or complaints about it (Luke did receive Coach of the Month for October/November).
Words like opportunity, focus, discipline, hard work, relaxed, confidence, details, fight, teamwork, and aggressive were all sprinkled in the player's daily media interviews. Enjoyment was a word not spoken, but showcased. It was evident throughout the season, as their superstar leader Curry was cool, playful, relaxed and poised through it all. You could see how he loved the nuances of game. His team followed suit.
Twelve men prepared themselves mentally, physically and technically to be their best version of excellence each and every night. On April 13, 2016 the Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 125-104 to capture the improbable.
73 wins is now a reality!
First off, Golden State is extremely athletic and talented. Although there are many components needed for greatness in addition to talent, all great teams possess these three.
Responsibility
Each team member understands and accepts their role within the team scheme. They know what they do well and what challenges them. As the opponent's defense or offense adjusts, Golden State players adjust according to their responsibility. They know who will take out the ball on the side in the last few seconds of play. They know who can and will bring the ball up court. They know when and how to switch defenders on defense. They know who to block out for a defensive rebound. They know and accept their responsibility.
Each player knows the role of the others on their team. They know and respect the coaches for identifying each role in order to win as many games as possible. Staying within these responsibilities wins games. Players know this.
Andre Iguodala knows his role. As the 2015 Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals, he knows that he needs to bring high energy and instant offense off the bench. In fact, he was the first player to garner last year's honor without starting every game. As All-Star teammate Draymond Green says, "Andre's a pro's pro. That's why we're champions."
Members of great teams are responsible for being in the moment. This just doesn't happen for an entire season. Each person is responsible for learning from the past and then burying it. They prepare for the future, then mentally return to perform in the "Now," where the Zone resides.
Does your team have well-defined responsibilities identified, practiced and honed? If you are the coach, have each team member write their responsibilities, as you make your list of what you believe them to be. Are these lists congruent? Finally, does your team spend more time in the future, present or past? Assess the collective thought by listening and observing more carefully.
Champions spend more time in the present.
Authority
Each player has the authority to do certain things on the court in different situations, conditions and circumstances. They also know what they DO NOT have the authority to do. When the game is on the line, Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green definitely have the authority to shoot the ball behind the 3-point arc. Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Marreese Speights, and Anderson Varejão DO NOT.
Each player has the personal authority to monitor his own thoughts on and off the court. Taking personal authority over one's mind is the mark of a champion team member. The collective mental inventory will showcase the eventual winners and losers before the game begins and while it's being played.
Who has check writing authority in your company? Who can leave early? Who can work from home? Which team member can speak for the team? Who has authority to take the company database home? Hopefully, nobody does. Discuss authority openly with all new hires and even reiterate this to your veterans.
Accountability
Management fails most in the area of accountability. Leaders give responsibility and authority, but DO NOT always holds people accountable.
Great leaders hold everyone accountable. Period.
The Warriors hold their players accountable on and off the court. More importantly, the culture of the team is built on the players holding themselves accountable. "They are empowered," echoes Coach Kerr. Holding yourself accountable for your actions and or non-actions bolsters cohesiveness, togetherness and team unity.
Negativity is banished through accountability. Thinking and or acting like a victim or a judge after a poor team or individual performance will relegate teams away from the top of their profession. No victims or judges on the Warriors' roster. Holding yourself accountable, while objectively evaluating your performance regardless of the outcome, is the mark of a consummate pro.
Check your team for accountability. Of course, accountability starts at the top and head coach Steve Kerr (member of the great 95-96 Bulls that won 72 games) holds himself accountable for player's minutes on the court, one-on-one match-ups, overall strategy, and minute-to-minute tactics.
Responsibility, authority and accountability are the three legs of empowerment. Each team member must have all three; otherwise the stool will wobble, causing undue stress, imbalance and uncertainty. Once the legs are balanced, confidence soars and finally one can reach his or her highest level.
The Golden State Warriors gave each player the responsibility, authority and accountability to prepare, adjust and evaluate their own performances. This spawned empowerment, which led to the all-time record of 73 wins in a single NBA season.
Is your team empowered? Review your team members and evaluate the three legs of empowerment.
A team is only as great as the thoughts each person has alone.
Three things happen when a team is empowered.
- Players feel they are an integral part of something greater than themselves.
- Players feel they are appreciated for their contribution to the whole.
- Performance increases.
Congratulations Golden State Warriors! You had a vision and you turned it into reality. You were extremely disciplined. You were focused like a hungry cheetah. Never losing back-to-back games this season was remarkable and it showcased your confidence, toughness and resilience. And you were so cool in winning 73 games. Even when things looked grim in close games, you never lost your poise. Your jaws were unhinged and bodies were relaxed, especially when the money was on the table. Seeing Stephen Curry being playful in warm-ups and poised in crunch time was something to be remembered.
Lastly, Golden State, you know the zone. You wore it like an overcoat. Celebrate briefly as the postseason begins. Get back to work and finish what you started in September -- winning a back-to-back NBA championships.
Stay in the Zone.
P.S. If you missed Kobe Bryant's last game, you missed one for the ages. After 20 years of wearing the purple and gold of the LA Lakers, Kobe gave the star-studded crowd one last Zone performance. With the sold-out arena watching his every move, the Black Mambo dropped a staggering 60 points on the Utah Jazz. It was the highest individual point total of the NBA season. As he threw down the microphone after speaking to his thousands of fans after the game, he said with a smile, "Mamba out!" and then the 18-time All-Star confidently walked out of the arena. Zone greatness left the court for good.