No 'I in Team': Why Teams Need to Be Recognised Over Individuals

It has become common in mainstream media nowadays for individuals in team sports to be singled out and focused on. These individuals often stand out as being the best in their team and/or sport. Stats are thrown around, comparisons are made to other players, both former and current, in an attempt to measure their greatness and ability. With the introduction of social media in recent years, popularity and debate has sparked online between fans and critics over these individuals, yet there is often one thing that has become blurred in the modern era. The team. Team sports should primarily be about the performance of the team as a unit, rather than the individual ability of the players.

This point could not have been more clear following the recent culmination of this years NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors played pure team basketball, sacrificing individual recognition for the greater good. By doing this they defeated LeBron James and his injury-ridden Cleveland Cavaliers. James, a two-time champion and arguably the greatest player of his generation, single-handedly dragged his team through the Finals series. He played so well in fact that the Cavaliers even won two games and at one stage had the advantage. But one man cannot beat a team, no matter what kind of ridiculous numbers they put up. 

It was strange to see that while Golden State won the series after dominating the league all season, that there was hardly anyone that really cared. They should be compared to the great teams of yesteryear, the '01 Lakers, '96 Bulls, the Celtics of the 80s etc. Instead, the media, and broadcaster ESPN especially, preferred to focus on James and his performance throughout the Finals. He played brilliantly - there were even calls for him to be MVP - but the fact of the matter is that he and his team lost. Stats do not matter if you lose, they are completely irrelevant and pointless. James knows this himself, but the media still struggles to grasp the concept. It seems a true shame that a team playing pure ideological basketball was snubbed because of individual talent.

Furthermore, an MVP comes from the winning side. It stands for Most Valuable Player, not Best Player or Best Stats. Personally I believe that being an MVP is contributing to a winning cause. While James was no doubt the best player on the Cavaliers, it was Iguodala that changed the series and ultimately won it for the Warriors. Therefore, I have no issues with his selection for MVP. I believe fans were just so surprised that for once a 'team' made the Finals and won, without a bonefied superstar (although Steph Curry was league MVP). They were based on depth and distribution and coached by a man in Steve Kerr that spent his career putting the team first rather than individual honours. LeBron is a great player, arguably one of the greatest. But individual stats don't win championships, teams do.