Last month the Golden State Warriors ascended once again to the top of the basketball world with their five game victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers and in so doing also claimed their second championship in three years. Their impressive on court display was complimented and augmented by the internal organizational elements of selflessness, commitment to collective effort over individual achievement, perseverance in the face of adversity, mutual respect and acceptance, and the active and unashamed application of love in the often callous, impersonal, and valueless world of professional athletics.
Coach Steve Kerr perhaps best embodied the value of perseverance as he endured a season long struggle with the ill effects of two separate neck operations which resulted in painful fatigue, frequent nausea, moments of imbalance, and eventually led to his withdrawal from the sidelines for a significant time during the playoffs. Kerr reacted to this otherwise disappointing circumstance by seamlessly and unselfishly relinquishing the on court coaching duties to his very competent assistant coach Mike Brown who, in turn, graciously returned to his supporting role during the finals. This was made possible by a genuine spirit of respect and acceptance of each individual as equal contributors to a larger collective effort, a spirit which permeates throughout this remarkable organization.
General Manager, Bob Myers', close relationship with power forward Draymond Green further illustrates the special bond among various members of the organization. When Draymond was suspended for a critical game in last year's final, it was Myers who spent the evening in Green's company as they watched their team play on TV. Instead of creating an environment of punitive isolation or recrimination, Myers embraced Green as one might a valued family member in a moment of crisis. The ethos of mutual respect, acceptance, and love can also be seen in the impact an otherwise lowly third team player might have on the group. As stated by Kerr in his remarks at the recent victory celebration in Oakland, James Michael McAdoo was proclaimed as perhaps the most influential player on the team. Swingman Andre Iguodala, for example, refers to McAdoo as his spiritual leader.
The value of collective effort and achievement over individual accomplishment and accolade is best exemplified by team leader Stephen Curry's total acceptance of Kevin Durant as a coequal as he joined the team prior to the start of the season. This gesture, in turn, was reciprocated by the ex-Thunder superstar with humility and grace rarely seen and quite uncommon in today's world of ego-inflated and self interested professional players. Similarly, the endlessly hardworking off-guard, Klay Thompson, never refers to his own accomplishments but rather defers to his teammates' efforts in the achievement of the team's common objective.
The result of this subjugation of individual glory in deference to the value of working for the good of the collective speaks for itself...the Warriors are champions and their victory provides a template for other professional teams to emulate thereby signaling to all who might choose to see that the organizational values of unselfish effort, acceptance, respect, graceful endurance through difficult circumstance, and love can prevail in an seemingly indifferent, sometimes hostile and often contentious environment. The Warriors have shown the way forward to a new day of cooperation and success with broader implications for the world beyond the hard court.
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