The important thing is that your teammates have to know you’re pulling for them, and you really want them to be successful
– Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and one of the greatest competitors in basketball history, understood a truth that separates good teams from championship teams: “The important thing is that your teammates have to know you’re pulling for them, and you really want them to be successful.” This wasn’t just talk—it was the foundation of every championship he won.
Many young players misunderstand Kobe’s legacy. They remember the scoring and forget the championships required teammates. In the 2010 NBA Finals Game 7 against Boston, Kobe shot just 6-of-24 but trusted Pau Gasol and his teammates to carry the offense. He focused on defense, rebounding, and making winning plays. The Lakers won because Kobe understood team success mattered more than personal stats. That’s championship mentality.
Team play reveals itself in how you act when the spotlight isn’t on you. Do you celebrate your teammate’s success, or secretly resent it? When a teammate makes a mistake, do you encourage them or show frustration? When your role is to set screens and play defense so someone else can score, do you do it with full effort or just go through the motions? Your answers determine whether you’re a team player or just a player on a team.
Here’s what separates champions from selfish players: championship players understand that making teammates better makes you better. When you set a solid screen that frees your teammate, you make your team harder to defend. When you dive for a loose ball, you create an extra possession. When you encourage a struggling teammate, you strengthen team chemistry. These actions don’t show up in your stat line, but they show up in wins.
Reflection Questions for Young Athletes
- When a teammate scores or makes a great play, is your first reaction genuine excitement or jealousy? Be honest.
- Think about the last time you made a mistake in a game. Did your teammates encourage you or criticize you? Now think about the last time THEY made a mistake—what did you do?
- If you had to choose between scoring 30 points in a loss or scoring 10 points in a win where you made your teammates better, which would you honestly choose?
- Do your teammates trust that you want them to be successful, or do they think you only care about your own stats and playing time?
Mental and Physical Exercises to Build Team Play Mentality
Mental Drills:
The Teammate Success Journal – For one week, write down three ways you helped a teammate be successful each practice or game. This could be a good pass, a screen, encouragement, or defensive help. If you struggle to find three things daily, you’re not focused on team success—you’re focused on yourself. This builds awareness of your impact beyond scoring.
The Trust Self-Assessment – Ask yourself: “If my teammates were asked privately whether I genuinely want them to succeed, what would they say?” Write down your honest answer. If the answer isn’t a clear “yes,” identify why. Do you show frustration when they make mistakes? Do you only pass when you have to? This brutal honesty reveals whether you’re truly a team player or just pretending to be one.
The Role Acceptance Test – Imagine your coach tells you that your role this season is to be the best screener, defender, and energy player on the team—not the leading scorer. How do you honestly feel? Angry? Disappointed? Or motivated to be the best in that role? Your answer reveals whether you value team success or personal glory. Championship players embrace any role that helps the team win.
Physical Drills with Mental Focus:
The Screen and Celebrate Drill – Practice setting solid screens for teammates during shooting drills. Every time your screen frees them for a made shot, celebrate it loudly and genuinely. Do this for 15 minutes. This trains you to find joy in making others successful, not just your own scoring. Team players feel genuine pride in setting up teammates.
Extra Pass Challenge – During scrimmages or pickup games, challenge yourself to make one extra pass before shooting whenever possible. If you can score but a teammate has a better shot, give it up. Track how many times you make the extra pass in a session. This builds the habit of team-first decision-making and breaks selfish tendencies that destroy team chemistry.
Defensive Help Rotation – Set up 3-on-3 or 4-on-4 scenarios where the focus is helping teammates on defense. Every time a teammate gets beaten, you must rotate and help. Practice communication: “I got ball!” “Help left!” This drill teaches you that team defense requires trust and sacrifice—you can’t play for stats, you play for stops.
The Encouragement Drill – During any practice or workout, make it your mission to verbally encourage every single teammate at least once. Call out good effort, great husks, improved technique—anything positive. If this feels uncomfortable or fake, you’re not genuinely invested in their success yet. Championship teams are built on players who authentically want each other to win.
Your Team Play Journey Starts Now
Kobe didn’t win five championships alone. He won because his teammates knew he was pulling for them. But here’s where most young players fail: they only pass when they can’t score themselves, showing they don’t truly want teammates to succeed. They show visible frustration when teammates make mistakes, destroying trust instantly. They can’t genuinely celebrate teammates’ success because deep down, they’re competing against their own team. These mistakes reveal the truth—you’re not a team player, you’re just pretending to be one.
The most talented team doesn’t always win—the team that trusts each other does. Right now, you have a choice: continue these selfish habits that destroy team chemistry, or become a true team player who makes everyone better through genuine care and sacrifice.
Your teammates are watching your every move. Do your actions prove you’re pulling for them, or just for yourself? Championship teams are built on trust and genuine care, not talent alone. Fix these mistakes, or stay average. The choice is yours.