We Believe!

We Believe!
We love our OKC Thunder basketball team and they had a great season this year, but the Golden State Warriors are having an even better season. The Thunder fell one game short of making it to the NBA Finals because of the Warriors, but there’s always next year for a rebound!
We Believe!

Speaking of rebound, the rebound of the Golden State Warriors is worth a FB post today. And, it’s all because of their willingness to make a commitment to change AND put in the work to make it happen. I read that the Warriors are in the midst of a record-setting season with 73 regular season wins that broke the NBA record previously held by the Chicago Bulls.

But the backdrop to this acclaim is what impressed me. This success didn’t happen overnight. They started planting seeds for this current winning streak way back in 2006. They called it the “We Believe” season. Leading up to that season, the franchise broke the NBA record for the number of consecutive years WITHOUT making the playoffs (12). Head coach Don Nelson traded most of their big-name players for a motley crew of journeyman and misfits to play “small ball,” a strategy that favors increased scoring, agility and speed over height, strength and low post offense and defense.

Nelson decided to create a fun, fast-paced style of play designed so that players were interchangeable parts. The entire team rallied, highlighting each other’s strengths while also having fun playing a game they love. The result was astounding and marked a turnaround that led to an improbable playoff run, which shocked fans and experts.

The “We Believe” season not only revitalized the franchise, but also its fan base. The Warriors’ fans are known to be the most supportive and vibrant fan base in the league. Why? It’s simple—the franchise has transformed their failure into success. Fans love cheering for a team that plays the game with joy, passion and celebrates each other’s success each and every game.

Maybe you belong to a motley crew or a dysfunctional team of misfits (‘er….family) and you can relate to needing a revitalization of joy, passion and celebration. Maybe there’s something we can learn from the idea of highlighting each other’s strengths. Maybe we need that “WE BELIEVE” mantra. What if in our families, our businesses, our schools and our support groups, we accentuated the positives of those around us and celebrated each other’s talents, abilities and strengths and then in the midst of getting the jobs done, whether it’s coming together to clean the house or garage, to have team meetings that celebrate our co-workers, to encourage the abilities of fellow members of clubs, and to create an environment for deliberate joy, passion and celebration? Just maybe we will become ONE with interchangeable parts that will rise to victory? Just maybe, WE BELIEVE will become WE ACHIEVED! Maybe all we need is just a little shift in our game plan, then our seasons will be record-breaking!