I was disappointed for the Heat when they lost to the Chicago Bulls to end the win streak at 27 consecutive games.  Winning streaks are exciting, but at some point they must end.  It takes a great team to sustain this kind of run.  The greatness of a team is found in the value the players recognize in their teammates.  The Miami Heat has demonstrated that they know what to expect from each other.  Members of great teams have learned to appreciate and even celebrate what the other brings to the table.  What are the characteristics of great teams?  There are several identifiable qualities that propel teams to success; today I’d like to consider three.

1. Great Teams Have Great Role Players.  It is not practical for everyone to be a superstar.  Even the dream team of 1992 had role players.  Sometimes players play different roles in a given game.  But in order to have a great team there must be great supporting actors.  The role player makes up for the limitations of the so called “super stars.”  Team leaders and coaches depend on role players to make a winning team.  Batman has Robin, Michael Jordan had Scottie Pippen and LeBron James has Dwayne Wade (more on this relationship below).  Often teams that have potential to be great fail because good players don’t want to be known as the sidekick. 
2. Great teams have great leaders who know how to win.  There is no shortage of leaders in sports, business or any other arena in which teamwork is required.  Among the leaders of the world there are those who know how to win and those who don’t.  Vince Lombardi says, “winning is a habit, unfortunately so is losing.”  Winners are relentless, when everyone else thinks its over—winners keep pressing on.  They know what to do to turn things around.  During the streak opposing teams raised their game to be the ones to stop the Heat streak.  On more than one occasion during the streak the Heat was playing from behind.  Most notably, the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in which the Heat was down by 27, they pulled off the win in dramatic fashion.   Winners know what it takes to build a winning culture.  LeBron is the leader of the team, but he does not take all the credit for their winning ways—which brings me to my third and final point.
3. LeBron may be the king, but Dwayne Wade is the king-maker.  Both LeBron and Wade had great careers before teaming up on the Miami Heat.  In Cleveland LeBron felt the pressure of carrying the team on his back, falling short in the NBA Finals.  He had some help but it proved to be less than adequate.  Dwayne Wade, on the other hand, experienced the benefit of a king maker.  Dwayne Wade had Pat Riley and Shaquille O’Neil, both of whom are proven winners.  Wade learned from the best.  Riley knew how to put together a winning team and Shaq knew what it meant to make Wade the face and leader of the team.  In other words Shaq, three time NBA Finals Champion and MVP, in order to win a championship faded into the background, became a king maker and won his fourth championship.  Wade did for Lebron, what Shaq did for Wade.  Initially LeBron didn’t understand it.  While they had a great run in their first season together, they came up short in the NBA Finals.  Wade dropped his ego, willing gave up the rights the Miami Heat being “his team”, and became better than your normal sidekick—a winner in his own right.  LeBron is reaping the benefits of Wade’s wisdom and experience.  Dwayne Wade is reaping the benefits of being the king maker. 

The Heat may have come short of breaking the NBA winning streak record, but there is plenty of more winning on this great team.