Anyone who is still following the NBA finals at this point in the season has probably heard the analysts' predictions. Sure, the Cavs might last five or six games against the Spurs, but in the end Cleveland stands little chance.
And by simply looking at the rosters of the two teams, it would be hard to argue that the Spurs don't have a group of more talented players.
So how is it then that Cleveland could have a realistic chance of coming away with its first championship ever?
The Cavs have something that you wouldn't be able to find listed on their roster. What the Cavs have is what my high school tennis coach liked to call gestalt.
Sometimes it's possible for a group of players-or, more generally speaking, people-to work together, communicate effectively and complement each other so that in the end, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This idea should be a key ingredient in the makeup of any team.
When individuals don't put the interest of their team first, however, the concept of gestalt gets lost. And in the NBA, when each player on a team is also thinking about the future of his own individual career or the attention that he will receive from the media, it's easy to see how this could happen.
When watching the Cavs play, however, one would never guess that any player on the team has anything but the team's interest in mind. The way that each player recognizes his strength, contributes to the team in his own way and communicates effectively with all of his teammates around him is a treat to watch. The team has a small rookie from Texas who is good at shooting outside shots. They have an ecstatic Brazilian who is good at shutting down big guys in the low post. They have a seven-foot-three Lithuanian who towers over most people on the court and has nice touch around the rim. And, of course, they have a 22-year-old basketball phenomenon from just outside of Cleveland who is able to take control of a game in the blink of an eye.
Although it may be hard to connect the dots between these components, as well as many of the other players on the Cavs, once they get on the court together, the team functions as one cohesive unit. Each man knows his role, his strengths and the strengths of all his teammates. Each man communicates effectively with and encourages all the others. The only selfish interest that anyone on the team is worried about is getting the Cavs to go the distance.
And while this may make for a winning combination in the NBA, there are in fact other facets of life in which teamwork can be a valuable thing. So the next time you find yourself working on a group project, take a page out of the Cavaliers' book and rather than asking yourself how you can stand out individually, ask yourself what you can do to best help the entire group.
Nick Alexander is a Pratt junior. His column runs every other Thursday during the summer.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.