What China Can Teach You About Real Basketball Teamwork

By Jeff Haefner

I picked up something interesting while watching the USA Basketball Road To Redemption TV series.  (If you’re not watching it, the program is really good. It’s on NBA TV and also the web link above.)

In China, basketball isn’t viewed as a sport that you wanted to gain glory in.  Instead basketball is more of a tool to teach teamwork, unselfishness, and the value of working together.

In fact, if a player on a national team scores 25 points in a game, it’s not considered a big accomplishment.  It would actually cause the coaches to call a team meeting and it would be crisis time. Because the player would look like someone who was seeking headlines and trying to break out of the collective.

This is an excellent reminder of what’s truly important.  As a coach, you should think the same way…  Basketball is a tool to teach teamwork, unselfishness, and the value of working together.

When you think about it, basketball is an amazing tool and opportunity for us to teach kids about teamwork and how to be successful in life.  Don’t lose sight of what’s important!