Phil Jackson guided one of the greatest basketball and sports teams ever, the 1989-1998 Chicago Bulls featuring Michael Jordan. He led with heart, spirit, and a deep understanding of the nuances of teams and competition.

"The Lakotas’ concept of teamwork was deeply rooted in their view of the universe. A warrior didn’t try to stand out from his fellow band members; he strove to act bravely and honorably, to help the group in whatever way he could to accomplish its mission.

The Lakota didn’t perceive of the self as a separate entity, isolated from the rest of the universe. The stones they carved into arrowheads, the buffalo they hunted, the Crow warriors they battled, were all seen as reflections of themselves."

In sport, without an opponent, there is no contest, no show, no challenge.

Like Batman "needs" the Joker, you need your opponents. As a younger player, the opponent was only an enemy for me. As you mature you see them as those accompanying you on your journey.

Another healthy way to think of an opponent team is as a challenge that you can rise to in order to show your best self, your best game.

You see this also in how professionals handle the immediate postgame.

"I used to believe that the day I could accept defeat was the day I would have to give up my job. But losing is as integral a part of the dance as winning. Buddhism teaches us that be accepting death, you discover life. Similarly, only by acknowledging the possibility to defeat can you fully experience the joy of competition. Our culture would have us believe that being able to accept loss is tantamount to setting yourself up to lose. But not everyone can win all the time; obsessing about winning adds an unnecessary layer of pressure that constricts body and spirit and, ultimately, robs you of the freedom to do your best.”