By Ty Bunnell | Sports Editor

As a young boy I benefited from my parents and family members having access to various collegiate sporting events, including University of Oregon football and basketball games.

When I was 13 I was fortunate enough to attend my first NBA basketball game. The Portland Trail Blazers were playing the Washington Wizards, and just barely came out with a 76-74 victory, but that game did not come close to my recent basketball experience a few weeks ago.

Twelve MHS journalism and yearbook students traveled to San Antonio to attend the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. While there we were able to watch a San Antonio Spurs game.

The Spurs played the Denver Nuggets, a much younger and more athletic team, but the Spurs dominated the entire game, winning easily 126-100. They played more like a team rather than relying on athleticism. The Spurs executed their offense with very few flaws and rarely turned the ball over. Six Spurs players had 10 or more points and seven players had three or more assists. The Spurs simply have the most team chemistry in the NBA.

No matter who the players are, a team can’t reach its full potential if it doesn’t have good chemistry. This is how teams like the Spurs can manage to stay competitive and consistently win. It doesn’t mean anything if a team loaded with great players can’t make it to the playoffs regularly.

One of the most entertaining aspects of watching sports is witnessing a team with less talent defeat a team of athletes with superior skills. As I watched that game with friends, I was inspired by how the Spurs unselfishly played like a team. They were patient, modest, didn’t force something that wasn’t there and made things count at the right time. Life would be much less stressful and more productive if we all played like the Spurs and practiced those principles.