Last night, the Lakers defeated the Knicks in a thriller between two of the NBA’s most storied franchises. This brings the Lakers record to 9-2 since the team acquired superstar Luka Doncic in a trade.
After the game, a reporter put Doncic in the spotlight, asking him how his presence elevated “an already incredibly talented team.”
Doncic’s response was revealing.
“I think we have a great team. We have great players. Chemistry’s building. They’re all great guys. So, I’m just happy to be a part of this.”
On the surface, it’s a pretty low-key response—except for that two-word phrase right in the middle:
“Chemistry’s building.”
There’s a reason why this phrase is notable, and it has to do with what makes great teams great. Let’s take a closer look at what exactly team chemistry is, why you need it, and how emotional intelligence can help you build it.
When the Lakers agreed to trade one of their own superstars, power forward/center Anthony Davis, to acquire Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks, they were taking a risk—at least, in the short term.
Sure, Doncic has been one of the most dominant players in the league since he entered. But most analysts saw the Lakers’ move as one that prepared the team for the future. It placed Doncic as the heir apparent to Lakers superstar LeBron James, who has hinted he’s getting closer to retirement. (At 40 years old, James is currently the NBA’s oldest player.)
Many drew this conclusion because of the similarities between Doncic and James as players: Both prefer to have the ball in their hands, choosing to score or initiate plays as they read the defense. Doncic has even said he modeled his game after James’s, and pundits weren’t sure they would complement each other.
But then, a funny thing happened. Doncic and James played well together. Not only that, the other Lakers played well with them, too.
This is what’s known as chemistry—when a team works well together, to the point where the team itself becomes a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Chemistry is why the best team on paper doesn’t always win the game, and why role players and team dynamics can be just as important as superstars when it comes to winning championships.
So, how do you build chemistry, something that’s so hard to quantify? Here is where emotional intelligence comes into play.
Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage emotions, especially in pursuit of a goal—and right now, the Lakers are teaching a master class in it.
First, by allowing Doncic—“the new guy” on the team—to have primary ball handling responsibilities, the Lakers have done their best to make Doncic feel comfortable. However, this single decision could easily destroy team dynamics if not handled properly.
For example, in a recent press conference, Lakers coach JJ Redick credited James for being willing to hand over control, letting Doncic be the “primary guy” when he’s in the game. Whether James volunteered to do this, or Redick asked him to, is unclear—but the fact is, James has gone along with the decision for the good of the team.
“In order for us to be the team ultimately we need to be, the ball needs to be on Luka’s hands,” James said in a recent interview.
Another key element of building chemistry is learning how to leverage a player’s strengths, instead of constantly forcing them into a mold.
For example, in the same press conference, Redick spoke about the “non-cadence” of Doncic’s game. He explained how it takes time for other players to learn to play to that style. The Lakers’ coach referenced a play in which Doncic had several options and picked the one Redick would have expected the least.
“You’re like, ‘What, why did you do that?’” Redick explained—before sharing that Doncic’s read ended up in a score.
“Our guys are starting to get into a groove and a rhythm even with the non-cadence of how he plays,” Redick said.
