IF the slogan, “fear no death but defeat” is anything to go by, then the 2014 Zambia Basketball Association (ZBA) northern region champions, Lunga Bullets must have applied it with great precision.
Lunga were last weekend crowned champions of basketball in the northern region with a great measure of respect, having won the title for a second year running in a style admirable to many teams that seek glory.
Throughout the 2014 basketball season, the Copperbelt giants could not be matched with any other team and inflicting humiliating defeats on opponents became a trend as they repeated the 2013 feat, winning the league title once again, undefeated.
There is nothing as gratifying as emerging victorious in any competition regardless of the intensity, for everyone in the race aspires to beat the rest and Lunga Bullets did literally the same to win the title.
Having played 21 games, Lunga collected a maximum 39 points, save for the two lost owing to a forfeited match.
Well done! Lunga Bullets, congratulations for this momentous achievement. It is a record that has set the bar higher than ever before and it will require a team with a strong character to surpass this feat.
An undefeated regular season for a basketball team is nothing to sniff at.
It’s a rare feat to make it to the ‘Big Dance’ without a loss and taking into account the competitiveness of the league that saw the winner decided on the final day, Lunga players and the coaching  bench deserve a pat on the backs.
With emphatic victories over Mufulira Magnets and Ndola Nets, Lunga were guaranteed of a top spot finish and on the other side, CEC Queens bagged the feminine league CBU Robins emerged runners-up.
With Lunga’s dominance, questions could be raised as to what makes a good basketball team that could play two seasons without a loss.
Well, I have lined up a few characteristics which players in various positions should possess to enable the team win trophies.
Being a good basketball team is no different from any other teams in various sports disciplines.
For the team to be successful, it must not be made up of all scorers, all great defenders, or all awesome rebounders. The team must be made up of players who have different areas of expertise.
These areas of expertise include rebounding, shooting, dribbling, communicating, playing defence, cheering, knowing the game, knowing the plays, boxing out, screening, and hustling.
Each member of the team must possess some ability in each, but it is only the very special player who possesses a vast amount of ability in all of them. That is why there are five people on the court at a time during the game.
Every player does something better than the rest of the players, and that is what makes that player special to the team.
When called upon, without hesitation, the player has to be ready to perform and show that they are the best at that skill.
Teams with great blend of players win championships, while those with poor blend lose championships and this is why Lunga bullets has been able to lift the title twice in a row, it’s all because of a proper mix of players.
A fairly important aspect of the team is experience. Experienced basketball players generally perform better in clutch situations. The team may at times rely on young talent but experience among starters is necessary.
For a team be successful, it must have depth at every position. For instance, a point guard must be an incredible ball handler. The player should be the best passer in the team and avoid turnovers.
Generally, the point guard position is the quarterback of the team and thee player should  be someone who calls plays as the ball always goes through them and producing points in the lane is imperative.
A center must be tall and strong but just being tall is not enough because this position is a critical component to any team owing to the play extensions the player can bring to a team.
Plays such as rebounds, put backs, and drawing a double team are all things that a dominant center can bring to the team in search of trophies.
Having a great shooting guard is an extravagance.  The player should take the most shots and should have a high shooting percentage.
Usually the most talented player on the team in terms of skill sets should be a Small Forward. The player should have a huge physical presence and be able to shoot from all over, while possessing a great inside presence.
A power forward does not need to be a tremendous scorer in the team but they should have a good inside game.  Usually the second largest member of the starting squad should be faster than most centres and capable of playing center in a smaller or quicker line-up.
Passing is not usually a strength for a power forward as plays do not go through this player more often but the player plays inside and makes the much needed tough rebounds.
Team spirit is very important and a team aspiring to win trophies undefeated should comprise individuals that share a common interest and always strive to accomplish a goal.
To be successful, the team must be filled with a variety of individuals that have a diverse amount of talent or skills in many areas.
Another aspect of becoming a great team is that the players should know what their role is, more or less, to see the big picture, to have the ability to see how all the players go together, and why the coach does what he does.
For a team to be very good there must be great communication between each player and the coach.
When a team that possesses the skills and attitudes needed to be great is established, it will be because each player knows why they are special to the team, and they understand how they help in making it successful.
This is a making of the undefeated team.
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