By Charles Farmer
Contributing Columnist
Columbus Post

For an athlete, the will to win can be used as way to initiate drive. It is different than the will to compete, where a player might be satisfied by simply taking part in an activity with others.
During the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs when two teams display a strong desire to win it can increase the level of play between the competitors. Notice I said playoffs because I would suggest there are many fans that would agree that the level of play during the NBA regular season is mediocre at best. Simply put, teams' efforts intensify during the post-season because each one enters thinking they may have a shot at winning a championship.
History shows that having a strong desire to win was the driving force for many of the game's great competitors, including Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving and Michael Jordan. That desire also produced some phenomenal play when some of these players matched up against each other on the court.

Even for those who never won championships like George Gervin, Dominique Wilkins, and Bob Lanier, they still had the desire to win and many felt their careers were missing a final piece - a championship.
In the professional ranks, the reason for competing is to win, plain and simple. Winning, gets people -particularly fans - excited, which means they will attend more games, and buy more concessions and merchandise - all the things that make owners happy. The players also enjoy the notoriety and respect that goes along with being a winner, although they may not admit this in public.
Since 1980, the NBA has been primarily dominated by six franchises that won multiple titles, the Los Angeles Lakers (8), Chicago Bulls (6), San Antonio Spurs (4), Boston Celtics (3), Detroit Pistons (3) and Houston Rockets (2).
After the true (Michael) Jordan era ended, I think "a me-first" attitude took over the league because younger players who entered the NBA were more interested in receiving the larger contracts and endorsements and if winning came along with that, then it would be an added bonus.
Teams, not individuals, win titles. In fact, since the Jordan era ended in 1998, the NBA has been dominated by two franchises, the Spurs who won four titles and the Lakers who earned three. The Spurs play perhaps the most vanilla brand of basketball, which many have called straight boring but they manage to play well as a collective unit.
Then there is the Lakers team who won three straight NBA titles with Kobe and Shaq at the forefront, but let's be real, it took Phil Jackson to come over with his six rings and experience dealing with high-caliber talent to teach them how to win.
"A strong will to win" created an exciting atmosphere recently during the NBA playoffs as a few young players came of age and were able to show some of the veterans that they were ready to take their shot at becoming major contenders for the title. The young team that impressed me most was the New Orleans Hornets led by Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler, Morris Peterson and Coach Byron Scott.
The Hornets were one game away from reaching the Western Conference Finals and gave the defending champion San Antonio Spurs a severe scare, putting them and the rest of the league on notice for the near future.
Other improved franchises include the Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard and the Toronto Raptors by Chris Bosh, two teams that are developing talent around their best players, which should allow them to be better prepared for the playoffs in the future.
I also want to include the Lakers in this newbie group, because while the franchise had been successful earlier, this is actually the first time where Kobe Bryant is the team leader.
On the other side, there are veteran teams like the Spurs, Detroit Pistons and Phoenix Suns who are now trying to add pieces that will allow them to remain competitive in the post-season.
Because of feeling an urgency to win, the Dallas Mavericks traded for veteran point guard Jason Kidd and Phoenix obtained the rights to an aging Shaquille O'Neal. Both scenarios ended in first round exits for the teams and coaching changes within the organizations.
The Cleveland Cavaliers also shook up their supporting cast after their superstar Lebron James mentioned he thought the franchise needed to make changes in order to improve the team's chances of becoming more competitive in the post-season.
Finally, there are the Boston Celtics who were able to acquire veterans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to play alongside Paul Pierce, making for a trio that had never won an NBA championship. The Celtics' front office officials also were able to grab a few other cagey veterans including James Posey, PJ Brown and Sam Cassell, mixed in with an influx of young talent like Rajon Rondo, Leon Powe and Kendrick Perkins.
The final ingredient was Coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers who was able to drive his team's will to win perhaps more than most because he, too, came up short as a player in his quest for a championship.
The Detroit Pistons fired Flip Saunders after he was unable to get them to the NBA Finals. It may seem hardcore, but winning games and being successful in the post-season in the NBA are how franchises and their personnel are judged.
This season, teams having a strong desire to win definitely made for some exciting NBA playoff basketball and I, for one, hope it continues.

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