I cannot believe that I’m about to quote Pat Riley, but he did coin a killer phrase in his 1988 book Showtime to describe why it’s so hard for teams to repeat as champions: the “disease of more.”
Google those three words, and you’re almost certainly going to encounter this quote: “success is often the first step toward disaster.” This is what we in the bizz call an emotionally potent oversimplification, but it does hold a kernel of truth. Winning teams are usually built on teamwork, selflessness and an almost-uncanny commitment to sacrifice in search of a common goal.