Basketball is a sport of individuals who have their own ideas, dreams, and goals. Basketball is a team sport and the team must come first. However this does not mean that individual players cannot find success.  An athlete's success in the team structure can come down to how well the athlete can incorporate what she wants into the team needs?  How well the individual athlete performs within the team structure can have an impact on the success of the team.  A key factor in marrying the individual athlete's success and the team's success it for athletes and coaches to define their purpose for being together and to work within that purpose, together. It is also important for athletes to define their own success and not succumb to the pressure of outside influences. Athletes need to live up to their own expectations.  As the athlete gains more skills and knowledge expectations should be shifted to reflect the new reality. An athlete can be successful within the construct of the team structure.