For NBA players, personal egos can be something used as internal fuel, but also something that can negatively impact a team dynamic. Speaking recently on the Real Ones podcast, Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry gave the perfect answer about egos going into this upcoming season, speaking on the balance between players bringing their full identity to the table while also sacrificing for the team.

“You have to bring your egos, bring your full identity of who you are to the table, but you also have to know when to sacrifice for the betterment of the group,” Curry said. “That’s the big question for us. How do we put any agendas aside, and say we’re just trying to win? We’re trying to maximize these great years we have left… We know that there’s – you could argue seven guys that could argue they should start, seven guys that can argue they should finish games. Do the math, there’s gonna be two people, outside of the equation.”

Curry clearly recognizes that personal egos can be part of a player’s full identity, and something that can bring the best out of them individually, but also something that can get in the way. While he doesn’t want his teammates suppressing who they are, Curry also wants them to recognize when it’s time to sacrifice for the betterment of the team. This is not something that is easy to do, but it’s something that’s necessary for championship teams.