Associated Press sports writer Tim Reynolds knows all about teamwork.
Covering the Miami Heat for more than a decade, Reynolds has a bird’s eye view of how teamwork has become the recipe for success, as the Heat won three NBA World Championships and made four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.
He intently observed the camaraderie between LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade and their rest of their teammates that helped the Heat reach the pinnacle of pro basketball.
“Teamwork means competition which is never a bad thing if you go about it the right way,” Reynolds said during a recent Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce membership luncheon where he was the guest speaker.
Reynolds, a Miami Lakes resident, said that “same teamwork” in sports can also be used for businesses, as he offered a road map for companies seeking a successful journey, but they first must huddle and form a game plan to win out against the tough competition.
"It's parallel to sports as long as you have a group of people striving for a common goal," he said. "Whether its sports or the real world, it's the way of winning that produces the best results."
A sports journalist for 24 years, Reynolds said he loves to share stories that he comes across that might help people and companies accomplish their goals.
He said when James and Bosh joined Wade in Miami in 2010, he said they played with anger during their first season together to silence their critics.
They reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.
“They will tell you they were not playing with the right mind set,” Reynolds said. “But the next season, they enjoyed things more. They were not afraid of failure and did something they have trained their whole lives to do.”
The New York native said following Miami’s NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma Thunder in 2012, the Heat was recognized as one of the best teams in NBA history.
“I have seen a huge change in that team,” he said. “It’s parallel to companies with good teamwork.”
As the game of basketball has evolved over the years, Reynolds said Heat President and former head coach, Pat Riley, tuck with the same game plan.
He said Riley uses a business-like approach to build his team and make them winners, targeting the best players on the market during free agency.
“He has won an NBA Championship as a player, as a coach and as an NBA executive,” Reynolds said. “As the game changed and the times changed, Pat remained the same on his approach to the game for over 20 years he has been in Miami. He is someone who guys look up to, and players who have an opportunity to be around him take advantage of it. For the most part, they want to be around winners.”
Reynolds added: “Pat is the example of a successful business marriage when it is done the right way.”
Reynolds joined The Associated Press in 2002, and besides covering the Heat, he is the beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes football team, covered the Super Bowl, the World Series and the Stanley Cup Finals.
He will cover the Olympics for the eighth time next summer at the Rio de Janeiro Games.
Reynolds is a voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame, a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association and has reported from 10 different countries.
During his spare time, Reynolds is living out his basketball dream, playing for an adult league in the gym at Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic School.
His team, the Miami Lakes, won the championship this past Summer. Miami Lakes Councilmember Manny Cid was one of his teammates.
“I have the trophy sitting in my house,” Reynolds quipped. “We were fortunate enough to win for us old guys who still feel like we can play. We have some fun.”
Said Cid: “He is a good basketball player.”