Winning with TEAM-work

Angelique Flores

Two NBA legends and an Olympic gold medalist made a stop at Marine View

Middle School in Huntington Beach on Friday to talk to sixth-graders

about teamwork.

The Scholastic Book Club and the NBA sponsored a sweepstakes in which

winners would receive a visit from former Lakers Jamaal Wilkes and James

Worthy and Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders, now the co-host of “NBA Inside

Stuff” and host of Nickelodeon’s “Figure It Out.”

Susan McDonald’s sixth-graders won after entering as a class and writing

essays on teamwork and what it means to them. Wilkes, Worthy and Sanders

shared their own insights on teamwork with all of the sixth-graders at

Marine View, where the motto is “T.E.A.M. Marine.” T.E.A.M. is short for

Together Everyone Achieves More.

“Whether it’s writing essays or playing on a basketball team, you get

more accomplished and you have more fun with teamwork,” Wilkes said.

It takes listening and not attaching meaning to things, Worthy added. He

told the attentive children -- many of whom wore Lakers garb for the

occasion -- that they should learn to talk with one another, agree to

disagree and monitor each other without criticism.

Sanders conducted a question-and-answer session with the kids, who asked

the visitors everything from what it’s like to get slimed on Sanders’

Nickelodeon show to who the basketball players think is better: Magic

Johnson or Michael Jordan.

The exciting moment for McDonald’s class came at the end when they queued

up to receive a Laker bear, three NBA memorabilia books and autographs

from the three celebrities, who were friendly and patient with each

child.

“It’s very important for us to do this. I was in the sixth grade, and

it’s very important for people who have experienced life to come back and

share,” Worthy said.