‘Halo effect’: Sociology professor attributes leadership to Lakers’ title
The “halo effect,” a psychological tendency for a positive impression in one area to influence opinion in another, can play a big part in the success of a basketball team at all levels. Panther Archives
There’s an interesting psychological concept, defining the tendency for a positive impression in one area to influence an opinion in another: the “halo effect.”
This is not just a cognitive bias people use when, for example, they are communicating with someone they find attractive. It’s also a key factor that drove LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers an NBA championship, said Chapman sociology professor Hector Martinez.
“With LeBron having such a history of being a dominant athlete, as outsiders, we may put all the pressure on LeBron,” Martinez said. “But as someone who plays on a team with him, you might evaluate what he does more positively.”
All season long, the Lakers were among the favorites to win the NBA championship. And after they defeated the Miami Heat in an Oct. 11 Game 6 of the NBA Finals, they clinched the title; yet that likely didn’t come as much of a surprise to fans who watched the team gel throughout a rocky, unprecedented season. Both Martinez and Chapman women’s basketball head coach Carol Jue felt the Lakers’ strong chemistry started at the top-down.
“(Former Lakers point guard) Magic Johnson said there are superstars on the team and there are leaders on the team,” Jue said. “LeBron is a superstar and a leader.”
Leaders of any status can take pressure off of those playing around them. The Lakers’ roster, aside from James and Anthony Davis, mostly consists of role players – individuals who usually specialize in one facet of the game and stick to it throughout the season.
“With so much of the pressure falling on (James), it may actually help deflect some of the pressure on other players,” Martinez said. “If you look at somebody like (shooting guard) Danny Green, he’s not trying to take control of the game; he just understands his position and tries to play it well.”
While James is seen as a positive influence, there’s a reason he in particular was able to uplift his team and why other alpha dogs across the league don’t have the same success. Martinez said that leaders who carry positive perceptions have more of a chance at leading a successful team. He used Kyrie Irving, James’ former teammate and someone who has been embroiled in controversy across the league for years, as an example of how perception can change a team’s outlook on their leader.
“If you’re in practice one day and Kyrie Irving yells at you, you'll have a much more negative reaction to him yelling at you than if LeBron did the same thing,” Martinez said.
This phenomenon exists across all levels of basketball. It’s simple, but generally, if a team’s leader is well-respected and other players can respect and mesh with that player’s personality, that team is more likely influenced to succeed. That’s not only something Jue is used to watching unfold at her team’s practices, but something she sees even within her own women’s league games.
“I play with a lot of women (on my teams) that can’t stand playing with me because I’m that tough,” Jue said. “I’ve made quite a few cry. I say, ‘Don’t play with me if you can’t take it,’ but they stay. It’s so weird that they stay.”
Jue, as a coach, understands the team won’t only follow her.
“It’s got to come from the leadership of the players,” Jue said. “They used to give me so much trouble, I’d kick them out of practice, but by year three or four they’re repeating everything I’m saying.”
For the Lakers, their unique cast of characters, while initially critiqued, turned out to successfully come together in pursuit of winning an NBA championship. As the “halo effect” states, a large influence on that cohesion was James. Perhaps chemistry truly does win championships.