A sports team faces many real challenges besides the artificial challenges on the field: many months of training before a big playoff, which involves individual

A sports team faces many real challenges besides the artificial challenges on the field: many months of training before a big playoff, which involves individual player discipline, extensive interaction with the coach and the other players, interaction with the press etc. Where the comparison breaks down, I think, is that the activity of individual employees in a company (especially a big one) isn't nearly as visible as the activity of an athlete. Therefore, there's less incentive to be a "team player", since it won't necessarily help you get a better job at a different company.