Passing

The basketball regime for the developing player is such that he is made to seem to be incompetent if his first inclination is to pass the ball. Unfortunately, effective team play and proper interaction of team members on offense require a pass-first mentality among all team members. If one player among the five does not share this mentality, but instead chooses to attempt to dribble and shoot primarily, he spoils the fun for the team. 

Reader, do not think that you can contradict these words by reference to numerous experiences of your own in pickup games or by reference to common practice in televised basketball. I know full well that you invariably find the supposedly "better" players doing most of the dribbling and shooting while the made-to-seem-"lesser" players are reduced to supporting roles. All teams playing by that type of "star" system are in my view playing basketball according to a defective and mediocre paradigm. Any player who is seeking to outshine his teammates is suppressing the ideal of interaction and cooperation and mutual support and reinforcement that alone can produce the greatest effectiveness at winning games. Players who seek to "do it all by themselves" are stifling and destroying efforts by other players to give and receive the glory that can be so much greater when no single player is demoralizing his teammates. Passing is the sign and the mode of teamwork on offense.