Sometimes it is a matter of timing or circumstance. Teammates are aging or inexperienced. An untimely injury. Just bad luck in terms of an opponent making a great play. Other times it is because the player was unwilling to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. These are the ones that frustrate teammates, coaches, fans and once in awhile, even themselves.
The interesting thing is, when all is said and done, their unwillingness to sacrifice also diminishes their personal legacy. There is always a "but" attached to their name. He was player of the year, all-league, all-district, all-state, but his team never won a title. She set the school record for goals scored, but never played on a winning team.
One thing I firmly believe in is the team. If the team is at the forefront of your thoughts, words and deeds, the individual accolades tend to take care of themselves and seldom come with a "but" attached to them. This is true because the truly great players understand the importance of teammates to their own success. Great players make those around them better and in doing so shine all the brighter themselves.
Great individual talent can wins games or set records, but it takes intelligence and teamwork to win championships. Some of the so-called great players, in their pursuit of individual glory, never come to appreciate this.