Most valuable player and leader
Sam Walker wrote a book on the culture of some of the greatest sporting teams called Captain Class.
Walker did not include one of the most successful teams in basketball in his list of 17 greatest sports teams. According to Walker, the Chicago Bulls team of the 1990s started winning when coach Phil Jackson appointed Bill Cartwright as co-captain along with Michael Jordan. Although Cartwright wasn't the best player in the team, he was a great mentor to the younger players. Jordan wasn't a fan of Cartwright but later acknowledged that the team wouldn't have succeeded without him.
The most valuable player need not necessarily be the most valuable leader