Differences in Teams - When a team comes together

So watching sports and coaching teams there are definitely differences between teams.  Sometimes the differences are noticeable in talent or how well prepared a team is, but sometimes a team just has "it".  I have come to the conclusion that there is usually one singular instance that has allowed this team to gel in a way that they are overachievers based on talent or coaching.  One instance comes to mind of the 2017 Michigan Wolverines basketball team.  A good team by all accounts, but nothing overwhelmingly special.  Good talent, a good coach, a team that was certainly capable of going on a run.  But right before the big 10 tournament that year their plane ran off of the run way and almost crashed.  Well actually it did "crash" it just never even got the ground.  Nerve wracking for sure, but an experience that was shared by the team and one that you would think would make a team closer by having such a traumatic shared experience.  Well they went on to win the tournament and make a substantial run in the NCAA tournament to the championship game.  Did I mention they were the 8 seed...in the Big 10 tournament.  Here is Moe Wagner's recount of the story and their run to the sweet 16 (should have waited until the final four). So how does a team that was coming in 8th in a conference make it to the last game of the season?  Could they have figured something out or had a player go on a remarkable run?  Sure.  But I really think there is something under the surface that when a team deals with a substantial amount of adversity it can bring a team together in a way that no amount of practice, coaching, or talent can account for.  I bring this up because Peach's team is on a 4 game win streak after dropping 5 in a row in and the last of those was a total melt down.  So what happened.  Well one of the girls who was on the team, but had to leave because of her mother's health, actually lost her mom and this was the first parent that any of these girls had lost.  It just so happened that several of them were at my house when they found out, and they had a very emotional experience.  Well the girl has come back to the team now, and I think they have kind of rallied around her.  I mean it is only junior high girls volleyball, but maybe that is enough to bring this team together.  I don't know how you would construct an experiment to do something like this, it is just something I have seen.  If you want to run a plane off of a runway in a wind storm, well good luck with that, not sure the benefit would out way the risk.  But that is kind of the trick isn't it if this is a key.  How do you team build in a fashion that everyone is really together as a "team" working together and caring for each other?  I think it has to start outside of what ever the sport is.  You can't have a shared experience in practice.  Every team has practice, this has to be something special and if it is a once in a lifetime (and not necessarily a positive experience either, I think the more that is overcome from adversity the more it means) experience that is not easily replicated I think that would carry the most weight.  But this is all speculation.  I have also seen teams where things have gone wrong and the whole thing has imploded, and people can't wait to go their own way.  But I think it may well be up to the coach to realize what is going on and use that motivation to further the success of the team.  That is what I believe the good coaches are able to do, and what the special teams have in common.  I'm not talking about the Warriors, or Alabama someone you expect to go in and win, I'm talking about the plucky under dog, with the remarkable story.  Something that maybe other people can look at from outside the team and have some empathy with the team, on what they went through.  Maybe that is the key, some cosmic outside energy flow that is directed to a team in a positive manner.  Anyway this is just an observation of mine, but I would be interested to hear other teams where people have seen this happen or have first hand experience.  One other thought if this could happen for a sports team, could be applied to a business or office environment?