Favoritism in the Office

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I know that this idea of "favoritism" isn't such a new thing. However, I just recently realized the difference of experiencing the matter from the perspective of the favorite and from that of the one playing favorites. There was a time in my career when people would tell me teasingly that I was the "favorite" of our boss because of what I can do for the team. For a time, it felt nice because I knew I was doing something great and I thought that by continuously being such a "favorite" I could drive my other teammates to perform better. It was not too soon that I realized that I started losing friends in the office. That's why, I decided to keep a low profile and avoid being seen with my boss. I eventually resigned from my work as I couldn't take the heat anymore. Soon I found myself handling my own team, at a different company. The team was great and we were at first all working in harmony. But just like in any other team, one could easily see who has what it takes to perform well and who are just there for the show. I couldn't help but start relying on one of my subordinates in terms of reports and such. However, just like what happened in the past, people started telling the person that she's my "favorite". I knew that soon this will affect her one way or the other. But, I just can't help it. Now, I'm confused as to how I could resolve this issue within my team. Have you ever experienced playing favorites or being the favorite in the office? If so, what did you do or end up doing?