By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter | San Antonio Express-News, 2024-04-15 12:33:10

由Gemini Pro人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。


2024 年 3 月 17 日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥，在穆迪中心对阵布鲁克林篮网队前的比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马 (1 号) 和主教练格雷格·波波维奇交谈。

马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇在周日比赛前告诉记者，他需要大约“一星期半”的休息时间，才能“准备好”再次执教。

几个小时后，在马刺队以 123-95 大胜底特律的赛季末比赛之后，波波维奇发出了更加强烈的信号，表明他将在秋季回归，担任球队第 29 个赛季的主教练。

当被问及他的一个半星期的假期是否会在他离开弗罗斯特银行中心后立即开始时，这位 75 岁的名人堂成员表示，“我只是在开玩笑。我们还有工作要做。”

考虑到他在 2023-24 赛季中所表现出的活力，这位 NBA 历史上最成功的教练兼五次冠军得主没有计划退休也就不足为奇了。

波波维奇去年夏天签署的为期五年、价值 8000 万美元的合同将允许他获得这笔交易，即使他辞去教练职务。他还担任球队的篮球运营总裁，因此他只处理这些职责就会获得相同的薪水。

但包括金州勇士队主教练史蒂夫·科尔在内的他的亲信表示，在他目前的合同在 2027-28 赛季后到期之前看到他担任教练并不会让他们感到惊讶。

科尔表示：“他本应该在五年前就退休了，那么我们为什么要预测他会在近期退休呢？他仍然精力充沛，仍然做得很好，而且热爱自己的工作，所以我相信这一点。”

波波维奇的球员们赞同科尔的评论。

控球后卫特雷·琼斯表示：“我并不认为他会离开。我不认为他会有任何想法。今年肯定没有表现出任何迹象。他每天仍然有同样的热情——甚至比我过去所见过的还要高。他整个赛季都很热情。这丝毫没有减退，尤其是在今年的最后三分之一。他比以前更加投入了。”

马刺队最终获得 22-60 的战绩，在 2 月 27 日牛仔竞技之旅结束后，他们以 11-12 的战绩结束了比赛。

琼斯说道：“我认为按照我们一直以来打球的方式，进攻、防守，他谈论的所有他希望我们做的小事，我们开始掌握了。他作为教练热爱这些事情，我不会认为他很快就会停止。”

了解更多：新秀赛季结束，马刺队的文班亚马已将目光投向第二年

马刺队的新秀球星维克托·文班亚马表示，在波波维奇手下打球“很棒”。

这位 20 岁的法国天才球员表示：“他第一天就非常明确地表示，他首先关心的是他的队员们作为人。我知道在联盟中、在联盟外，在篮球界有许多情况，教练和球员之间存在的关系远不完美。但我只是很高兴事情按照这里的方式发生，因为他就在那里。他偶尔会来点我们或纠正我们。但我和我的队友对所有建议的回应方式都很好，而且互动非常好。”

后卫德文·瓦塞尔表示，即使在球队创下 18 连败的纪录期间，波波维奇仍然保持积极的态度，对此他表示赞赏。

瓦塞尔表示：“不论是好是坏，他一直都在鼓励大家。当我们遭遇连败时，他仍然在鼓励我们，而这就是我们需要的东西。他总是告诉我们他需要听到的话，而不是我们想要听到的话，我为此爱他。”

索汉仍有为波兰效力的目标

马刺队前锋杰里米·索汉表示，他在 4 月 3 日接受左脚踝手术后正在康复的路上，修复了缩短他赛季的撞击。

他说：“手术进展顺利。现在只是在努力变得更强壮、更好。”

这位二年级职业球员表示，他的康复不会影响他休赛期的锻炼计划，也不会影响他在西班牙 7 月 2 日至 7 日举行的国际篮联奥运资格赛中为波兰效力的准备工作。

他表示：“这就是我们决定尽快进行手术的原因之一。它只需要 6 到 8 周就能恢复到最佳状态。因此，我们怀着希望为波兰效力、保持健康、为奥运会效力的想法进行了手术。”

索汉的母亲是波兰人。

他谈到为波兰国家队效力时说：“这始终是一种荣幸。这是一种不同的能量，所以我很兴奋。我将竭尽全力，我真的很认为我们有机会进入奥运会，这会很酷。”

瓦塞尔和前锋凯尔登·约翰逊也表示，在他们因脚部受伤而提前结束赛季后，他们正在很好地康复。


2024 年 4 月 7 日，星期日，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，费城 76 人队后卫泰瑞斯·马克西（右侧）对圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋扎克·柯林斯（23 号）进行抢断。 (美联社图片/罗道夫·冈萨雷斯)

柯林斯在决赛中受伤

在第二节初遭受肩部受伤后，马刺队中锋扎克·柯林斯原定于周一接受核磁共振成像检查。

由于文班亚马因右脚踝受伤而管理，柯林斯首发出场，并在 16 分钟内得到 17 分和 9 个篮板，然后在犯下防守犯规后明显疼痛地走向更衣室。

波波维奇说：“他的肩膀上有一个大肿块，所以希望只是康复。”

原文如下：

Wembanyama ready for Popovich to return for 29th season as Spurs coach

[Image] SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 17 Victor Wembanyama #1 and head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs talk before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Moody Center on March 17, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told reporters before Sunday's game he would need about a "week and a half" off before he would "be ready to go" again.

A few hours later after the Spurs' 123-95 thrashing of Detroit in the season finale, Popovich gave an even stronger signal that he would return in the fall for his 29th season as the team's head coach.

Asked if his week-and-a-half vacation would start as soon as he left the Frost Bank Center, the 75-year-old Hall of Famer said, "I was just joking. We've got work to do."

Given the vigor he displayed in 2023-24, it comes as no surprise the NBA's all-time winningest coach and five-time champion has no plans to retire.

The five-year, $80 million-plus contract Popovich signed last summer would allow him to earn out the deal even if he stepped down as coach. He also serves as the franchise’s president of basketball operations, so he would make the same salary just handling those duties.

But those close to him, including Golden State coach Steve Kerr, have said it would not surprise them to see him serve as coach until the current deal expires after the 2027-28 season.

"He was supposed to have retired five years ago, so why would we predict he is going to retire any time soon?" Kerr said. "He is still going strong and still doing a great job and loving his work, so I can see it."

Popovich's players echoed Kerr's comments.

"I don't really picture him walking away," point guard Tre Jones said. "I don't think he is there at all. He didn't show any signs of it this year, for sure. He still has the same excitement every day - even more than I have seen in the past. He was real passionate the entire year. It didn't drop off at all, especially this last third of the year. He was even more into it than he had been."

The Spurs finished 22-60, going 11-12 after the end of their rodeo trip on Feb. 27. 

"I think with the way we had been playing, offensively, defensively, all the little things he talks about that he wants us to do, we were starting to get it down," Jones said. "He loves those things as a coach and I don't see him stopping anytime soon."

READ MORE: Rookie season over, Spurs' Wembanyama already eyeing Year 2

Spurs rookie star Victor Wembanyama said playing under Popovich has been "great."

"He made it very clear day one he cares about his guys as people first," the 20-year-old French phenom said. "I know there's so many situations in basketball in the league, outside the league, the relationship between coaches and players is far from being perfect. But I'm just glad things are the way they are here because he's there. He is there to poke on us sometimes or to correct us. But the way my teammates and I have responded to all the advice, it's just been great and the dynamic is very good."

Guard Devin Vassell said he appreciated how Popovich remained positive even during the midst of the team's franchise-record 18-game losing streak.

"He was super encouraging through the good, the bad, the ugly," Vassell said. "When we were on that losing streak, he was still encouraging us and that's the type of stuff we need. And he always tells us what we need to hear and not what we want to hear, and I love him for that." 

Sochan still aims to play for Poland

Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan said he's well on the road to recovery after undergoing left ankle surgery April 3 to repair an impingement that cut his season short.

"Surgery went well, smoothly," he said. "So now it's just working to get stronger and better."

The second-year pro said his rehab shouldn't affect his offseason workout plans and preparations to play for Poland at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament July 2-7 in Spain.

"That's one of the reasons why we went in and decided to get the surgery as soon as possible," he said. "It only takes six, eight weeks to get back to shape, to top level. So we did that in mind of hopefully playing for Poland, being healthy for that, playing for the Olympics."

Sochan's mother is Polish.

"It's always an honor," he said of playing for the Polish national team. "There's a different type of energy to it, so I'm excited. I'm going to give it my all and I really think we have a chance to make it to the Olympics, which would be cool."

Vassell and forward Keldon Johnson also said they are recovering well after their seasons ended early due to foot injuries.

[Image] Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey, right, pressures San Antonio Spurs forward Zach Collins (23) for a loose ball during an NBA basketball game, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Rodolfo Gonzalez)

Collins injured in finale

Spurs center Zach Collins was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday after suffering a shoulder injury early in the second half.

With Wembanyama out due to right ankle injury management, Collins started and had 17 points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes before walking to the locker room in obvious pain after committing a defensive foul.

"He's got a big bump on that shoulder, so hopefully it's just rehab," Popovich said.

By Tom Orsborn, Sports reporter , via San Antonio Express-News