马刺1998-99赛季实录（780+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-27

聚焦：新球馆

为什么要搬迁？

我，和其他许多人一样，已经厌倦了听到关于为马刺队建造一座新球馆的讨论。我认为，马刺队目前所在的球馆已经足够好了。

• 凯瑟琳·黑斯廷斯(Kathleen Hastings)

坚定的支持者

有一段时间，我一直倾向于为马刺队建造一座新球馆，因为这将为这座城市带来一个主要的职业体育团队。但是，在看到马刺队如何在 NBA 总决赛期间将圣安东尼奥的市民团结在一起之后，我改变了想法。我现在坚定地支持让马刺队留在我们城市。现在就开始投票吧，我会投票支持建造新球馆。

• 乔治·埃希勒(George Eichler)

别再烦扰市民了

关于克雷格·贝尔(Craig Bell)在 6 月 9 日发表的信函“城市必须留住球队”：贝尔先生，没有人会否认马刺队是一支伟大的球队。但是，他们毕竟是一家赚钱的企业。就像我之前无数的信件作者一样，我想说的是，马刺队只惠及一小部分纳税人。

问问那些你建议组建委员会留住马刺队的有影响力的人吧。我不想让他们为了我的钱伸手到我的喉咙里。我建议组建一个蓝丝带委员会，从铁杆球迷和那些将从中获利的人那里筹集资金，以私人企业的方式建造新球馆，别再烦扰我们其他人了。

• 瓜达卢佩·弗洛雷斯(Guadalupe Flores)

热潮削弱反对

在我观看 NBA 总决赛第二场比赛时，我感到一种热潮席卷而来。这是一种几乎感染了整个南德克萨斯州的热潮。这种感染病毒叫做圣安东尼奥马刺队。这种热潮带来的虚弱感让我暂时放下了（暂时）对利用社区资金为一个私人企业建造新球馆的抵触情绪，这家企业还通过屏蔽主场比赛来表达其谢意。

• 克里斯·威特斯(Chris Wieters)

一个绝佳的机会

我是马刺队的球迷，但我并不认为这座城市有义务花费 1.5 亿美元建造一座球馆，只为了让球队的百万富翁老板赚更多钱。

然而，如果将 TIF 用于那些没有帮助就无法发展的地区，那它就是一个好主意。为什么不用它来在南区建造一座球馆呢？通过增加通往市中心和凯利空军基地的轻轨连接，创建一个“黄金三角”。

城市领导需要做些事情来促进该地区的发展，也许一座新的篮球馆就是一个机会。

• 托马斯·“内德”·李(Thomas N. “Ned” Lee)

传着盘子募捐

我认为我们应该在一个大帐篷里举办一个盛大的节日，传着盘子募捐，然后决定是否将所得款项给马刺队建造新球馆，还是用来帮助圣安东尼奥的某个社区实现尊严和福祉。我认为我知道哪些价值观会起决定作用。

• 朗·里布尔(Ron Ribble)

投资未来

我们一直都在为企业支出税款。市议会最近批准了对机场的一家私人雇主进行减税；通过支出这笔钱，这座城市将为新的高薪工作铺平道路。虽然马刺队在就业方面没有直接结果，但它们确实带来了全国和全球的宣传。让我们进行半美分的销售税，并建造新的球馆。从长远来看，它将为我们带来十倍的回报。

• 比尔·查普曼(Bill Chapman)

点击查看原文：FOCUS: New arena

FOCUS: New arena

Why move?

I, among many others, am sick to death of hearing about a

new arena for the Spurs. I’d say things are going quite well

for the Spurs just where they are.

- Kathleen Hastings

Supporter convinced

For some time now, I have been leaning toward a new

arena for the Spurs because of the benefits of having a

major professional team in the city. But after seeing how

the Spurs brought the citizens of San Antonio together

during the NBA Finals, I am no longer leaning; I am sold

on keeping the Spurs in our city. Bring on the election; I

am voting for a new arena.

- George Eichler

Stop bothering citizens

Regarding the June 9 letter, “City must keep team” by

Craig Bell: Mr. Bell, no one can argue with you that the

Spurs are a great team. However, they are a

money-making business. I’m saying, like countless letter

writers before me, that the Spurs only benefit a small

number of taxpayers.

Just ask all those influential people you suggest form a

committee to keep the Spurs in San Antonio. I do not

want all those people reaching down my throat to get my

money. I suggest a blue-ribbon committee be formed to

take donations from die-hard fans and people who stand

to profit, build the new arena as a private enterprise and

quit harassing the rest of us.

- Guadalupe Flores

Fever weakens opposition

As I was watching Game 2 of the NBA Finals, I felt a

fever set in. A fever that has just about infected everyone

in South Texas. The infecting virus is called the San

Antonio Spurs. Feeling weak from this fever helped me to

put aside (for now) my reluctance to use the community to

pay for a new arena that profits a private business, one

that shows its appreciation by blacking out home games.

- Chris Wieters

A golden opportunity

I’m a Spurs fan, but I don’t feel that the city is obligated to

spend $150 million to build an arena so the team’s

millionaire owners can make more money.

However, TIFs can be a good idea if they’re applied to

areas that won’t grow without help. Why not use one to

build an arena on the South Side? Create a "Golden

Triangle" by adding light rail connections to downtown

and Kelly AFB.

City leaders need to do something to spark growth in that

direction, and perhaps a new basketball stadium is an

opportunity to do it.

- Thomas N. “Ned” Lee

Pass the plate around

I think we ought hold a grand festival in a big tent, pass

the collection plate around, then decide whether to give

the proceeds to the Spurs for a new arena or use it to help

a San Antonio neighborhood achieve dignity and

well-being. I think I know what values would dictate.

- Ron Ribble

Invest in future

We spend tax dollars all the time for businesses. The City

Council recently approved a tax break for an private

employer at the airport; by spending this money, the city

will pave the way for new high-paying jobs. While the

Spurs do not provide direct results in the way of jobs,

they do provide national and worldwide publicity. Let’s do

the half-cent sales tax and build the new arena. It will pay

us back tenfold in the long run.

- Bill Chapman

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-27, By Jim Hutton

冠军激发了“冰人”时代的回忆

“伙计，世界是圆的。” - 乔治·格文 (George Gervin)，大约 1974 年 没错，乔治，的确如此。

随着互联网和其他技术的出现，如今的世界比圣安东尼奥马刺队在 ABA 打球的年代更小了。

那时是“冰人”时代之前，格文用这句话来回答几乎所有记者赛后的问题。他对每晚包围着他的媒体群感到迷惑，很快就会记录下他每次将球送入篮筐的挑篮。

来自圣安东尼奥快报 (San Antonio Express)、圣安东尼奥新闻 (San Antonio News) 和圣安东尼奥之光 (San Antonio Light) 的体育记者、朋友以及队友帮助格文扩展了他的评论，最终使他成为两大联盟 - ABA 和 NBA - 中为数不多的传奇人物之一。

如今，每个人都知道马刺队是世界冠军。但 25 年前，许多人最初并不知道圣安东尼奥马刺队是什么。

在 ABA 比赛中，马刺队花费无数的时间前往连商业航空公司的飞行员都必须查阅地图才能找到的地方。

远离媒体中心甚至中型市场，马刺队在大多数旅行日 - 经常停靠 - 前往格林斯博罗 (Greensboro, N.C.) 和诺福克 (Norfolk, Va.) 等偏远地区。他们总是乘坐“希望那里没有雾的航空公司 (Hope There’s No Fog Airlines)”前往格林斯博罗。

祈祷之后，他们抵达后，马刺队分别与北卡罗来纳美洲狮 (Carolina Cougars) 和弗吉尼亚绅士 (Virginia Squires) 进行比赛，观众寥寥无几，他们想看一场红白蓝的篮球比赛，以及一个尚未被称为“冰人”的瘦骨嶙峋的年轻人。

在格林斯博罗，体育记者在下半场在新闻发布室里脱下鞋子，按摩他们快要冻僵的脚，同时打电话了解上半场的最新情况。

为什么？因为球场下面是格林斯博罗“什么名字 (Whatyamacallits)”曲棍球队的一层冰。主要问题是球场和冰之间没有隔热层。

当板凳上的马刺队球员不断地用脚踩着球场时，球迷们以为这是欢呼的一种新形式。事实并非如此。

在去诺福克的旅途中，马刺队将在诺福克体育场 (Norfolk Scope) 迎战绅士队。我们中有些人认为我们要去看医生，检查我们因为长时间在空中而集体听力受损的情况。反正谁会在一个体育场 (Scope) 打球呢？

马刺队传奇播音员特里·“棍子 (Stick)”·斯坦布里奇 (Terry “Stick” Stembridge) - “马刺队唯一的声音 (The Only Voice The Spurs Ever Had)” - 最终离开了比赛，因为他听力几乎消失了，那时还没有常旅客里程。

那时候，似乎每个人都有一个绰号。除了“冰人”，还有吉米·“西 (Si)”·赛拉斯 (Jimmy “Si” Silas) (或迟到的队长 (Captain Late))、拉里·“凯特 (Kat)”·肯农 (Larry “Kat” Kenon)、迈克·“糖 (Sugar)”·盖尔 (Mike “Sugar” Gale)、艾伦·“迪斯科 (Disco)”·布里斯托 (Allan “Disco” Bristow) 以及比利·“大块头 (The Whopper)”·帕尔茨 (Billy “The Whopper” Paultz)。

后来，在 1978 年 4 月 9 日 NBA 赛季的一次旅行中，马刺队前往新奥尔良与爵士队比赛，格文需要得到 58 分才能击败大卫·汤普森，赢得他的第一个 NBA 得分王。在史上最精彩的进攻表现之一中，格文在三节比赛中得到 63 分 - 并且没有在最后一节比赛 - 赢得了得分王。

爵士队对格文进行了双人包夹、三人包夹和四人包夹防守，但没有成功。挑篮、跳投、上篮 - 一切都命中了。

观看周五晚上的 NBA 总决赛第五场，看到尼克斯队试图用几乎所有球员包夹另一个相对瘦小的家伙蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan)，他无法在进攻端被阻止，我再次想起了格文。

体育新闻学 101 说记者不能在新闻发布席上欢呼。

但在家呢？原谅我，但我在报道了数百场马刺队比赛后，周五晚上欢呼了。

格文是对的。世界仍然是圆的。但 NBA 冠军马刺队现在站在世界的顶端。

点击查看原文：Championship stirs memory of 'Ice' age

Championship stirs memory of ‘Ice’ age

“Man, the world is round.” -George Gervin, circa 1974 Yes, George, it is.

And with the Internet and other technologies today, the world is smaller than in the days when the San Antonio Spurs played in the ABA.

Those were the pre-Iceman days when Gervin used that “line” to answer nearly all reporters’ postgame questions. He was bewildered by the throng of media that surrounded him nightly and soon would chart his every finger- roll to the hoop.

Sports reporters from the San Antonio Express, San Antonio News and San Antonio Light, friends and fellow players helped Gervin to expand his comments on his way to becoming one of the few legends in two leagues - ABA and NBA.

Today, everyone knows the Spurs are the world champions. But 25 years ago, many people initially didn’t know who or what the San Antonio Spurs were.

Playing in the ABA, the Spurs spent endless hours traveling to places that even commercial airline pilots had to consult atlases to find.

Far from media centers and even medium-sized markets, the Spurs spent most of their travel days - with frequent stops - getting to far-flung places like Greensboro, N.C. and Norfolk, Va. They always took “Hope There’s No Fog Airlines” to Greensboro.

After prayer and once there, the Spurs played the Carolina Cougars and the Virginia Squires, respectively, before a handful of spectators who wanted to see a red-white-and-blue basketball and a pipe-cleaner-thin kid who was not even well-known yet as the “Iceman.”

In Greensboro, sports reporters spent halftime in the pressroom taking off their shoes to massage their nearly frostbitten feet, while calling in updated information about first-half action.

Why? Because underneath the court was a layer of ice for the Greensboro “Whatyamacallits” hockey team. The main problem was there was no insulation between the court and the ice.

When the Spurs on the bench kept stomping their feet on the court, the fans thought it was a new form of cheering. It wasn’t.

On the trip to Norfolk, the Spurs were to play the Squires in the Norfolk Scope. Some of us thought we were going to a doctor’s office for an examination of our collective hearing from too many hours in the air. Who plays in a Scope anyway?

The Spurs’ legendary announcer Terry “Stick” Stembridge - “The Only Voice The Spurs Ever Had” - eventually left the game because his hearing was almost gone before frequent-flier miles ever existed.

Back then, it seemed like everyone had a nickname. Besides the “Iceman,” there was Jimmy “Si” Silas (or Captain Late), Larry “Kat” Kenon, Mike “Sugar” Gale, Allan “Disco” Bristow, and Billy “The Whopper” Paultz.

Later, on an NBA trip on April 9, 1978 to New Orleans to play the Jazz, Gervin needed 58 points to beat out David Thompson and win his first NBA scoring title. In one of the most spectacular offensive efforts ever, Gervin scored 63 points in three quarters - and didn’t play in the final period - to seize the title.

The Jazz double-, triple- and quadruple-teammed Gervin defensively without success. Finger-rolls, pop-up jumpers, layups - everything went in.

Watching Game 5 of the NBA Finals Friday night and seeing the Knicks try to run almost everyone at another relatively thin guy named Tim Duncan, who couldn’t be stopped offensively, Gervin again came to my mind.

Sports Journalism 101 says reporters can’t cheer on press row.

But what about at home? Forgive me, but I cheered Friday night after reporting on hundreds of Spurs games over the years.

Gervin was right. The world still is round. But the NBA champion Spurs are on top of it now.

By Jim Hutton, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-27, By Carlos Guerra

享受这一刻，但要谨慎

嘿，圣安东尼奥(San Antonio)。可能你对这种感觉还不太熟悉，但让我们尽情享受这一刻吧。

今晚，数十万人将齐聚一堂，以我们这座奇妙城市独有的方式，为我们胜利的英雄们举行一场河边漫步(River Walk)游行。

而圣安东尼奥人当然配得上这份冠军荣耀，以及随之而来的狂欢！

25 年多来，马刺球迷们一直忠实地支持着我们城市唯一一支职业运动队。

从他们还用红白蓝色的圆球比赛的时代起，圣安东尼奥的忠实粉丝们便一直购买着比赛门票，痛饮着价格不菲的啤酒，收看付费观看的比赛，并购买各种马刺商品。

所以，现在我们的城市终于获得了第一个冠军，我们都应该沉浸在这份荣耀之中。

但当我们享受着这可能永远无法实现的时刻时，我们不要被狂喜冲昏头脑，而失去对这一切真正意义和它转瞬即逝的本质的认识。

我们的城市拥有 NBA 球队已经 26 年了，这个联盟还有另外 28 支球队，每年都会有一支球队成为冠军。

我们也要记住，像美国国家篮球协会一样，美国国家橄榄球联盟、美国职业棒球大联盟和美国国家曲棍球联盟也都会在每年加冕自己的“世界冠军”。

我严重怀疑，在圣安东尼奥 20 个人中，能说出去年“四大体育联盟”两个冠军的人不超过一个，而我相信，一百个人中能想起五年前四个冠军中两个的人，恐怕不到两个人。

由于马刺在本赛季后半段和季后赛的出色表现，圣安东尼奥收到了大量的全国电视曝光，并且这种曝光将持续到下周。

我们的城市也成为了几部宣传 NBA 总决赛的短片的主题。

但在我们被那些自私自利的人很快就会向我们灌输的关于这种曝光价值的荒诞计算所迷惑之前，让我们记住，每年所有四项运动的冠军都会享受到这种曝光。

尽管这可能是一种自我肯定，但我们的城市在电视上的时刻会在其他人的脑海中留下与去年冠军报道在我们脑海中留下的印记一样深刻的痕迹。

周五晚上，我参观了三家位于市中心的俱乐部，这些俱乐部挤满了马刺球迷，每当一位身穿黑色西装的战士得分时，他们都会疯狂欢呼，每当一位战士因为犯规或糟糕的判罚而成为受害者时，他们都会嘘声。

当终场哨声响起时，噪音变得震耳欲聋，几分钟之内，这座城市的市中心街道上挤满了欢欣雀跃的狂欢者。

几分钟之内，我也被那些嗓子嘶哑的球迷们包围了，他们急于分享他们关于一个新的由纳税人资助的体育场馆的意见。

现在，最后要提醒大家注意的一点。

霍华德·皮克(Howard Peak)市长已经明确表示，虽然他希望将体育场馆建设的投票权交予民众，但最早也要等到 2000 年 1 月才能进行投票，因为这项提案还需要与马刺老板协商。

另一方面，县法官辛迪·克里尔(Cindi Krier)表示，她希望调查设立一个体育管理局——一个特殊的征税区——来处理此事。

然而，与城市一样，体育管理局也需要获得选民的批准才能征税。

所以，享受这一刻吧。

做好准备，一场可能要持续到本世纪末的辩论即将开始。

点击查看原文：Enjoy this moment, but cautiously

Enjoy this moment, but cautiously

Hey San Antonio. Unfamiliar as the feeling might be, let’s relish this moment.

Tonight, hundreds of thousands of us will gather to honor our conquering heroes in a way possible only in our wonderful city: with a River Walk parade.

And it isn’t as if San Antonians don’t deserve this championship - and the party that goes with it!

For more than a quarter century Spurs fans have faithfully supported our city’s one pro sports franchise.

From the days when they were still playing with a red-white-and- blue roundball, the San Antonio faithful have been buying game tickets, guzzling overpriced beer, tuning in on pay-per-view games and buying all sorts of Spurs merchandise.

So now that our city has its first championship, we should all luxuriate in the distinction.

But while we’re enjoying the moment we often thought might forever elude us, let’s not get so carried away in the euphoria that we lose perspective of what this is really all about - and how fleeting it will be.

Our city’s NBA franchise has existed 26 years in a league with 28 other teams, and each year, one of these teams becomes champ.

Let’s also keep in mind that like the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League also crown their own “world champions” each year.

I seriously doubt that one in 20 San Antonians can name two champs of the “big four” sports of last year, and I would be willing to bet that fewer than two in 100 can recall two of the four champions of five years ago.

Thanks to the Spurs’ performance the latter part of this abbreviated season and the playoffs, San Antonio has received a lot of national television exposure, and it will continue well into next week.

Our city has also been the subject of several short documentaries aired to promote the NBA finals.

But before we fall for the outlandish computations about the alleged value of such coverage that self-interested parties will soon feed us, let’s keep in mind that such exposure is afforded the champs of all four sports annually.

And self-affirming as it might be, our city’s moments on the tube will leave a mark in the minds of others every bit as indelible as last year’s championship coverage left on ours.

Friday night, I visited three downtown clubs packed with Spurs faithful cheering wildly each time a black-suited warrior scored and jeering each time one was victimized by a foul or a bad call.

When the buzzer finally sounded, the noise grew deafening, and within minutes, the city’s downtown streets were packed with overjoyed partyers.

Also within minutes, I was cornered by hoarse fans eager to share their opinions about a new, taxpayer-funded arena.

Now, one final word of caution.

Mayor Howard Peak has made it clear that while he wants the arena put to a vote, such an election won’t be possible until January 2000, at the earliest, because a proposal must still be negotiated with Spurs owners.

County Judge Cindi Krier, on the other hand, has said she wants to investigate the creation of a sports authority - which is a special taxing district - to handle the matter.

Like cities, however, sports authorities cannot levy taxes without voter approval.

So enjoy this moment.

And gird yourself for a debate that is likely to outlast this millennium.

By Carlos Guerra, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-27, By Buck Harvey

球场争议？霍尔特还需要更多帮助吗？

这些朋友独自待在更衣室的后面，比较着各自的夺冠经历。安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)告诉蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)他简直不敢相信。丹尼尔斯说他差点就在麦迪逊广场花园的中央哭出来了。

邓肯低声回答：“我想我确实哭了。”

斯波克(Spock)变得人性化了，这没什么好羞愧的。周五晚上，许多圣安东尼奥的客厅里都充满了泪光。而且，对马刺队来说，没有什么比迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)长时间地亲吻奖杯更让人尴尬了。

但比邓肯内心的情绪更重要的是他所激发的外部情绪。他不仅赢得了一个冠军，他还以下一个拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)的身份赢得了冠军，而且他还有一年的合同即将到期，他的球队需要在财务上巩固未来。

其他球队也曾在需要新的设施时夺冠。丹佛野马队和圣地亚哥教士队就是例子。但记忆中没有哪支球队曾在拥有年轻超级巨星的情况下夺冠，而这位超级巨星还有自己的特殊日程安排。野马队和教士队可以强调他们对城市的价值，而马刺队可以强调这一点，以及更多。

他们可以简单地争论：如果我们不解决问题，圣安东尼奥不仅会失去它唯一的职业体育联盟球队，还会失去其他所有球队和所有城市梦寐以求的礼物。

一位 NBC 的评论员最近说错了。邓肯不喜欢阿拉莫穹顶(Alamodome)不像他不知道球队是否会留下来那样。与评论员所说相反，众所周知，邓肯今年夏天不会与马刺队续约。他必须等待来决定他的长期住所，因为他的球队正在等待来决定它的未来。

邓肯将面临其他问题，那些希望霍尔特支付他应得的那一部分的人将会乐见霍尔特在这方面受到压力。邓肯不仅想要一个现代化的训练设施，还想拥有一架球队专用的飞机。还记得大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)曾经为包机站出来吗？邓肯将游说进行升级，认为如果新的劳资协议限制了他能赚多少钱，他至少可以获得一些额外的好处。

他会得到这些，因为他有太多选择。邓肯一开始无法在其他球队赚到那么多钱，但他可以找到一些其他优势。选项一将是与朋友道克·里弗斯(Doc Rivers)一起加入另一个南部小城市。

邓肯不喜欢圣安东尼奥的唯一一件事？没有海滩。奥兰多离几个海滩更近，也离维尔京群岛更近。

邓肯不希望圣安东尼奥为他建造一个海滩，他想要的是所有其他 NBA 城市都有的那样一座体育馆。周五晚上，当被问及他的未来时，他谈到了这一点。

“我爱圣安东尼奥，”他说。“这是一个很棒的地方。我希望能在这里度过我的整个职业生涯。无论结果如何，都是最好的安排。我认为马刺队的所有人都明白是怎么回事。每个人都知道是怎么回事。我们只需要把事情办好。我认为我们会办好。我们给了他们一个让我们留在这里的充分理由。”

他没有说“体育馆”这个词，好像他知道这是个敏感话题，他的维克森林大学心理学学位告诉他不要触碰这个话题。没有人想听到一个 23 岁的年轻人威胁。如果说有什么不同的话，那就是马刺队希望每个人都意识到，他们愿意投资于这座城市需要的某些东西，无论如何。

所以邓肯说了一些正确的话，以及更多。他使用了“我们”这个词，好像他正在达成一项君子协定。他几乎是说，总决赛 MVP——与阿伦·艾弗森(Allen Iverson)的情感反面——如果体育馆问题得到解决，他将留下来。

这条信息比任何精心策划的体育馆宣传活动都要好，比马刺队所能奢望的还要多。在某个地方，霍尔特正在为庆祝活动和一个盛夏做准备，他仍然喜极而泣。

点击查看原文：Arena outcry? As if Holt needs more help

Arena outcry? As if Holt needs more help

These friends were alone, in the back of the locker room, comparing championship notes. Antonio Daniels told Tim Duncan that he couldn’t believe it. Daniels said he’d almost cried, right there in the middle of Madison Square Garden.

Duncan whispered back. “I think I did cry.”

Spock went human, and it was nothing to be ashamed of. There were misty eyes in a lot of San Antonio living rooms Friday night. And, besides, nothing any Spur could have done would been more embarrassing than one of Michael Jordan’s prolonged trophy neckings.

But more significant than the emotion inside of Duncan is the emotion he causes on the outside. He didn’t just win a title. He won it as the next Bird, with a contract coming up in a year, with his franchise needing to financially solidify its future.

Other franchises have also won just when they needed new facilities. The Broncos and Padres are two. But no franchise in memory has won with a young superstar with his own, specific schedule. Whereas the Broncos and Padres could argue their value to the city, the Spurs can argue that and more.

They can argue, simply: If we don’t work out something, San Antonio will be losing not only its only major-league franchise, but also a gift that every other franchise and every other city would do anything for.

An NBC commentator had it wrong recently. Duncan doesn’t dislike the Alamodome as much as he dislikes not knowing if the franchise will stay. Also contrary to what the commentator said, it’s common knowledge Duncan was never going to re-sign with the Spurs this summer. He has to wait to determine his longtime home because his franchise is waiting to determine its.

Duncan will have other issues, and those who want Holt to pay his share will love it when Holt gets squeezed on this end. Duncan not only wants a modern practice facility, but also a team-owned plane. Remember how David Robinson once stood up for a charter? Duncan will lobby for an upgrade, figuring if the new labor agreement restricts how much he can earn, he might as well get a few perks.

He will get them, because he has too many options. Duncan couldn’t earn as much money with another franchise initially, but he could find some other pluses. Option No. 1 would be to join a friend, Doc Rivers, in another small, southern city.

The one thing Duncan doesn’t like about San Antonio? No beach. Orlando is closer to a few, and it’s also closer to the Virgin Islands.

Duncan doesn’t want San Antonio to build him a beach - just the kind of arena that’s in every other NBA city. And asked about his future Friday night, he addressed that.

“I love San Antonio,” he said. “It’s a great place. I would love to be there the rest of my career. However it works out, it works out. I think everybody with the Spurs knows what it’s all about. Everybody out here knows what it’s all about. We just have to get it done. I think we will get it done. We’ve given them a good reason to keep us there.”

He never said the word “arena,” as if he knew the hot button and his Wake Forest psychology degree told him not to go there. No one wants to hear a threat from a 23- year-old. If anything, the Spurs want everyone to realize they are willing to invest in something the city needs regardless.

So Duncan said the right things, and more. He used the word “we,” as if he were making a handshake deal. He all but said the Finals MVP - the emotional opposite of Allen Iverson - will stay if the arena issue is resolved.

The message is better than a slick arena campaign, and more than the Spurs could have ever hoped for. Somewhere, preparing for a parade and a summer of celebration, Holt still cries for joy.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-27, By Glenn Rogers

大学顶尖人才中没有蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) - 选秀阵容中拥有稳健的球员

今年的选秀大会有一种熟悉的感觉，因为没有像蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)这样的球员能够带领球队赢得多个总冠军。

联盟普遍认为，今年的选秀阵容并不出色，尤其是在前六七名球员之后。

然而，这种抱怨每年都会出现，大学球员仍然能在联盟中崭露头角，打出名堂。许多观察家认为，1999年的选秀大会拥有丰富的角色球员，其中不少将会在1999-2000赛季结束后成为球队轮换阵容的一部分。

以下是选秀大会中排名前列、中游和末端的球员名单（排名不分先后），以及一些关于可能会改变选秀顺序的交易可能性的评论。

请记住，每个组中的某些球员可能会在星期三之前升降排名。前五名：

• 史蒂夫·弗朗西斯(Steve Francis)，6尺3寸后卫，马里兰大学。拥有控球后卫的潜力，但更像一名得分后卫。非常有运动能力，能够吸引球迷。没有球霸的声誉。
• 艾尔顿·布兰德(Elton Brand)，6尺8寸前锋，杜克大学。跑动出色，在篮筐附近手感柔和。一些人质疑他的身高，但在芝加哥的体测中，他穿鞋身高达到了6尺8寸。
• 拉马尔·奥多姆(Lamar Odom)，6尺10寸前锋，罗德岛大学。极具天赋，有时被拿来与托尼·库科奇(Toni Kukoc)比较，因为他们都拥有投篮技巧，但防守能力不足。
• 安德烈·米勒(Andre Miller)，6尺2寸后卫，犹他大学。稳健的组织者，但缺乏跳投能力。职业球员喜欢他在里克·马杰鲁斯(Rick Majerus)教练手下打了四年的事实。
• 巴伦·戴维斯(Baron Davis)，6尺2寸后卫，加州大学洛杉矶分校。从左膝前交叉韧带撕裂伤势中恢复后，在上赛季场均出战30.7分钟，得到15.9分。投篮手感出色，拥有稳健的控球技术。希望为快船队效力。

排位靠前的球员：

• 沃利·斯泽比亚克(Wally Szczerbiak)，6尺7寸前锋，迈阿密大学（俄亥俄州）。“沃利球”已经成为一种流行。NBA球探马蒂·布莱克(Marty Blake)表示，他是大学里最棒的射手。防守是一个问题。可能进入前五名。
• 科里·马盖蒂(Corey Maggette)，6尺6寸前锋，杜克大学。天赋异禀，力量和速度俱佳。然而，只有一年的大学经验让选秀球队感到担忧。投篮命中率达到52%。
• 乔纳森·本德(Jonathan Bender)，6尺11寸前锋，皮卡尤恩纪念高中（密西西比州）。高中生在这里有着巨大的机会，但他喜欢防守，骑士队也非常喜欢他。能够投三分球。
• 理查德·汉密尔顿(Richard Hamilton)，6尺6寸后卫/前锋，康涅狄格大学。绰号“Rip”，因为他可以轻松命中投篮。控球技术不错。困扰着他的是“双栖”体型。
• 杰森·特里(Jason Terry)，6尺2寸后卫，亚利桑那大学。充满活力的控球后卫，可以帮助球队在替补席上发挥作用。身材矮小，但可以突破上篮。防守？可能升至前十名。
• 罗恩·阿泰斯特(Ron Artest)，6尺7寸后卫/前锋。某种程度上让人联想起步行者队的贾伦·罗斯(Jalen Rose)。没有特别突出的能力，但在场上积极活跃，抢篮板、得分、助攻。
• 威廉·艾弗里(William Avery)，6尺2寸后卫，杜克大学。稳健的组织者，投篮出色。罚球命中率高。让一些人联想到穆奇·布莱洛克(Mookie Blaylock)，但在芝加哥的试训后，他的排名有所下降。太阳队喜欢他。
• 肖恩·马里昂(Shawn Marion)，6尺7寸前锋，内华达大学拉斯维加斯分校。防守出色，需要开发投篮技巧。充满活力的球员。太阳队也喜欢他。

中游球员：

• 朱梅恩·琼斯(Jumaine Jones)，6尺7寸前锋，佐治亚大学。评价褒贬不一。大学的表现令人失望。一些球探喜欢他，另一些则不喜欢。老鹰队喜欢他。
• 伊万·埃施迈尔(Evan Eschmeyer)，6尺11寸中锋，西北大学。身高总是能帮助球员在选秀中获得更高的顺位。大四球员，成熟稳重，场均得到19.6分和10个篮板，体型不错。
• 亚历山大·拉多耶维奇(Aleksandar Radojevic)，7尺3寸中锋，巴顿县社区学院（堪萨斯州）。拥有几项进攻技巧，相当灵活，运动能力出色。打球努力。需要增加体重，现在的体重是245磅。可能在第12顺位被选中。
• 詹姆斯·波西(James Posey)，6尺8寸前锋，泽维尔大学。他的声誉对他有所帮助，他是聪明、快速的防守球员，而且也能得分。
• 昆西·刘易斯(Quincy Lewis)，6尺7寸前锋，明尼苏达大学。森林狼队总经理凯文·麦克海尔(Kevin McHale)表示，他会成长为NBA球员。上赛季场均得到23.1分，投篮命中率达到45%。
• 弗雷德里克·韦斯(Frederic Weis)，7尺2寸中锋，法国。由于缺乏中锋球员，他将会获得不错的选秀顺位。体重只有249磅，身材瘦弱，但尼克斯队可能选中他。
• 蒂姆·詹姆斯(Tim James)，6尺7寸前锋，迈阿密大学。两次获得大东区跳高冠军，这应该会让一些球队印象深刻。罚球命中率不错。
• 肯尼·托马斯(Kenny Thomas)，6尺8寸前锋，新墨西哥大学。可能在第20顺位左右被选中，他在篮筐附近的得分能力不错，投篮命中率达到54%。篮板球出色。积极活跃。

垫底球员：

• 托德·麦克库洛奇(Todd MacCulloch)，7尺中锋，华盛顿大学。在篮板球和得分方面努力。骑士队对他进行了试训。
• 特拉扬·朗顿(Trajan Langdon)，6尺3寸后卫，杜克大学。在杜克大学打了四年，这应该能帮助他获得某个球队的替补席位置，也许是火箭队的。能够投远距离投篮。
• 李·奈龙(Lee Nailon)，6尺9寸前锋，得克萨斯基督教大学。如果犹他队仍然对他青睐，他可能进入首轮。上赛季场均得到22.8分。
• 拉里·凯特纳(Lari Ketner)，6尺10寸前锋/中锋，马萨诸塞大学。相当敏捷的封盖手，但得分能力时好时坏。
• 斯科特·帕吉特(Scott Padgett)，6尺9寸前锋，肯塔基大学。在试训后，他的排名已经上升至首轮。全面的技术非常出色。
• 狄翁·格洛弗(Dion Glover)，6尺5寸后卫，佐治亚理工学院。老鹰队可能会选中他，并将他放在伤病名单上，直到他从膝伤中恢复。
• 卡尔文·布斯(Calvin Booth)，6尺11寸中锋，宾夕法尼亚州立大学。他需要增加体重，现在的体重是230磅，才能在联盟中立足。但他的封盖能力吸引了关注。
• 詹姆斯·鲍德勒(James Bowdler)，6尺10寸前锋，奥杜邦大学。看起来他正在逐步进入首轮末端。篮板球不错。
• 拉隆·普罗菲特(Laron Profit)，6尺4寸后卫，马里兰大学。投篮命中率不错，大四赛季的命中率达到50%。有人说马刺队可能对他感兴趣。

亟待解答的问题：

* 公牛队将会怎么做？公牛队收到了大量的交易报价。猛龙队用第5顺位和第12顺位，以及多格·克里斯蒂(Doug Christie)，报价公牛队第1顺位。公牛队想要特雷西·麦克格雷迪(Tracy McGrady)。他们喜欢马盖蒂，并可能用第1顺位选中他。

• 据报道，黄蜂队用埃尔登·坎贝尔(Eldon Campbell)、埃迪·琼斯(Eddie Jones)和第3顺位，报价公牛队托尼·库科奇(Toni Kukoc)和第1顺位。

• 如果公牛队不进行交易，他们可能会选中布兰德。

* 开拓者队会加入选秀争夺，选中史蒂夫·弗朗西斯(Steve Francis)吗？他们不会为了他而付出拉希德·华莱士(Rasheed Wallace)这样的代价。

* 热火队会进入选秀，选中得克萨斯大学后卫/前锋克里斯·克拉克(Kris Clack)吗？

* 老鹰队和爵士队会在第27顺位和第28顺位选择欧洲球员，并让他们发展吗？- 安德烈·基里连科(Andrei Kirilenko)、德米特里奥斯·帕帕尼科拉奥(Dimitrios Papanikolaou)、安东尼斯·福西斯(Antonis Fotsis)、伊戈尔·拉科切维奇(Igor Rakocevic)？

* 热火队有兴趣从活塞队交易得到比森·德莱(Bison Dele)吗？

* 凯尔特人队会用罗恩·默瑟(Ron Mercer)和肯尼·安德森(Kenny Anderson)作为诱饵，获得选秀权吗？

* 骑士队会用德里克·安德森(Derek Anderson)、布雷文·奈特(Brevin Knight)或韦斯利·珀森(Wesley Person)以及选秀权，交易给排在他们前面的球队，以获得沃利球(Wally Ball)吗？

* 狼队会用选秀权与快船队交换，进行涉及特雷尔·布兰登(Terrell Brandon)的交易，以获得巴伦·戴维斯(Baron Davis)吗？

* 灰熊队会用第2顺位交换一名老将和较低的选秀权吗？他们喜欢的老将包括：P. J. 布朗(P. J. Brown)、安东尼·戴维斯(Antonio Davis)、戴尔·戴维斯(Dale Davis)、霍勒斯·格兰特(Horace Grant)、西奥·拉特利夫(Theo Ratliff)。

* 上升的球员：朗顿(Langdon)、斯泽比亚克(Szczerbiak)、拉多耶维奇(Radojevic)、本德(Bender)

* 下降的球员：奥多姆(Odom)。他的行为不稳定，在选秀大会上进进出出，试图重返罗德岛大学，拒绝进行体测，让所有人都感到担忧。马盖蒂(Maggette)，因为他在芝加哥的表现，麦克库洛奇(MacCulloch)，埃施迈尔(Eschmeyer)。

点击查看原文：Top college talent not boasting any Duncans - Draft contains solid players

Top college talent not boasting any Duncans - Draft contains solid players

There’s a familiar ring to this year’s draft, as in no Tim Duncan to lead a team to a few rings.

The collective mindset of the league is that this year’s crop offers poor pickings, especially after the top six or seven players.

Still, that’s a complaint heard many a year and collegians still pop out and make a name in the big league. Many observers rate the 1999 extravaganza deep in role players and more than a couple of fistsful will be in rotations at the conclusion of the 1999-2000 season.

Here’s a look at the top, middle and bottom sections of the draft, in no particular order, and some comments on the trade possibilities that will rearrange the pecking order.

Keep in mind, some of the players in each group could move up or down by Wednesday. TOP FIVE:

Steve Francis, 6-3 guard, Maryland. Has point guard potential but more of a shooting guard. Is very athletic, a crowd pleaser. Doesn’t have the reputation of a ball hog.

Elton Brand, 6-8 forward, Duke. Runs floor well, has nice touch around basket. Some doubted height but measured 6-8 in sneakers at Chicago.

Lamar Odom, 6-10 forward, Rhode Island. Immensely talented, sometimes compared to Toni Kukoc because of shooting skills but lack of defense.

Andre Miller, 6-2 guard, Utah. Solid playmaker but lacks a jumper. Pros like fact he spent four years under Coach Rick Majerus.

Baron Davis, 6-2 guard, UCLA. Came back from torn left Anterior Crucial Ligament to average 30.7 minutes and 15.9 points last season. Nice shooter with solid floor game. Wants to play for Clips. ROUNDING OUT THE LOTTERY:

Wally Szczerbiak, 6-7 forward, Miami (Ohio). Wally ball has become infectious. NBA scout Marty Blake says he was best college shooter. Defense a problem. Might be Top Five.

Corey Maggette, 6-6 forward, Duke. Raw talent, strong and quick. Still, only one year of college should worry drafters. Hit 52 percent of his shots.

Jonathan Bender, 6-11 forward, Picayune Memorial High School (MS). Big chance here for high schooler but likes to play defense and Cavaliers like him. Can hit threes.

Richard Hamilton, 6-6 guard/forward Connecticut. Nicknamed “Rip” for his swishes through the net. Decent ballhandler. Stuck with that “tweener” size.

Jason Terry, 6-2 guard, Arizona. Energized ballhandler who could help spark teams coming off bench. Small guy who gets to the basket. Defense? Might move into Top 10.

Ron Artest, 6-7 guard/forward. Somewhat remindful of Pacers’ Jalen Rose. No one standout ability, gets into activity, rebound, score, assist.

William Avery, 6-2 guard, Duke. Solid playmaker, good shooter. Hits free throws. Reminds some of Mookie Blaylock but fell some after Chicago workout. Suns like him.

Shawn Marion, 6-7 forward, UNLV. Excellent defender, needs to develop a jumper. An energy player. Suns like him, too. MIDDLE OF THE PACK:

Jumaine Jones, 6-7 forward, Georgia. Mixed reviews. Disappointing at college. Some scouts like him, others don’t. Hawks like him.

Evan Eschmeyer, 6-11 center, Northwestern. Height always helps bring in the draft money. Senior with maturity, averaged 19.6 points and 10 rebounds, nice size.

Aleksandar Radojevic, 7-3 center, Barton County (Kansas) C.C. Has a few offensive moves, fairly limber and athletic. Plays hard. Needs to add weight to 245-pound frame. Could go at 12.

James Posey, 6-8 forward, Xavier. Helped by his reputation as a smart, quick defender who can also score.

Quincy Lewis, 6-7 forward, Minnesota. Timberwolves general manager Kevin McHale says he will grow into NBA talent. Averaged 23.1 points and hit 45 percent last season.

Frederic Weis, 7-2 center, France. Will get nice draft slot because of lack of center prospects. Thin at 249 pounds but New York might take him.

Tim James, 6-7 forward, Miami. Two time Big East champion in the high jump, that should impress some. Decent free throw shooter.

Kenny Thomas, 6-8 forward, New Mexico. Could go about No. 20, nice enough touch around basket to hit 54 percent of shots. Good rebounder. Active. BOTTOM OF THE BARREL

Todd MacCulloch, 7-foot center, Washington. Works at rebounding and scores. Cavaliers worked him out.

Trajan Langdon, 6-3 guard, Duke. Four years at Duke should help him get spot on somebody’s bench, maybe Houston’s. Can hit from long distance.

Lee Nailon, 6-9 forward, TCU. He might slide into first round if Utah maintains affection for him. Averaged 22.8 points last year.

Lari Ketner, 6-10 forward/center, Massachusetts. Fairly agile shot-blocker, but has difficulties scoring at times.

Scott Padgett, 6-9 forward, Kentucky. Has moved up to first round after workouts. Nice knowledge of all-around game.

Dion Glover, 6-5 guard, Georgia Tech. Atlanta may take him and keep him on injured list until he recovers from knee injury.

Calvin Booth, 6-11 center, Penn State. Has to add to his 230 pounds to make way in big league. But shot-blocking ability attracts attention.

James Bowdler, 6-10 forward, Old Dominion. Seems to be easing his way into bottom of first round. Decent rebounder.

Laron Profit, 6-4 guard, Maryland. Decent shooter, 50 percent in senior year. Some say Spurs might be interested.

BURNING QUESTIONS:

* What will Chicago do? The Bulls are swamped with trade offers. Toronto has offered picks 5 and 12, probably Doug Christie, for No. 1. Bulls want Tracy McGrady. They like Maggette as pick.

Charlotte reportedly is offering Eldon Campbell and Eddie Jones and No. 3 for Toni Kukoc and No. 1.

If Bulls stay put, they might take Brand.

* Will Portland jump into the draft fray and get Steve Francis? They won’t go so far as offering Rasheed Wallace.

* Will Miami get into position to draft Texas guard/forward Kris Clack?

* Will Atlanta and Utah, at 27 and 28, opt to draft Europeans and let them develop - Andre Kirilenko, Dimitrius Papanikolaou, Antonis Fotsis, Igor Rakocevic?

* Is Miami interested in acquiring Bison Dele from Detroit?

* Will Boston use Ron Mercer and Kenny Anderson as bait to get a draft pick?

* Will Cleveland Derek Anderson or Brevin Knight or Wesley Person and pick to teams in front of them to get Wally Ball?

* Will Wolves swap picks with Clippers, do deal involving Terrell Brandon, to get Baron Davis?

* Will Vancouver trade No. 2 for veteran and lower pick? Veterans they like include P. J. Brown, Antonio and Dale Davis, Horace Grant, Theo Ratliff.

* Moving on up? Langdon, Szczerbiak, Radojevic, Bender

* Moving on down? Odom. His erratic behavior, in and out of drafts, trying to get back to Rhode Island, refusal to take physical, has everybody worried. Maggette because of showing in Chicago, MacCulloch, Eschmeyer.

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By John MacCormack

圣安东尼奥马刺 - 1999 年 NBA 总冠军！ - 好人终于得偿所愿

马刺队赢了！

昨晚，在麦迪逊广场花园，这个哥谭市的跳动心脏，来自德克萨斯州南部的“好人们”终结了斯派克·李(Spike Lee)纹身满身的尼克斯，成为了 NBA 冠军。

就像童话故事中的角色一样，小将军、海军上将和强大的梅林给这个从很久很久以前就开始的故事写下了最快乐的结局。

故事始于 1973 年，一颗红白蓝的 ABA 篮球，一路上，巨无霸、冰人、迟到的队长、砖块以及近 200 位其他球员都扮演了各自的角色。

一直都在追求，从未获得过冠军……直到昨晚。

当它在纽约结束时，这里响起的欢呼声传回了科珀斯克里斯蒂和拉雷多，从山区回荡到山谷深处，德克萨斯州南部球迷们正在庆祝他们的球队。

在一个单一球队的城市，在一个单一球队的地区，球迷们都把自己的心放在袖子上，德克萨斯州南部的心脏都流淌着银色和黑色的血液。

几个星期以来，圣安东尼奥一直是马刺队的疯狂乐园，从汽车窗户里飘扬着滑稽的彩色旗帜，到处都出现了“Go Spurs Go”的标语。

球迷们正进入状态。他们能感觉到。

经过季后赛中糟糕的弹跳、不看球的传球和最后一分钟的砖块，今年将会是他们的一年。

首先是自信满满的凯文和森林狼……五场出局。

然后是沙克和他爱争吵的“秀场”队友……四场横扫。

然后是联盟第二好的球队，坚韧的开拓者……但和洛杉矶一样，四场出局。

最后，圣安东尼奥对阵纽约，联盟最小的市场对阵最大的市场。除了第三场的失利，马刺队凭借优雅和信念带回了冠军。

对于圣安东尼奥来说，这个位于地图边缘和国民意识边缘的城市，一个有着移民根源和朴素现实的城市，这里不仅仅是篮球。

在击败尼克斯后，圣安东尼奥至少在那一刻，不再只是那个靠近墨西哥的古色古香、汗流浃背的小地方，那个拥有戴维·克罗克特手持老贝蒂挥舞而亡的古老西班牙教堂的地方。就像波士顿、底特律、芝加哥和其他之前的强大王者一样，圣安东尼奥现在统治着 NBA，每个人都知道这一点。

点击查看原文：SAN ANTONIO SPURS - 1999 NBA FINALS CHAMPS! - Nice guys finally finish first

SAN ANTONIO SPURS - 1999 NBA FINALS CHAMPS! - Nice guys finally finish first

The Spurs have won it.

Last night, in Madison Square Garden, the pulsing heart of Gotham, the good guys from South Texas finished off Spike Lee’s tattooed Knicks to become NBA champions.

Like characters in a children’s story, the Little General, the Admiral and Mighty Merlin wrote the happiest of endings to a tale that began a long, long time ago.

It opened in 1973 with a red, white and blue ABA basketball, and along the way, the Whopper, the Iceman, Captain Late, Brick and nearly 200 others played their roles.

Always the quest, never a championship … until last night.

And when it ended in New York, the howl of joy that rose up here echoed back from Corpus and Laredo, and sounded from the Hill Country down deep into the Valley, as South Texas fans celebrated their team.

In a one-team town, in a one-team region, fans wear their hearts on their sleeves, and the hearts in South Texas bleed silver and black.

For weeks, San Antonio had been a Spurs looney bin, as goofy, tri-colored flags fluttered from car windows, and ‘Go Spurs Go,’ signs multiplied everywhere.

The fans were sliding into the zone. They were feeling it.

After playoffs of bad bounces, no-look no-brain passes and last-minute bricks, this was going to be the year.

First came over-confident Kevin and the Timberwolves … out in five.

Then came Shaq and his bickering Showtime cronies … swept in four.

Then, the league’s second best team, the rough and ready Trailblazers … but like L.A., gone in four.

Finally, it was San Antonio vs. New York, the league’s smallest market vs. its largest. And with only a third-game slip, the Spurs brought home the crown with class and conviction.

For San Antonio, a city on the distant edge of the map and the national consciousness, a city with immigrant roots and a humble present reality, there was more at stake here than basketball.

In crushing the Knicks, San Antonio ceased, at least for the moment, being just that quaint and sweaty little place near Mexico, the one with that old Spanish Mission where Davy Crockett died swinging Old Betsy. Like Boston, Detroit, Chicago and other mighty kings before it, San Antonio now rules the NBA and everybody has to know it.

By John MacCormack, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By Roy Bragg

冠军的游行 - 23 万人组成的河畔人潮向马刺致敬

在一个闷热的周日晚上，来自圣安东尼奥各个角落和社会阶层，23 万人齐聚一堂，几个小时里，25 万颗心共同跳动。

一座城市，一支队伍。

他们之间传递着一条信息：

谢谢，马刺。谢谢，圣安东尼奥。

周日，洛杉矶、纽约和其他地方的生活照常进行。在那儿，人们过着他们平静的生活，仿佛什么也没发生。

但在圣安东尼奥，NBA 世界冠军圣安东尼奥马刺队的家园，生活却静止了。

“我爱这里，”詹姆斯·帕拉姆(James Parham)说道，他一边说一边指向河边游行中周围的人群，这场游行持续了两个小时。

“人们的团结精神很棒。这比赢得冠军还要棒。这就是这座城市所代表的，”帕拉姆说。

这座城市曾经被北边和东边的邻居们嘲笑，说它不配进入大联盟，但现在他们得到了证明。

这座城市从未拥有过世界级的冠军，但现在他们有了值得欢欣的理由。

这座城市知道如何狂欢，而他们也的确在狂欢。

这场游行像一场欢乐的狂欢，在城里最独特的景点上进行。

在南德克萨斯州炙热的阳光下，粉丝们挤满了沿途的路线，只为一睹他们征服英雄的风采。这些英雄们在被缩短的因停摆而缩短的 NBA 赛季中奋战，最终在周五晚些时候赢得了冠军。

马刺队可能是高薪的运动员，以打篮球为生，但周日庆祝活动的重要性触动了他们所有人。

“这对我们意义重大，”前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)说。“我们感谢所有出来的人，尤其是今天。天气实在是太热了。”

“他们可能只能看到我们一两分钟，而他们已经等了几个小时了，所以这对我们来说意义重大，”埃利奥特说。

中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)说：“这很棒，因为我们能够让这座已经等待了 26 年的城市赢得冠军，让这支从未达到过这种高度的球队，还有我个人，我个人也从未达到过这种高度，这对我们所有人来说都是一段旅程。”

他补充说：“这是一段伟大的旅程。这就是让一切值得的理由。”

“我认为这不会在美国的任何其他地方发生，”主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。“圣安东尼奥这里有点像充满活力的中学橄榄球比赛氛围。”

“这在其他城市根本不会发生。这就是它如此特别的原因。”

数千台相机对准了马刺队，但马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)、马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)反过来将镜头对准了人群，为自己录制这场盛况。

马刺队与人群互动。罗斯，当他不录像时，会夸张地指向人群。

安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)示意人群举起屋顶。

然而，游行中最活跃的人却是大多数粉丝最想不到的人——波波维奇，他的比赛面容严肃、一丝不苟、带有棱角。

他握紧拳头，朝人群大声喊叫，不停地拍着手。到了游行中途，他的衬衫已经被汗水浸透了。

载着邓肯的驳船被“MVP！MVP！MVP！”的呼声淹没，这是对他赢得 NBA 总决赛最有价值球员奖，以及许多人认为他应该赢得常规赛最有价值球员奖的认可。而常规赛最有价值球员奖则颁给了犹他爵士队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)。

然而，罗宾逊和埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)获得了最大的反响。他们轮流举起了拉里·奥布莱恩冠军奖杯。

“大卫，我看到你打球了！埃弗里·约翰逊，我看到你打球了，”来自科珀斯克里斯蒂的拜伦·格林(Byron Green)一边看着驳船从圣玛丽街的桥上驶过一边大喊。他的话语是篮球场上的俚语，意思是“你们太棒了”。

在桥的另一边，玛丽·拉米雷斯(Mary Ramirez)费力地靠近栏杆，那里站满了四排粉丝。

“我为这支球队感到非常自豪，”她说。“联盟里的每个人都认为我们做不到。但我们做到了。我们终于登顶了。我们都在这里。我们团结在一起。”

在市场街的桥上，迈克·卢德津斯基(Mike Hludzinski)把三岁的侄子贾斯汀·罗梅罗(Justin Romero)放在肩膀上。

“太棒了，”他说。“每个人都来这里看他们。我非常自豪。他们让马刺队和圣安东尼奥名扬天下。”

布兰卡·冈萨雷斯(Blanca Gonzalez)当时正在海岸度假，但她为了这场游行回来了。她离栏杆有五个人的距离，但她并不在乎。

“即使我们看不到他们，我们也希望他们知道我们为他们而来，”她说。

在她身后，汽车鸣笛，卡车鸣笛，一辆 18 轮卡车也鸣笛。甚至一辆 VIA 电车也随着“Go, Spurs, Go”的欢呼声响起了铃声。

莫妮卡·米切尔(Monica Mitchell)和两岁的孙女 Deja 坐在河中心餐厅外，Deja 昏昏欲睡地躺在她的腿上，这时八岁的女儿阿什利(Ashley)和九岁的教子肯尼斯(Kenneth)兴奋地跑了过来。

“他们向我们挥手，”肯尼斯说。

“主要是我，”阿什利说。

“还有我，”他补充道。

当太阳落下时，41109 人挤进了阿拉莫穹顶，参加了一场既是欢呼集会又是帐篷布道会的活动。

一个巨大的、充气的奥布莱恩奖杯复制品高高地悬挂在舞台上方。粉丝们手持标语、旗帜和气球，聚集在座位区域中央的舞台周围，参加了这场持续一小时的活动。

罗宾逊感谢粉丝们的支持，并感谢乔治·格文(George Gervin)和詹姆斯·西拉斯(James Silas)等前马刺队球员多年来为球迷的支持所做的努力。

然后，他邀请他们上台，这些前球员轮流拿着奖杯。

埃弗里·约翰逊，他在对阵纽约的比赛中投进了制胜球，拿起麦克风，也许是为了配合南德克萨斯州炎热的天气，穹顶里响起了马刺风格的传统宗教音乐。

约翰逊来回踱步，像一个试图为募捐箱鼓劲的传教士一样，调动着人群的情绪。

在球员介绍环节，他突然打断了自己：“让我听到你们说‘Go, Spurs, Go！’”

人群齐声呼喊。球员们开怀大笑。

然后他介绍了罗宾逊，说他们一起战斗，一起祈祷。

“除了他妻子、孩子和家人，没有人比我更爱他了，”约翰逊说。

约翰逊说，邓肯的到来是球队的转折点。

“如果你还记得当时，我说过‘我们回来了’，”约翰逊说。“好吧，我们不仅回来了，我们还带着复仇回来了。”

点击查看原文：PARADE OF CHAMPIONS - 230,000 line river to salute the Spurs

PARADE OF CHAMPIONS - 230,000 line river to salute the Spurs

On a sweltering Sunday evening, 230,000 people from all corners and all socio-economic levels of San Antonio came together and, for a few hours, a quarter-million hearts beat as one.

One city. One team.

And one message between the two:

Thanks, Spurs. Thanks, San Antonio.

Life went on normally in Los Angeles, New York City and elsewhere in the nation Sunday. In those places, folks went about their lives as if nothing happened.

But in San Antonio, home of the NBA World Champion San Antonio Spurs, life came to a stop.

“I love this,” James Parham said, motioning to the crowds around him at a two-hour-long River Walk parade.

“The camaraderie of the people is great. It’s better than winning the championship. That’s what this city is all about,” Parham said.

In a city that’s been told by its urban neighbors to the north and east that it didn’t belong in the Big Leagues, there was vindication.

In a town that’s never had a world-class winner, there was a reason for joy.

And in a town that knows how to party, there was one.

The parade rolled a gantlet of euphoria on the town’s most unique attraction.

Under a blistering South Texas sun, fans crammed into clusters along the route for a glimpse of their conquering heroes, who battled through the lockout-shortened NBA season to earn the title late Friday.

The Spurs may be highly paid athletes who play basketball for a living, but the significance of Sunday’s celebration touched them all.

“It means a whole lot to us,” forward Sean Elliott said. “We’re appreciative of all the people coming out, especially today. It’s just super hot.”

“They may just get a glimpse of us for a minute or two minutes, and they’ve been waiting out here for hours, so it means a lot to us,” Elliott said.

Said center David Robinson: “It’s great because we were able to take a city that’s been waiting for 26 years to get a championship and a franchise that hasn’t achieved this level, and me personally, who hasn’t been able to get to this level, it was kind of journey for all of us.”

He added, “It was a great journey. That’s what makes it worth everything.”

“I don’t think it could happen anyplace else in America,” Coach Gregg Popovich said. "It’s sort of like a supercharged, high school football atmosphere here in San Antonio.

“That just doesn’t happen in other cities. That’s what makes it so special.”

Thousands of cameras were aimed at the Spurs, but Malik Rose, Mario Elie and Tim Duncan turned the tables on the throng, videotaping the festivities for themselves.

The Spurs played to the crowd. Rose, when he wasn’t videotaping, made exaggerated pointing motions at the throng.

Antonio Daniels motioned for the crowd to raise the roof.

The most animated person in the parade, however, was the last one most fans would expect to be cheerleading - Popovich, whose game face is stern, businesslike and edgy.

He made fists, yelled at the crowd and clapped his hands constantly. By the middle of the parade, his shirt was soaked with sweat.

The barge with Duncan was greeted with chants of “MVP! MVP! MVP!” a reference to his winning that award in the NBA Finals and the opinion of many that he should have won it for the regular season. The regular season award instead went to Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz.

Robinson and Avery Johnson, however, got the biggest reactions. They took turns holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy aloft.

“David, I’ve seen you play! Avery Johnson, I’ve seen you play,” Byron Green of Corpus Christi screamed as he looked down on the barges from the St. Mary’s Street bridge. His comments were playground basketball code for “You guys are awesome.”

On the other side of the bridge, Mary Ramirez struggled to get close to the railing, where fans were standing four-deep.

“I’m very, very proud of this team,” she said. “Everybody in the NBA thought we couldn’t do it. But we did. We’re finally on top. And we’re all here. We’re all together.”

Over on the Market Street bridge, Mike Hludzinski held nephew Justin Romero, 3, on his shoulders.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Everybody’s here to see them. I am very proud. They’ve put the Spurs and San Antonio on the map.”

Blanca Gonzalez was on vacation at the coast but came back for the parade. She was five bodies away from the railing, but she didn’t care.

“Even if we can’t see them, we want them to know we were here for them,” she said.

Behind her, cars honked. Trucks honked. An 18-wheeler honked. Even a VIA trolley rang its bell to the cadence of the cheer “Go, Spurs, Go.”

Monica Mitchell was sitting outside a Rivercenter restaurant with granddaughter Deja, 2, asleep and sprawled across her lap, when daughter Ashley, 8, and god son Kenneth, 9, came up excitedly.

“They waved at us,” Kenneth said.

“Mainly at me,” Ashley said.

“Me, too,” he added.

As the sun set, 41,109 people crowded into the Alamodome for an event that was part pep rally, part tent revival.

A large, inflatable replica of the O’Brien trophy rose over the stage. Carrying signs, flags, and balloons, fans crowded around a stage in the center of the seating configuration for the hourlong event.

Robinson thanked fans for their support, and he thanked former Spurs players, such as George Gervin and James Silas, for their years in building fan support.

He then invited them onstage, and the former players took turns holding the trophy.

Avery Johnson, who sank the game-winning shot against New York, took the microphone and, perhaps fittingly for a hot night in South Texas, the dome was treated to some old-time religion, Spurs-style.

Pacing back and forth like a preacher trying to drum up excitement for the collection plate, Johnson worked the crowd.

During player introductions, he interrupted himself at one point: “Let me hear you say, ‘Go, Spurs, Go!’”

The crowd did. Players howled with laughter.

Then he introduced Robinson, saying they fought and they prayed together.

“Nobody but his wife, his kids and his family love him more than me,” Johnson said.

Duncan’s arrival, Johnson said, was the team’s turning point.

“And if you’ll remember at the time, I said, ‘We are back,’” Johnson said. “Well, we’re not only back, we’re back with a vengeance.”

By Roy Bragg, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By Johnny Ludden

最后的赢家 - 圣安东尼奥的宠儿沉浸在 NBA 冠军的荣耀中

距离周日傍晚他的河船启航还有几分钟，肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)需要上一堂关于游行礼仪的课。幸运的是，他当天的搭档史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)对冠军庆祝活动了如指掌。

“史蒂夫，”埃利奥特问道，“你应该怎么挥手？”

科尔示范了一下，但埃利奥特耸了耸肩。

“我想我会用这种方式，”埃利奥特说道，慢慢地来回移动着他微微弯曲的手。“这是我的伊丽莎白女王式挥手。”

毫无疑问，埃利奥特和马刺队的其他成员在周日都是皇室成员，两天前他们获得了球队历史上第一个 NBA 冠军。

球员们在国际中心短暂地聚会，与球迷们互动并签名后，登上驳船，参加了在河边漫步的游行，这场游行完全超出了他们的预期。

“哇！”当他们的驳船首次驶入视线，看到成千上万的球迷站在河边时，科尔对埃利奥特低声说道。

科尔在过去的三个夏天都在与芝加哥公牛队一起庆祝夺冠，公牛队吸引了 20 万到 30 万的球迷来到格兰特公园。

“那不一样，”科尔说。“我以前从未见过这样的景象。这太壮观了，太棒了。”

马刺队队员们被分乘在不同的驳船上，还有前球员、工作人员和底线球迷，他们看到人群后都震惊了。

埃利奥特，这位几分钟前还平静地告诉记者他一直期待着一个疯狂派对的人，说道：“我从未想过会是这样。难以置信，难以置信。”

当被告知河边漫步的人群估计有 23 万人时，埃利奥特嗤之以鼻。

“那不对，”埃利奥特说。“看起来整个城市的人都来了。”

埃利奥特是对的。有时，似乎整个圣安东尼奥都出来了。停车场里挤满了车。酒店阳台挤满了人。餐馆也挤满了人。

老老少少都出来为马刺队欢呼，许多人还带了标语。“马利克当市长。”“S.W.O. 马刺世界秩序。”“我想要球馆！”“这比迪斯尼乐园和白宫都好。”“刺破它！马刺的夏天！”

马刺队沉浸在这一切中。贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)像个弹簧跳床一样蹦来蹦去，他那标志性的头部滚动让观众们欣喜若狂。教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)随着音乐跳舞，并向其他驳船上的球员扔冰块。

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)举起了拉里·奥布莱恩冠军奖杯。埃利奥特抽出时间做了一些宣传工作，邀请球迷们参加“我的塔可·卡巴纳派对”。

科尔在他的驳船上拿起麦克风，威胁要唱几首来自音乐剧《俄克拉荷马州》的歌曲。当他看到一群前球员在附近漂浮时，他喊道：“让我们为埃德·尼利(Ed Nealy)欢呼。”人群或许忘记了尼利在为马刺队出战的 128 场比赛中场均只得到 2.9 分，因此变得鸦雀无声。

自从他们在周五晚上击败纽约以来，马刺队一直在举行一个大型庆祝活动，只是为了继续派对。从麦迪逊广场花园的球场中央到更衣室。从酒店到球队飞机。从机场到河边漫步。

“我想自从我们赢了之后我就睡了三个小时，”科尔说。

“我收到了来自我语音信箱的各种信息，”杰克逊说。“我无法删除它们。我刚刚和我的兄弟谈了。我的语音信箱满了。它会给你那个信息，‘请稍后再拨打。’

“但我想每个人都会理解。”

杰克逊和马刺队的其他成员忙碌了一整夜。

游行结束后，警方护送马刺队前往阿拉莫圆顶体育馆，在那里他们受到 4 万多名球迷的热烈欢迎。罗宾逊感谢了乔治·格文(George Gervin)，之后艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)介绍了每位球员。

他停下来解释了他如何招募马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)。

“我们已经做得足够好了，可以进入第二轮，但我们需要有人帮助我们赢得冠军，”约翰逊说。“我说，‘你有资格吗？我们只需要再多一点韧性。我们需要再多一点三分球。我们需要一个可以在关键时刻投进关键球的人。’”

埃利决定与马刺队签约，最终取得了回报。周日晚上，他站在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆的领奖台上，感谢球迷帮助他获得了第三个冠军。

“这，”埃利说，“将会持续整个夏天。”

杰克逊表示同意，并表示他期待着回到他的母校乔治城大学，与校友帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing)、阿朗佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)和迪肯贝·穆托姆博(Dikembe Mutombo)一起训练。

“他们不会自己训练。他们需要有人把球传给他们，”杰克逊说。“我不会主动发起任何事。我会让他们多说几句——他们喜欢说话。

“他们总是谈论他们是如何互相击败的。尼克斯是如何击败热火的，或者热火是如何击败尼克斯的。

“我只想坐下来，抱起手臂，微笑。”

点击查看原文：Last men standing - San Antonio's favorite sons bask in glory of NBA championship

Last men standing - San Antonio’s favorite sons bask in glory of NBA championship

It was minutes before his river barge launched Sunday evening and Sean Elliott needed a lesson in parade etiquette. Fortunately, his partner for the day, Steve Kerr, knew a thing or two about championship celebrations.

“Steve,” Elliott said, “how do you wave?”

Kerr gave an example, but Elliott shrugged him off.

“I think I’m going with this one,” Elliott said, ever-so-slowly moving his slightly cupped hand back and forth. “This is my Queen Elizabeth wave.”

Make no mistake about it, Elliott and the rest of the Spurs were royalty Sunday, two days after winning the franchise’s first NBA title.

After gathering briefly at the International Center to mingle and sign autographs, the players boarded barges for a River Walk parade that simply overwhelmed them.

“Wow!” Kerr mouthed to Elliott as their barge first floated into sight of thousands of fans lining the River Walk.

Kerr spent the past three summers celebrating championships with the Chicago Bulls, who attracted crowds of 200,000 to 300,000 fans to Grant Park.

“That was different,” Kerr said. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. This is spectacular. Phenomenal.”

The Spurs, who were divided on different barges along with former players, staff and the Baseline Bums, looked in shock when they spotted the crowd.

Elliott, who only moments earlier calmly told reporters he had always expected a wild party, said: “I never expected this. Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”

Elliott scoffed when told the River Walk crowd was estimated at 230,000.

“That’s not right,” Elliott said. “It looks like the whole city is here.”

Elliott was right. At times it seemed like all of San Antonio turned out. The parking garages were packed. Hotel balconies were packed. Restaurants were packed.

Young and old showed up to cheer the Spurs, many bringing signs. “Malik 4 Mayor.” “S.W.O. Spurs World Order.” “Yo Quiero Arena!” “This Is Better Than DisneyWorld And The White House.” “Spike This! Summer of Spurs!”

The Spurs soaked all of it in. Jaren Jackson bounced around like a pogo stick, delighting the crowd with his infamous head roll. Coach Gregg Popovich danced and threw ice as players passed by on other barges.

David Robinson hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy. Elliott found time for a little promotional work, inviting the fans to “my Taco Cabana party.”

Kerr took the microphone on his barge and threatened to sing a few numbers from the musical “Oklahoma.” When he spotted a group of former players floating nearby, he yelled, “Let’s hear it for Ed Nealy.” The crowd, perhaps forgetting that Nealy averaged 2.9 points in 128 games for the Spurs, fell quiet.

Since they knocked off New York on Friday night, the Spurs have held one big celebration, stopping only to move the party. From center court at Madison Square Garden to the locker room. From the hotel to the team plane. From the airport to River Walk.

“I think I’ve slept three hours since we won,” Kerr said.

“I got messages all over my voice mail,” Jackson said. "I can’t get them off. I was just talking to my brother. My voice mail is loaded. It gives you that message, ‘Please call back later.’

“But I think everyone will understand.”

Jackson and the rest of the Spurs were busy long into the night.

After the parade, a police escort took the Spurs to the Alamodome where they were greeted by 40,000 more fans. Robinson thanked George Gervin before Avery Johnson, perhaps gearing up for the talk-show circuit, introduced each of the players.

He paused to explain how he recruited Mario Elie.

“We’ve done enough to get to the second round, but we need someone to win us a championship,” Johnson said. “I said, ‘Are you qualified? We just need a little more toughness. We need a little more three-pointers. We need someone who can hit the tough shots.’”

Elie’s decision to sign with the Spurs paid off. Sunday night he stood on the Alamodome podium thanking the fans for helping him win his third championship.

“This,” Elie said, “is going to last the whole summer.”

Jackson agreed, saying he was looking forward to returning to his alma mater, Georgetown, to work out with former Hoyas Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and Dikembe Mutombo.

“They don’t work out by themselves. They need someone to throw it down low to them,” Jackson said. "I’m not going to initiate anything. I’m going to let them do their share of talking - and they love to talk.

"They’re always talking about how they beat up on each other. How the Knicks beat the Heat or the Heat beat the Knicks.

“I’m just going to sit back, fold my arms and smile.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By Carmina Danini

圣安东尼奥以独特的方式庆祝胜利

舞蹈队、音乐、气球、噪音制造器、五彩纸屑和狂热的观众欢呼。

所有游行都有这些元素。但对圣安东尼奥马刺队，1999 年 NBA 冠军的致敬，是独一无二的圣安东尼奥风格。

它既是游行，又是嘉年华，又是摇滚音乐会，更是一场前所未有的盛事。

人们随着音乐摇摆，欢呼雀跃。

通常载着满怀期待的游客和本地人的驳船，在周日的胜利游行中，载着马刺队的成员——这座城市的新英雄——以及其他人沿着圣安东尼奥河缓缓前进，数十万人欢呼雀跃。

人们沿着圣安东尼奥河边的游行路线站了七层楼高，只为了看一眼他们的冠军。一些球迷挤满了酒店阳台，另一些则坐在河边餐馆里，啜饮着清凉的饮料，还有一些人则花上 25 美元买个凳子坐着。

在 Rivercenter 商场，成千上万的人群挤在街道和上层窗户边。

几个小时内，河边步道成为了宇宙的中心，聚集了估计有 230,000 人。

18 岁的费尔南多·普里达 (Fernando Prida) 身高 5 英尺 11 英寸，站在普雷萨街桥上，总结了大多数圣安东尼奥人在马刺队周五晚上在纽约麦迪逊广场花园以 78-77 战胜纽约尼克斯队后的感受。

“我站在桥上，感觉自己有 10 英尺高，”普里达说，他从上午 11 点就来到市中心，等待游行开始。

每年 4 月的嘉年华期间，国王安东尼奥 (King Antonio) 或雷·费奥 (Rey Feo) 从未像马刺队的蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 、大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 、艾弗里·约翰逊 (Avery Johnson) 和肖恩·埃利奥特 (Sean Elliott) 在为期两小时的游行中那样赢得如此多的欢呼。

“你们等了 26 年。享受这一刻，”罗宾逊在阿内森河剧院对人群说。“今年一切都走到了一起。球队团结一心，城市也团结一心。”

当载着邓肯和安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯 (Antonio Daniels) 的驳船驶近阿内森剧院时，球迷们开始高呼“MVP、MVP、MVP”。

邓肯害羞地回应了欢呼声，然后终于露出了笑容。

约翰逊也赢得了欢呼和微笑，他在最后一分钟的跳投帮助马刺队领先尼克斯队一分，并最终赢得 NBA 冠军。

“我们是世界上最棒的球队，”约翰逊对人群说。

其他博得喝彩的人还有底线球迷 (Baseline Bums)，这些忠诚且坚定的马刺球迷，在马刺队在圣安东尼奥的 26 年中一直支持着球队。

当驳船经过阿内森剧院时，歌曲《Volver, Volver》响起，向底线球迷乔治·瓦莱 (George Valle) 致敬，他会在每一节比赛结束时进行表演。

19 岁的雅各布·里达斯 (Jacob Ridas) 从附近的桥上观看，说道：“这是一种千载难逢的经历。这是发生在圣安东尼奥的最好的事情。”

在阿内森河剧院的马刺球迷中，有前住房和城市发展部部长、圣安东尼奥市长亨利·西斯内罗斯 (Henry Cisneros)；他的妻子玛丽·艾丽斯 (Mary Alice) 和儿子约翰·保罗 (John Paul)。

“回家真好。我前几天晚上从我父亲家看（第五场比赛），”西斯内罗斯说。“我真为整个球队和它为圣安东尼奥所做的一切感到自豪。这些人充满了爱心和毅力，这对这座城市来说意义重大。”

在阿内森河剧院最自豪的球迷之一是奥菲莉亚·杰克逊 (Ophelia Jackson)，她是马刺队后卫贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson) 的母亲。

“这太棒了，”她说。“我们来自新奥尔良，我们去过所有主场比赛。我不仅为我的儿子感到高兴和自豪，也为我的所有儿子和女儿感到自豪。”

阿尔伯特 (Albert) 和莫妮克·加西亚 (Monique Garcia) 从下午 2:15 开始就停在人山人海、闷热不堪的商业街桥下。他们的儿子克里斯蒂安 (Christian)，5 岁，和多米尼克 (Dominick)，3 岁，挥舞着马刺队的旗帜，穿着马刺队的球衣。

但多米尼克穿着一件与马刺队的季后赛荣耀无关的球衣。

“这是一件（丹尼斯）罗德曼 (Dennis Rodman) 的球衣，但（多米尼克）还不会认字，所以我们就让他先穿，等他学会认字了再换，”他母亲说。

另一位从中午左右就在那里的人，试图同时挥舞着一根冰棍、一台摄像机和一把印有向日葵图案的雨伞。

“我们从郊区开车过来的，”黛安娜·冈萨雷斯 (Diana Gonzalez) 说。“我告诉我的丈夫，我绝对不会错过这场比赛。我的儿子从休斯敦开车过来，凌晨 3 点就到了。”

• 本篇报道由克里斯·安德森 (Chris Anderson) 、比尔·亨德里克斯 (Bill Hendricks) 、约翰·古铁雷斯-米尔 (John Gutierrez-Mier) 、凯瑞·卡德维尔 (Cary Cardwell) 、伊丽莎白·艾伦 (Elizabeth Allen) 和蒂亚拉·埃利斯 (Tiara Ellis) 等工作人员撰写。*

点击查看原文：San Antonio celebrates as only it can

San Antonio celebrates as only it can

Dance teams, music, balloons, noisemakers, confetti and spectators cheering with abandon.

All parades have that. But the tribute to the San Antonio Spurs, the 1999 NBA champions, was uniquely San Antonio.

It was part parade, part fiesta, part rock concert - and an event like no other.

People swayed to music, shouted and cheered.

Barges that usually ferry wide- eyed tourists and natives alike carried members of the Spurs - the city’s newest heroes - and others along the San Antonio River in a victory parade Sunday as hundreds of thousands cheered.

People stood seven-deep the length of the parade route along the San Antonio River just to get a glimpse of their champions. Some fans jammed hotel balconies, others sat at riverside restaurants sipping cool drinks, while others plunked down as much as $25 for a stool.

At Rivercenter mall, a throng in the thousands jammed at the windows on the street and upper level.

For a few hours, the River Walk was the center of the universe for crowds estimated at 230,000.

Fernando Prida, 18, who’s 5-foot- 11, stood atop the Presa Street Bridge and summed up how most San Antonians feel after the Spurs’ 78-77 defeat of the New York Knicks Friday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“I’m 10 feet high with the bridge,” said Prida, who’d been downtown since 11 a.m. waiting for the parade.

No King Antonio or Rey Feo, who reign each April during Fiesta, ever got as many cheers as Spurs David Robinson, Finals Most Valuable Player Tim Duncan, Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott did during the two-hour parade.

“You waited 26 years. Enjoy this,” Robinson told the crowd at the Arneson River Theater. “Everything came together this year. The team came together, the city came together.”

Fans began chanting “MVP, MVP, MVP” as the barge with Duncan and Antonio Daniels approached the Arneson.

Duncan shyly acknowledged the cheers before finally breaking into a smile.

Also drawing cheers and smiles was Johnson, whose last-minute jumper lifted the Spurs one point ahead of the Knicks and to the NBA title.

“We are the No. 1 team in the world,” Johnson told the crowd.

Other crowd-pleasers were the Baseline Bums, the faithful and stalwart Spurs fans who’ve rallied behind the team for the 26 years it’s been in San Antonio.

As the barge passed by the Arneson, the song “Volver, Volver” rang out in salute to Baseline Bum George Valle, who entertains at the end of each third quarter.

Jacob Ridas, 19, watching from a nearby bridge, said: “It’s a once- in-a-lifetime experience. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to San Antonio.”

Among the Spurs faithful at the Arneson Theater were Henry Cisneros, former HUD secretary and San Antonio mayor; his wife, Mary Alice; and son John Paul.

“It’s good to be home. I watched (Game 5) the other night from my father’s house,” Cisneros said. “I’m really proud of all the team and everything it’s done for San Antonio. These individuals have a lot of heart and perseverance, and this is great for the city.”

One of the proudest fans at the Arneson was Ophelia Jackson, mother of Spurs guard Jaren Jackson.

“This is fantastic,” she said. “We’re from New Orleans, and we’ve been to all the home games. I’m happy and proud not only of him but of all my boys and my daughter.”

Albert and Monique Garcia had been parked underneath the teeming, airless Commerce Street Bridge since 2:15 p.m. Their sons Christian, 5, and Dominick, 3, waved Spurs banners and sported Spurs jerseys.

But Dominick wore one that played no part in the Spurs’ playoff glory.

“This one’s a (Dennis) Rodman, but (Dominick) can’t read so we just passed it down to him until he learns,” his mother said.

Another woman who’d been parked there since about noon tried to wield a raspa, a camcorder and a sunflower-covered umbrella at the same time.

“We drove in from the suburbs,” Diana Gonzalez said. “I told my husband there’s no way I’m going to miss this. My son drove in from Houston; he got here at 3 a.m.”

Staff Writers Chris Anderson, Bill Hendricks, John Gutierrez-Mier, Cary Cardwell, Elizabeth Allen and Tiara Ellis contributed to this report.

By Carmina Danini, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By Roy Bragg

冠军游行 - 球迷向英雄致敬

在一个闷热的周日傍晚，来自圣安东尼奥各个角落、各个社会阶层的 23 万人聚集在一起，在几个小时的时间里，25 万颗心共同跳动。

一座城市。一支球队。

他们之间传递着一个共同的信息：

谢谢，马刺。谢谢，圣安东尼奥。

周日，洛杉矶、纽约市和全国其他地方的生活一如往常。在那些地方，人们的生活似乎一切照旧。

但在 NBA 世界冠军圣安东尼奥马刺队的家乡圣安东尼奥，生活却按下了暂停键。

“我喜欢这样，”詹姆斯·帕勒姆(James Parham)指着周围参加长达两小时的河滨步道游行的人群说道。

“人们之间的友情真是太棒了。这比赢得总冠军还要好。这就是这座城市的意义所在，”帕勒姆说道。

这座城市曾被北部和东部的都市邻居告知，它不属于大联盟，而现在，它得到了证明。

在这座从未出现过世界级冠军的城市里，人们有理由感到高兴。

在这座懂得如何狂欢的城市里，一场盛大的派对正在上演。

游行队伍在这座城市最独特的景点上穿梭，一路欢呼雀跃。

在南德克萨斯州炎炎烈日的照射下，球迷们沿着路线簇拥在一起，只为一睹他们心目中征服英雄的风采。这些英雄们在因停摆而缩短的 NBA 赛季中以联盟最佳战绩一路过关斩将，并在季后赛中取得了 15 胜 2 负的骄人战绩，最终在周五晚以 78 比 77 的比分战胜了纽约尼克斯队，为这个辉煌的赛季画上了圆满的句号。

马刺队的球员们也许是拿着高薪、以打篮球为生的运动员，但周日这场庆典的意义却触动了他们所有人。

“我们知道会是这样的，”前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)说道。“这里的人们已经等了很长很长时间了。”

“这对我们意义重大。我们感谢所有到场的人们，尤其是在今天。今天实在太热了。他们本可以在家里，在周日下午和孩子们一起放松休息，我们非常感谢每个人都出来跟我们打招呼。他们可能只有一两分钟的时间能看到我们，而他们已经在这里等了好几个小时，所以这对我们来说意义非凡，”埃利奥特说道。

“这种兴奋之情真是太棒了，”中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)在游行开始前说道，当时人群已经聚集，他正准备登上一艘游船。“看到球迷们如此兴奋，真是太高兴了。这是属于他们的奖杯。我们对此也感到非常兴奋。”

“这真是太棒了，因为我们能够带领一座已经等待了 26 年的城市赢得总冠军，而这支球队也从未达到过这样的高度，就我个人而言，我也从未达到过这样的高度，这对我们所有人来说都是一段非凡的旅程。这是一段伟大的旅程。这就是让一切付出都值得的原因。”

史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)曾在芝加哥公牛队效力，该队在过去八届 NBA 总决赛中六次夺冠，他表示，夺冠后的游行永远不会让人厌倦。

“如果你不能为之感到兴奋，那你就有问题了，”他说道。

“我认为这在美国其他任何地方都不会发生，”教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道。“在圣安东尼奥，这里就像是一个超级强化版的高中橄榄球赛场。就像爸爸妈妈和家人一样。每个人都是其中的一份子。这在其他城市是不会发生的。这就是它如此特别的原因。”

前锋马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)对此表示赞同：“这是属于他们的时刻，我们来这里是为了和他们一起庆祝。这对我们意义重大。圣安东尼奥的球迷很特别。他们中的大多数人从一开始就一直支持着我们。”

“派对还没有结束。它不会结束，”替补后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)说道。“这太棒了。每个人都很兴奋。这是一种派对的气氛，这才是应该有的样子。”

游行从国际中心（前城市图书馆）开始，载着马刺队球员的游船从挤满了尖叫球迷的桥下缓缓驶过。

数千台相机对准了马刺队的球员们，但罗斯、马里奥·艾利(Mario Elie)和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)却反过来将镜头对准了人群，为自己拍摄这场盛会的视频。

一些马刺队的球员对着人群表演。罗斯在没有拍摄视频的时候，会夸张地指着人群。无论他指向哪里，哪里就会响起尖叫声。

安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)示意人群举起双手欢呼。人群照做了，每个人都声嘶力竭地尖叫着。

然而，最活跃、最能调动人群情绪的人，却是最后一个球迷们会想到的啦啦队长——波波维奇，他的比赛表情严肃、认真、犀利。

游行开始不到一个小时，当他的游船绕过河滨中心购物商场时，他的衬衫已经被汗水浸透了。

他挥舞着拳头，拍击着双手，笑容满面地对着游行的观众们高喊：“Let’s Go!”，观众们则兴高采烈地回应着他，这似乎也解释了为什么波波维奇能够成为一名成功的领导者。

然而，人群中最大的反应是为两位大个子准备的。也是为马刺队最矮小的球员准备的。

载着丹尼尔斯和邓肯的游船遭到了“MVP！MVP！MVP！”的欢呼声，这指的是邓肯在 NBA 总决赛中获得的这一奖项，以及许多人认为他应该在常规赛中获此殊荣的观点。然而，常规赛的 MVP 奖项最终颁发给了犹他爵士队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)。

约翰逊和罗宾逊，分别被称为“小将军”和“海军上将”，从人群中得到了最大的欢呼声，这在很大程度上是因为他们带着拉里·奥布莱恩冠军奖杯。

他们轮流高举着奖杯。

“大卫，我可是看过你打球的！埃弗里·约翰逊，我也看过你打球，”来自科珀斯克里斯蒂的拜伦·格林(Byron Green)从圣玛丽街大桥上俯瞰着游船，大声喊道。

他的话语是篮球场上的行话，意思是“你们太棒了”。

“这真是太棒了，”格林说道。“我的梦想成真了。我终于亲眼见到我的偶像们了。”

在大桥的另一边，玛丽·拉米雷斯(Mary Ramirez)艰难地想要靠近栏杆，那里挤满了四层球迷。

“我为这支球队感到非常非常自豪，”她说道。“NBA 的每个人都认为我们做不到。但我们做到了。我们终于站在了顶峰。我们都在这里。我们在一起。”

像人群中的其他人一样，她对着马刺队的球员们 beaming at the Spurs.

“他们真正反映了我们所有人，”她指的是球队在场外的行为。“他们就像圣安东尼奥的人民一样。”

在市场街大桥上，迈克·赫鲁津斯基(Mike Hludzinski)把 3 岁的侄子贾斯汀·罗梅罗(Justin Romero)扛在肩上。

“这太棒了，”他说道。“每个人都来这里看他们。我感到非常自豪。他们让马刺队和圣安东尼奥声名远扬。”

布兰卡·冈萨雷斯(Blanca Gonzalez)本来在海边度假，但为了参加游行，她特意赶了回来。她距离栏杆还有 5 个人的距离，但她并不在意。

“即使我们看不到他们，我们也要让他们知道我们来这里是为了他们，”她说道。

在她身后，汽车喇叭声、卡车喇叭声、一辆 18 轮卡车的喇叭声此起彼伏。甚至连一辆 VIA 无轨电车也在“加油，马刺，加油”的欢呼声中按响了铃铛。

拉里·比利亚雷亚尔(Larry Villarreal)挥舞着一个 5 英尺高的银色硬纸板马刺标志。

“他们很好地代表了我们，”他说道。“每个人都知道他们是好人，但当他们需要强硬的时候，他们就会变得强硬。”

在河滨步道上，靠近河滨中心购物商场的入口处，莉亚·马尔多纳多(Lea Maldonado)把女儿玛莎莎(Marshesha)扛在肩上。

“我们来这里是为了她，”她指着 3 岁的女儿说道。“这里又热又挤，但只要她能看到她最喜欢的球员，这一切就都值得了。”

那么她最喜欢谁呢？

“蒂姆·邓肯，”小女孩羞怯地说道。

点击查看原文：PARADE OF CHAMPIONS - Fans pay tribute to their heroes

PARADE OF CHAMPIONS - Fans pay tribute to their heroes

On a sweltering Sunday evening, 230,000 people from all corners and all socio-economic castes of San Antonio came together and, for a few hours, a quarter-million hearts beat as one.

One city. One team.

And one message between the two:

Thanks, Spurs. Thanks, San Antonio.

Life went on normally in Los Angeles, New York City and elsewhere in the nation Sunday. In those places, folks went about their lives as if nothing happened.

But in San Antonio, home of the NBA World Champion San Antonio Spurs, life came to a stop.

“I love this,” said James Parham, motioning to the crowds around him at a two-hour-long River Walk parade.

“The camaraderie of the people is great. It’s better than winning the championship. That’s what this city is all about,” Parham said.

In a city that’s been told by its urban neighbors to the north and east that it didn’t belong in the Big Leagues, there was vindication.

In a town that’s never had a world-class winner, there was a reason for joy.

And in a town that knows how to party, there was one.

The parade rolled a gantlet of euphoria on the town’s most unique attraction.

Under a blistering South Texas sun, fans crammed into clusters along the route for a glimpse of their conquering heroes, who battled through the lockout-shortened NBA season with the league’s best record, then capped it with a 15-2 playoff run, culminating in Friday night’s 78-77 win over the New York Knicks.

The Spurs may be highly paid athletes who play basketball for a living, but the significance of Sunday’s celebration touched them all.

“We knew it would be like this,” forward Sean Elliott said. "People here have been waiting a long, long time.

“It means a whole lot to us. We’re appreciative of all the people coming out, especially today. It’s just super hot. They could be at home, relaxing with their kids on Sunday afternoon, we’re just appreciative that everyone comes out and say ‘Hi’ to us. They may just get a glimpse of us for a minute or two minutes, and they’ve been waiting out here for hours, so it means a lot to us,” Elliott said.

“The excitement is great,” center David Robinson said before the parade, as the crowds gathered and he prepared to board a barge. "Seeing the fans very excited about it. It’s their trophy. We’re very excited about it.

“It’s great because we were able to take a city that’s been waiting for 26 years to get a championship and a franchise that hasn’t achieved this level, and me personally, who hasn’t been able to get to this level, it was kind of journey for all of us… It was a great journey. That’s what makes it worth everything.”

Steve Kerr, who played previously for the Chicago Bulls, winners of six of the past eight NBA titles, said post-championship parades never get old.

“If you can’t get excited for this, you’ve got problems,” he said.

“I don’t think it could happen any place else in America,” Coach Gregg Popovich said. “It’s sort of like a super-charged, high school football atmosphere here in San Antonio. It’s like mom and pop and the family. Everybody’s a part of it. That just doesn’t happen in other cities. That’s what makes it so special.”

Forward Malik Rose agreed: “It’s their time and we’re here to celebrate with them. It means a lot to us. The fans in San Antonio are special. Most of the them really hung with us from the beginning.”

“The party is not stopping. It’s not going to stop,” reserve guard Jaren Jackson said. “It’s awesome. Everybody’s excited. It’s a party atmosphere, and that’s the way it should be.”

The parade began at the International Center, the former city library, with barges of Spurs floating under bridges stuffed with screaming fans.

Thousands of cameras were aimed at the Spurs, but Rose, Mario Elie and Tim Duncan turned the tables on the throng, videotaping the festivities for themselves.

Some of the Spurs played to the crowd. Rose, when he wasn’t videotaping, made exaggerated pointing motions at the throng. Everywhere he pointed, there was screaming.

Antonio Daniels motioned for the crowd to raise the roof. It complied, with members screaming at the top of their lungs.

The most animated and the person most responsible for inciting the crowd, however, was the last one most fans would expect to be cheerleading - Popovich, whose game face is stern, businesslike and edgy.

Within an hour of the parade’s beginning, by the time his barge had made the circle through Rivercenter mall, his shirt was soaked with sweat.

He made fists, he banged his hands together, he smiled broadly and screamed “Let’s Go!” to parade watchers, who ate it up, apparently showing why Popovich is a successful leader of men.

The biggest reactions from the crowd, however, came for the two big men. And for the Spurs’ littlest man.

The barge with Daniels and Duncan was greeted with chants of “MVP! MVP! MVP!” a reference to Duncan’s winning that award in the NBA Finals and the opinion of many that he should have won it for the regular season. The regular season award instead went to Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz.

Johnson and Robinson, the Little General and the Admiral, respectively, got the biggest reactions from the crowds, not the least of which was because they carried the Larry O’Brien trophy with them.

They took turns holding it aloft.

“David, I’ve seen you play! Avery Johnson, I’ve seen you play,” screamed Byron Green of Corpus Christi, as he looked down on the barges from the St. Mary’s Street bridge.

His comments were playground basketball code for “You guys are awesome.”

“This is outstanding,” Green said. “It’s a dream come true. I get to see my boys in person.”

On the other side of the bridge, Mary Ramirez struggled to get close to the railing, where fans were standing four-deep.

“I’m very, very proud of this team,” she said. “Everybody in the NBA thought we couldn’t do it. But we did. We’re finally on top. And we’re all here. We’re all together.”

Like others in the crowd, she beamed at the Spurs.

“They really reflect all of us,” she said, referring to the team’s off-the-court behavior. “They’re like the people in San Antonio.”

Over on the Market Street bridge, Mike Hludzinski held nephew Justin Romero, 3, on his shoulders.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Everybody’s here to see them. I am very proud. They’ve put the Spurs and San Antonio on the map.”

Blanca Gonzalez was on vacation at the coast but came back for the parade. She was five bodies away from the railing, but she didn’t care.

“Even if we can’t see them, we want them to know we were here for them,” she said.

Behind her, cars honked. Trucks honked. An 18-wheeler honked. Even a VIA trolley rang its bell to the cadence of the cheer “Go, Spurs, Go.”

Larry Villarreal wielded a 5-foot- tall, silver cardboard Spur.

“They represent us well,” he said. “Everyone knows their nice guys, but they got tough when they had to be tough.”

Down on the River Walk, near the entrance to Rivercenter mall, Lea Maldonado held daughter Marshesha on her shoulders.

“We came here for her,” she said, motioning to the 3-year-old. “It’s hot and crowded, but as long as she got to see her favorite player, then it was all worth it.”

And her favorite?

“Tim Duncan,” the girl said sheepishly.

By Roy Bragg, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28

维尔京群岛代表错过航班，无法为邓肯送上礼物

由于在波多黎各错过了转机航班，维尔京群岛代表团错过了周日马刺队的冠军庆祝活动，也错过了向圣克罗伊岛人蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)送上两份特殊礼物的机会。

代表团成员包括维尔京群岛副州长杰拉德·“卢兹”·詹姆斯二世(Gerard “Luz” James II)、代理旅游专员莫妮克·西比利·霍奇(Monique Sibilly-Hodge)和高跷舞者艾莉·保罗(Alli Paul)。

“我们为蒂米在球场上出色的表现以及他场内外始终如一的作风感到无比自豪，”詹姆斯在来自圣托马斯的准备好的声明中说道。“他真是个典范，圣克罗伊岛人民，事实上整个美属维尔京群岛人民，都为他的成功而欢欣鼓舞。”

詹姆斯的代表团从维尔京群岛的珠宝公司克鲁西安黄金(Crucian Gold)为邓肯带去了两份特殊礼物，副州长发言人迈克尔·伯顿(Michael Burton)说。

“其中一份礼物是一个加勒比风格的象棋套装，非常精美。一半是14K金，一半是银，放在红木棋盘上。另一份礼物是手镯”，由艺术家金属工匠布莱恩·毕肖普(Brian Bishop)设计，伯顿说。

他抑制了自己的欢呼声

杰西·阿列霍斯(Jesse Alejos)静静地观看了马刺队赢得冠军。

当他想欢呼时，他强忍住。

他很高兴他们赢了，但更高兴的是自己还活着。

阿列霍斯是那位在西部决赛第二场中，肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)在最后一秒投进三分球击败开拓者队后，疯狂欢呼导致肺部塌陷的球迷。

他在医院住了将近三周。

在他受伤后的几天里，阿列霍斯抓住了这个城市的想象力。他是马刺队的超级球迷，欢呼到疼痛。

他的肺部为什么会塌陷尚不清楚。

阿列霍斯不抽烟，身体状况良好。

“他们不明白这是怎么发生的。真的，我自己也不明白。很奇怪，”他说。

网络竞拍价格飙升

互联网拍卖网站上充斥着马刺队的纪念品。

在 www.eBay.com 上，超过 180 件马刺队物品被挂牌出售。

签名球起拍价为 260 美元，尽管周日下午有一件球的出价已超过 1000 美元。一套 90 年代初洛伊德·“甜豌豆”·丹尼尔斯(Lloyd “Sweet Pea” Daniels)在他短暂效力球队期间穿过的球衣，已有人出价 400 美元。

穿着马刺队服饰的芭比娃娃也吸引了竞拍者，尽管没有其他一些物品那么受欢迎。

一个全新的娃娃，包装盒完好无损，在 10 次出价后产生了 26 美元的收入，但拍卖要到周二才会结束。

在雅虎拍卖(http://auctions.yahoo.com)上，一组网络名称，包括 inspurational.com 和 spurswin.com，以 10000 美元的价格出售，但周日没有收到出价。一套最低价为 10000 美元的 NBA 运动卡也没有激起任何兴趣。

城市预计将全面清理

城市工作人员在清理河边散步道方面经验丰富，他们已经处理过比周日更加混乱的游行队伍，因此预计清理这座城市最大的旅游景点不会花费很长时间。

“我们预计清理工作不会出现任何问题，”城市河道运营主管林肯·圣乔治(Lincoln St. George)说。

圣乔治周日下午说，他预计约 20 名城市工作人员将在今天早上之前清理干净河边散步道，并恢复营业。

他说，周日晚上的工作比圣安东尼奥狂欢节期间河边游行后的清理工作要容易，因为没有食品摊位产生额外的垃圾。

• 本报道由《圣安东尼奥快报》的汤姆·鲍尔(Tom Bower)、罗素·戈德(Russell Gold)、杰伊林·凯利(Jaylin Kelley)、约翰·格里芬(John Griffin)和克里斯·T·威廉姆斯(Chris T. Williams)撰写。*

点击查看原文：Islanders miss flight to reward Duncan

Islanders miss flight to reward Duncan

Missed plane connections in Puerto Rico forced a delegation of Virgin Islanders to miss Sunday’s Spurs championship celebration and a chance to reward St. Croix native Tim Duncan with a pair of special gifts.

The party included Virgin Islands Lt. Gov. Gerard “Luz” James II, acting Tourism Commissioner Monique Sibilly-Hodge and stilts dancer Alli Paul.

“We are so proud of Timmy for his spectacular play and the way he conducted himself on and off the court,” James said in a prepared statement from St. Thomas. “He truly is a class act, and the people of St. Croix, indeed all the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, rejoice in his success.”

James and his delegation were bearing two special gifts for Duncan from the Virgin Islands jewelry business, Crucian Gold, said Michael Burton, the lieutenant governor’s spokesman.

“One gift is a Caribbean-inspired chess set. It’s very ornate. Half is 14-karat gold and half is sterling silver on a mahogany board. The other gift is a bracelet” designed by artist metal craftsman Brian Bishop, Burton said.

He toned down his cheers

Jesse Alejos quietly watched the Spurs win the championship.

When he wanted to cheer, he swallowed hard.

He was happy they won but was happier still to be alive.

Alejos is the fan whose lung collapsed while screaming madly after Sean Elliott hit a last-second three-pointer in Game 2 of the Western Conference Championship to defeat the Trail Blazers.

He stayed in the hospital for almost three weeks.

In the days after his injury, Alejos captured the imagination of the city. He was the ultimate Spurs fan, cheering until it hurt.

Why his lung collapsed isn’t clear.

Alejos doesn’t smoke and is in good shape.

“They don’t understand how it happened. Really, I don’t understand it myself. It’s weird,” he said.

Web bids spurred upward

The Internet’s auction sites are chock full of Spurs memorabilia.

At www.eBay.com, more than 180 Spurs items have been posted for sale.

Autographed balls have started at $260, though the bids on one had passed $1,000 Sunday afternoon. And $400 had been pledged for a uniform worn in the early '90s by Lloyd “Sweet Pea” Daniels during his brief time on the squad.

Barbie clad in Spurs attire was also attracting bidders, though not in the same league as some other items.

A mint condition doll in its original box had generated $26 after 10 bids, though the sale doesn’t end until Tuesday.

At Yahoo! Auctions (http://auctions.yahoo.com), a group of Net names, including inspurational.com and spurswin.com, were selling for $10,000, but no bids had been placed Sunday. A collection of NBA sports cards with a minimum $10,000 also failed to spark any interest.

City expects a clean sweep

City crews have lots of experience cleaning up the River Walk after parades much messier than Sunday’s, so it was not expected to take long to get the city’s biggest tourist attraction back into shape.

“We don’t foresee any problem with the cleanup,” said Lincoln St. George, River Operations Superintendent for the city.

St. George said Sunday afternoon that he expected that about 20 city workers would have the River Walk clean and ready for business by this morning.

The job will be easier Sunday night than after the river parades during Fiesta, he said, because there are no food stands generating additional trash.

Staff Writers Tom Bower, Russell Gold, Jaylin Kelley, John Griffin and Chris T. Williams contributed to this report.

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-28, By Buck Harvey

罗宾逊牧师？崇高的呼召，更崇高的地位

艾弗里·约翰逊可以成为一名牧师。周日庆祝活动的甜美中，当他接过大穹顶体育场的麦克风，以福音音乐的时间表带领着每个人领读花名册时，便证明了这一点。

“让我把故事说清楚。”当 AJ 开始谈论马里奥·埃利时，在舞台上踱着步说道。“我当时在吃鸡肉三明治，然后……”

但 AJ 不想成为牧师。他想成为一名 NBA 教练，这是一个不错的目标，因为他现在已经像教练一样行事好几年了。

在过去的几个月里所发生的事情将帮助他成为职业教练，就像一个冠军头衔将以不同的方式帮助所有人一样。例如，史蒂夫·科尔早就有传言将接替卢特·奥尔森成为亚利桑那州大学教练。科尔连续第四次获得冠军头衔只会增加这些传言的可能性。

但在周日游行的浑身是汗的马刺球员中，也许没有人会像大卫·罗宾逊那样受到精神上的影响。 AJ 预测罗宾逊将加入牧师行列，而一个冠军头衔将提升他的讲坛。

AJ 说：“这个头衔将赋予大卫，与每个人接触的更多机会。”

没有保证罗宾逊会这样做。他还有两年的合同，而且大多数人认为，如果他的身体状况允许，他可能会一直打到那时之后。

然后是他身上的比尔·盖茨。“我也能看到大卫接手一些互联网公司，” AJ 说，“并从头开始建立它。”

如果森林狼队在第一轮淘汰了马刺队，罗宾逊本可以走上职业生涯的任一道路。但是，当罗宾逊消除了简历上唯一的污点时——当他以正义的牺牲这样做时——他扩大了未来的教众范围。

他新的地位也将影响那些不太精神化的人（查尔斯·巴克利浮现在脑海中）。它也会影响联盟中他甚至不认识的人。

几个月前的谈话中提到了这一点。当时有人问上世纪 80 年代的波士顿凯尔特人队的一名球员，如果可以选择，他宁愿与谁一起打球？罗伯特·帕里什还是罗宾逊？

“酋长（帕里什）。”他毫不犹豫地说。他解释说他有偏见，因为他与帕里什一起赢得了冠军。但还有别的原因。“每次我在季后赛中看到罗宾逊时，”他说，“他都像椅子一样折叠（缩水）起来。”

或者至少当罗宾逊被文尼·德尔内格罗 和 J.R. 里德所包围，而不是拉里·伯德和凯文·麦克海尔时，就是这样的。罗宾逊有时令人失望，没错，但任何参加过娱乐比赛的人都知道成功与先选择直接相关。巴克利长期以来就是用这种方式解释他在季后赛中的失利。“我并不是在最好的球队，”他说，已有十多年了。

这听起来很简单，但这是真的。 AJ 总是说，马刺队唯一一次在 1995 年成为最佳球队时输了。所以一切都变了，当圣安东尼奥的帕里什找到了自己的伯德。如果蒂姆·邓肯早 10 年到来，还会有人称罗宾逊为失败者吗？

也许那会成为罗宾逊最早的演讲之一。或者也许，就像 AJ 说的，罗宾逊会开始一些名为“基督冠军”的东西。

这个名字现在很合适。就像在他之前的汤姆·兰德里和雷吉·怀特一样，罗宾逊将以更高的可信度迎接他的教众。他会在游行期间和游行之后像周日那样拿起话筒，他对人们说话，不仅仅是一个虔诚的基督徒和家庭和社区的榜样。他将作为一名因信仰而坚强的人说话，在经历十年的失败后取得成就。

罗宾逊手中将拥有他需要的所有证据。一枚神圣的戒指。

点击查看原文：Rev. Robinson? Higher calling, higher stature

Rev. Robinson? Higher calling, higher stature

Avery Johnson could be a preacher. He proved that in the sweetness of Sunday’s celebration, when he took the microphone in the Alamodome and took everyone through the roster with gospel timing.

“Let me get the story straight,” AJ said, pacing on the stage as he began talking about Mario Elie. “I was eating a chicken sandwich and …”

But AJ doesn’t want to be a preacher. He wants to be an NBA coach someday, which is a good goal, since he’s been acting like one for a few years now.

And what happened these last months will help nudge him toward that career, just as a title will help all these guys in different ways. Steve Kerr, for example, was already rumored to be in line to replace Lute Olson at Arizona. A fourth consecutive ring for Kerr only increases the rumors.

But of all Sunday’s parading, sweaty Spurs, maybe no one will be as spiritually affected as David Robinson. AJ predicts Robinson will take his place in a ministry, and a championship will raise his pulpit.

“This title will give David,” said AJ, “even more access to everyone.”

There are no guarantees Robinson will do that. He still has two years left on his contract, and most think he will probably play beyond that if his body holds up.

Then there’s the Bill Gates in him. “I could also see David taking over some internet company,” said AJ, “and building it from the ground up.”

Robinson could have taken either career path had the Timberwolves eliminated the Spurs in the first round. But when Robinson removed the only blemish on his resume - when he did so with righteous sacrifice - he enlarged a future congregation.

His new status will also affect the less spiritual (Charles Barkley comes to mind). And it will affect those in the league he doesn’t even know.

An exchange from a few months ago says that. Then someone asked a Boston Celtic of the '80s that, given a choice, who would he have rather played with? Robert Parish or Robinson?

“Chief,” he said without hesitating. He explained he was biased, since he’d won titles with Parish. But there was something else. “Every time I’ve watched Robinson in the playoffs,” he said, “he’s folded like a chair.”

Or at least that’s the way it looked when Robinson was flanked by Vinny Del Negro and J.R. Reid instead of Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Robinson disappointed at times, all right, but anyone who has ever been in a pickup game knows success is directly linked to choosing first. That’s how Barkley has long explained his own playoff losses. “I wasn’t on the best team,” he’s said for more than a decade.

It sounds simplistic, but it’s true. AJ always says there’s only one previous season when the Spurs were the best and lost, in 1995. So everything changed when San Antonio’s Parish found his own Bird. Had Tim Duncan arrived 10 years ago, would anyone have ever called Robinson a loser?

Maybe that will be one of Robinson’s first sermons. Or maybe, as AJ says, Robinson will start something called “Champions for Christ.”

The name would fit now. And like Tom Landry and Reggie White before him, Robinson would greet his flock with more credibility. He would take the microphone as he did Sunday during and after the parade, and he would speak to people not as just a committed Christian and a model of family and community. He would speak as someone who, steeled by his belief, achieved after a decade of failure.

On his hand, Robinson would have all the proof he needs. A holy ring.

By Buck Harvey, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Tom Orsborn

第一轮：马刺3胜，森林狼1负

**5月9日 - @马刺99，森林狼86：**蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)联手给森林狼制造了极大的麻烦，帮助马刺在首轮五场制的系列赛中以1-0领先对手，这个对手正是他们的西部联盟对手。

邓肯最终得到26分、12个篮板和4次助攻。约翰逊离开阿拉莫穹顶时，拿下了21分和10次助攻。

马刺在半场结束时以50-49领先，并在第四节开局不久将领先优势扩大到11分，替补后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)和安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)连续命中三分球。森林狼之后再也没有将比分差距缩小到9分以内。

森林狼的进攻核心凯文·加内特(Kevin Garnett)在比赛早些时候试图用垃圾话恐吓邓肯，但邓肯只是对他微微一笑。

“蒂姆不会被这些东西所困扰，”马刺后卫马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)说，“只要看看数据统计……这就是加内特的打球方式。和球员交流没什么错，但‘大轻松’——我这么称呼蒂姆——太冷静了。”

这一天，约翰逊也展现出了冷静。他投出的8个进球中，除了一个之外，其他所有进球都来自至少14英尺外，其中5个来自18英尺外或更远的地方。

“他已经快47岁了，但每个人都还放任他投篮，”马刺主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。他目睹了约翰逊将自己打造成一个比平均水平更出色的远投威胁。

**5月11日 - 森林狼80，@马刺71：**邓肯得到18分和16个篮板，但森林狼却比主队更有活力，将首轮系列赛扳成1-1平。

马刺的得分创下了球队季后赛历史新低。

“人们本希望他们无法匹配我们的激情和侵略性，”波波维奇说。“但事实证明，我们没有匹配他们的激情和侵略性。这是造成比赛结果的主要原因。一切都源于此。”

阿拉莫穹顶的22,494名观众目睹了年轻的狼群抢下19个篮板，助攻数是马刺的两倍多，达到了11次。森林狼还很好地防守了邓肯和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，将马刺的“双塔”组合在首三节的出手次数限制在了14次。

“他们做得比我们都好，”罗宾逊说，他最终得到11分和10个篮板，但只出手了6次。“他们在各个方面都比我们好。我们没有投篮，没有抢篮板，没有抢到地板球，没有防守。”

他们也没有很好地限制加内特。加内特打小前锋位置，全场得分最高，得到23分。

在第一场比赛的最后21分钟里，邓肯以14-0领先加内特。而在第二场比赛的第四节，加内特只得到10分。

“蒂姆·邓肯真的厉害，我不会否认这一点，”加内特说，“但我也很厉害。”

**5月13日 - 马刺85，@森林狼71：**即使明尼苏达州州长杰西“大力士”文图拉(Jesse “The Body” Ventura)在赛前发表了鼓舞人心的演讲，也无法帮助森林狼克服以罗宾逊和约翰逊领衔的马刺队的激励。

在第二场比赛中表现平平之后，马刺重新燃起了帮助他们在常规赛中取得最佳战绩的火焰。

“我们只是带着明确的目标上场，”波波维奇说。“上一次看到这种目标感是在常规赛的最后一周。”

罗宾逊（17分，18个篮板）和约翰逊（24分）表现出了最大的目标感。

就像在第一场比赛中一样，森林狼放任约翰逊空位投篮。而“小将军”再次让对手付出代价，他15投12中，其中7个来自至少17英尺外，并贡献了5个篮板和6次助攻。

“你不能让埃弗里·约翰逊得到24分，还指望能赢得比赛，”森林狼中锋迪安·加勒特(Dean Garrett)说。“他空位投篮，简直像是在罚球一样。”

在第二场比赛中被对手抢下46个篮板，马刺在第三场比赛中以47-37领先对手。罗宾逊的18个篮板比他5月5日对阵金州勇士队时的赛季新高少了2个。埃利在第二场比赛中只抢到1个篮板，而在第三场比赛中抢下6个。杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey)替补出场，抢下7个篮板。

**5月15日 - 马刺92，@森林狼85：**在听了四场森林狼球员的垃圾话之后，马刺前锋肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)在圣安东尼奥在明尼苏达州的目标中心以15,898比分的优势淘汰对手之后，忍不住对森林狼说了一句嘲讽的话。

“明尼苏达州一直说他们想要我们。他们为什么想要我们？是为了让他们能继续享受他们的夏季计划吗？”

马刺确保森林狼能早点开始他们的假期，他们表现出色，包括第二节的几次险些爆发冲突。

“当有人挑战你的男子气概，”埃利说，“你必须站出来。我们做到了。”

这其中也包括罗宾逊，他在第二节与乔·史密斯(Joe Smith)发生推搡后，在第四节得到9分。海军上将的最后一次上篮发生在比赛还剩2分28秒时，帮助马刺将比分扩大到86-81，取得了安全的领先优势。

除了得到19分之外，罗宾逊还贡献了11个篮板和4次封盖。

“大卫·罗宾逊终结了比赛，”埃弗里·约翰逊说。“他是关键。这是我见过的最具侵略性的‘季后赛大卫·罗宾逊’。”

罗宾逊说：“这么说吧：现在是季后赛时间。你知道（粗野的犯规）会发生。我只是做出了必要的回应。”

点击查看原文：First round: Spurs 3, Minnesota 1

First round: Spurs 3, Minnesota 1

May 9 - @Spurs 99, Minnesota 86: Tim Duncan and Avery Johnson combined to make life miserable for Minnesota and give the Spurs a 1-0 lead in their best-of- five first-round series against their Midwest Division foe.

Duncan finished with 26 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Johnson left the Alamodome with 21 points and 10 assists.

The Spurs, who led 50-49 at halftime, pushed their lead to 11 early in the fourth period after reserve guards Jaren Jackson and Antonio Daniels hit back-to-back three-pointers. Minnesota didn’t get closer than nine the rest of the way.

The Timberwolves’ big gun, Kevin Garnett, tried to intimidate Duncan with some trash talk early in the game, but Duncan just smiled at his adversary.

“Tim doesn’t get caught up in all that,” Spurs guard Mario Elie said. “Just read the stat sheet … That’s how Garnett plays. There’s nothing wrong with talking to a guy, but ‘The Big Easy’ - that’s what I call Tim - is so cool.”

On this day, Johnson also displayed some cool. All but one of his eight baskets were from at least 14 feet and five came from 18 feet or longer.

“He’s about 47 years old and everybody’s still leaving him,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has watched Johnson turn himself into a better-than-average outside threat.

May 11 - Minnesota 80, @Spurs 71: Duncan scored 18 points and 16 rebounds, but the Timberwolves outhustled the home team to tie the first-round series 1-1.

The Spurs’ point total was a franchise-low for the playoffs.

“One would have hoped they wouldn’t have been able to match our emotion and aggression,” Popovich said. “The way it turned out, we didn’t match their emotion and aggression. That was the main reason for the outcome of the game. Everything stems from that.”

An Alamodome gathering of 22,494 watched the young Wolves grab 19 rebounds and more than double the Spurs’ 11 assists. Minnesota also did a good job defending Duncan and David Robinson, limiting the Spurs’ Twin Towers to just 14 shots through the first three periods.

“They did everything better than we did,” said Robinson, who finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds but got off just six shots. “They were better in every aspect. We didn’t shoot the ball. We didn’t rebound. We didn’t get loose balls. We didn’t defend.”

And they also didn’t do a good job keeping Garnett in check. Playing small forward, Garnett led all scorers with 23 points.

Outscored 14-0 by Duncan in the final 21 minutes of Game 1, Garnett totaled 10 points in the fourth period of Game 2.

“Tim Duncan is really good, and I’m not taking anything away from him,” Garnett said. “But I’m pretty good, too.”

May 13 - Spurs 85, @Minnesota 71: Not even a pregame pep talk from Minnesota Gov. Jesse “The Body” Ventura could help the Timberwolves overcome an inspired Spurs team led by Robinson and Johnson.

After turning in a lackluster effort in Game 2, the Spurs rekindled the fire that helped them gain the best record in the NBA.

“We just came out with a purpose,” Popovich said. “The last time I saw this kind of purpose was the final week of the regular season.”

Playing with the most purpose were Robinson (17 points, 18 rebounds) and Johnson (24 points).

As they did in Game 1, the Timberwolves left Johnson open. And, once again, “The Little General” made them pay as he hit 12 of 15 shots, seven from at least 17 feet, and added five rebounds and six assists.

“You can’t give Avery Johnson 24 points and expect to win the game,” Timberwolves center Dean Garrett said. “He was so open it was like he was shooting free throws all night.”

Outrebounded 46-40 in Game 2, the Spurs owned a 47-37 edge on the boards in Game 3. Robinson’s 18 boards were two shy of the Spurs’ season high he set against Golden State on May 5. Elie, who had one rebound in Game 2, had six and Jerome Kersey came off the bench to grab seven.

May 15 - Spurs 92, @Minnesota 85: After listening to four games’ worth of trash talk from the Minnesota players, Spurs forward Sean Elliott couldn’t help but take a verbal jab at the Timberwolves after San Antonio eliminated them before 15,898 at the Target Center.

“Minnesota kept saying they wanted us. Why did they want us? To keep their summer plans?”

The Spurs made sure the Timberwolves got their vacation started early with a gritty performance that included a few near fights in the second period.

“When someone tests your manhood,” Elie said, “you have to step up. We did.”

And that includes Robinson, who followed a second-period shoving match with Joe Smith by scoring nine in the fourth quarter. A lay-in by the Admiral with 2:28 left lifted the Spurs to a secure 86-81 lead.

In addition to scoring 19 points, Robinson added 11 rebounds and four blocks.

“David Robinson finished them off,” Avery Johnson said. “He was the difference. This is the most aggressive ‘playoff David Robinson’ I have seen.”

Said Robinson: “Let’s put it this way: It’s playoff time. You know it (rough play) is going to happen. I just responded the way I needed to.” - Tom Orsborn

By Tom Orsborn, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Tom Orsborn

西部联盟半决赛：马刺4-0横扫湖人

5月17日 - 马刺87，湖人81：马刺在阿拉莫穹顶球场迎战湖人，在25297名观众面前，通过“犯规战术”和团队防守策略，将湖人中锋沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)限制在21分，从而赢得了西部联盟半决赛的首场比赛。

“他们的进攻很大程度上依赖于奥尼尔，”马刺主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说道，“我们想要让他打得艰难。”

虽然大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)、威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)和马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)都曾负责防守奥尼尔，但当马刺在第三节拉开比分时，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)承担起了防守奥尼尔的重任。

“这很困难，”邓肯说，“他块头很大，但我表现很好，我们的协防也很到位。”

邓肯也率领球队进攻，以25分领跑全场。

珀杜也为马刺贡献力量，他在上半场11分钟内贡献了6分，包括一个底线反手扣篮，以及全队最高的9个篮板中的6个。他在上半场结束前，接住自己的失误后打进一记上篮，帮助马刺将比分反超，将落后12分变成47-41领先。

5月19日 - 马刺79，湖人76：蒂姆·邓肯在比赛还剩8秒时打进一记钩射，肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)在比赛还剩5秒时罚进两罚，为马刺赢得了第二场比赛的胜利。

阿拉莫穹顶球场33293名观众见证了邓肯用右手将球高高抛起，在J.R.雷德(J.R. Reid)头上打进一记软钩射，将比分反超为77-76。

“他是一个关键时刻的球员，”埃利奥特说，“他做出了一个关键时刻的进球。”

湖人主教练库尔特·兰比斯(Kurt Rambis)表示，球队的重大失误帮助邓肯打进了关键进球。当他们没有犯规时，格伦·莱斯(Glen Rice)到达得太晚，无法帮助雷德，这使得邓肯能够转身出手并打进这记9英尺的投篮。

在邓肯得分后，湖人接下来的进攻中，球从湖人后卫德里克·费舍尔(Derek Fisher)头上弹开。埃利奥特抢到篮板，埃利奥特罚进了两罚。湖人还有最后一次机会将比赛拖入加时赛，但科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)在比赛结束前投出的三分球偏出。

“我们自己打败了自己，”奥尼尔抱怨道，“我们在比赛结束时犯了太多错误。”

罗宾逊得到16分。罗斯替补出场得到13分。

5月22日 - 马刺103，湖人91：马刺距离历史上第二次进入季后赛第二轮仅差一场胜利。邓肯得到37分、14个篮板、4次助攻和3次抢断。

由于罗宾逊陷入犯规麻烦，邓肯得到24分，帮助马刺在中场休息时领先4分。

“我看着比分，”埃利奥特说，“当时是蒂姆22分，湖人20分。没有人帮助那个可怜的家伙。”

但不仅仅是邓肯表现出色。贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)替补出场得到22分，约翰逊(Johnson)在比赛后期投进了一些关键球，包括一记19英尺的投篮，在比赛还剩2分43秒时将比分扳平，以及另一记19英尺的投篮，在比赛还剩70秒时将马刺领先优势扩大到4分。

“这是这场比赛的关键，”邓肯说，“他们会领先2分，领先4分，而贾伦或艾弗里会投进关键球。”

波波维奇注意到了两位后卫的贡献。

“我们没有像（湖人的格伦）莱斯那样从外线站出来的球员。能有一个人做到这一点真的很重要。”

杰克逊出色的表现帮助他摆脱了上赛季西部联盟半决赛对阵犹他爵士的比赛中最后时刻错失三分球的阴影。如果那记投篮命中，杰克逊本可以帮助球队赢得比赛。

“上赛季是上赛季，”他说，“这是新的一年。AJ总是让我不要犹豫，所以我上场就投了。”

5月23日 - 马刺118，湖人107：第三场比赛的两位主角——邓肯和杰克逊——在第四场比赛中再次表现出色，马刺横扫湖人，晋级西部联盟决赛。

邓肯在第三场比赛中得到37分，在第四场比赛中得到33分。杰克逊在第三场比赛中得到22分后，在第四场比赛中得到20分。

邓肯14投11中，罚球11罚11中，并抢下14个篮板。

“他很聪明，”波波维奇说，“他天生就理解比赛。就像魔术师约翰逊天生就理解比赛，就像拉里·伯德天生就理解比赛一样。”

这场比赛在17505名观众面前进行，这是大西部论坛球馆最后一场比赛。

“我们终结了论坛（球馆），宝贝，”埃利奥特在更衣室里喊着。“我们终结了论坛！我们是答案！我想打开ESPN的《体育中心》，听到丹·帕特里克问道：‘哪支球队是最后一支在大西部论坛战胜湖人的球队？’是马刺，就是他们。”

点击查看原文：Western Conference semis: Spurs 4, L.A. Lakers 0

Western Conference semis: Spurs 4, L.A. Lakers 0

May 17 - @Spurs 87, L.A. Lakers 81: Using a “Hack-A-Shaq,” defense-by-committee strategy, the Spurs held Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal to 21 points in claiming Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals before 25,297 at the Alamodome.

“A lot (of their offense) goes through Shaq,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We wanted to make it tough on him.”

Although David Robinson, Will Perdue and Malik Rose all spent time guarding O’Neal, Tim Duncan was on the job in the third period when the Spurs pulled away.

“It was a tough job,” Duncan said. “He’s a big boy. It was a good time for me. Our help defense was there.”

Duncan also led the way offensively, scoring a game-high 25 points.

The Spurs also got a lift from Perdue, who had six points, including a baseline reverse dunk, and six of his team-best nine rebounds in 11 first-half minutes. He followed his own miss with a layup at the first-half buzzer to give the Spurs, who trailed by 12 in the first, a 47-41 lead.

May 19 - @Spurs 79, L.A. Lakers 76: Tim Duncan’s hook shot with 8 seconds left and a pair of free throws by Sean Elliott with 5 seconds remaining provided the margin of victory in Game 2.

A crowd of 33,293 at the Alamodome watched Duncan use his right hand to loft a soft hook over J.R. Reid for a 77-76 lead.

“He’s a prime-time player,” Elie said. “He made a prime-time play.”

Lakers coach Kurt Rambis said a big mental error by his team helped Duncan score the clutch-basket. With a foul to give, Rambis had instructed his players to hack Duncan. When they didn’t, Glen Rice arrived too late to help Reid, allowing Duncan to turn and release the 9-footer.

On their ensuing possession after Duncan’s bucket, an inbounds pass bounced off the head of Lakers guard Derek Fisher. Elie grabbed the loose ball and Elliott sank his free throws. The Lakers had once last chance to force overtime, but Kobe Bryant missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

“We beat ourselves,” groaned O’Neal, who was held to 16 points. “We made too many mistakes down the stretch.”

Robinson finished with 16 points. Rose came off the bench for 13.

May 22 - Spurs 103, @L.A. Lakers 91: The Spurs moved a victory away from advancing past the second round of the playoffs for only the second time in franchise history as Duncan finished with 37 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals.

With Robinson in foul trouble, Duncan scored 24 points to carry the Spurs to a four-point halftime lead.

“I was looking at the score,” Elie said. “And it was Tim 22, Lakers 20. Nobody was helping that poor guy out.”

But it wasn’t just Duncan who came up big. Jaren Jackson came off the bench to score 22 points and Johnson sank some big shots late in the game, including a 19-footer that tied the contest with 2:43 left and another 19-footer that pushed the Spurs to a four-point advantage with 70 seconds left.

“That was the big key to the game,” Duncan said. “They would go up two, go up four, and Jaren or Avery would hit a big shot.”

The contribution of the two guards did not go unnoticed by Popovich.

“We don’t have one guy that really steps up from the perimeter the way that (the Lakers’ Glenn) Rice does. To have somebody do that really makes a difference.”

Jackson’s big effort helped erase memories of his missed three- pointer in the final seconds against Utah in last season’s Western Conference semifinals. Jackson could have won the game with that shot.

“Last season was last season,” he said. “This is a new year. AJ’s always getting on me for being too tentative so I just went out there and shot.”

May 23 - Spurs 118, @L.A. Lakers 107: The stars of Game 3 - Duncan and Jackson - came up big again in Game 4 as the Spurs swept the Lakers out of the playoffs and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.

Duncan, who had 37 points in Game 3, totaled 33 in Game 4. Jackson followed his 22-point performance in Game 3 with 20.

Duncan hit 11 of 14 shots from the free-throw line, the same as he shot from the field, and grabbed 14 rebounds.

“He’s just smart,” Popovich said. “He just inherently understands the game. The way Magic Johnson inherently understood the game and the way Larry Bird inherently understood the game.”

The game, played before a sold-out crowd of 17,505, was the last played at the Great Western Forum.

“We shut down the Forum, baby,” Elie yelled in the locker room. “We shut down the Forum! We’re the answer to the trivia question. I want to turn on (ESPN’s) ‘SportsCenter’ and hear Dan Patrick ask, ‘Who’s the last team to best the Lakers in the Forum?’ The Spurs, that’s who.” - Tom Orsborn

By Tom Orsborn, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Tom Orsborn

西部决赛：马刺 4，开拓者 0

季后赛中，头号种子马刺队在 12 场比赛中轻松地拿下了前三轮系列赛，他们在客场赢得了其中的 6 场。第二轮比赛充满戏剧性，包括森林狼队的胜利，湖人队的最后时刻失误，以及 “阵亡将士纪念日奇迹”。

- 5 月 29 日 - @马刺 80，开拓者 76: 大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)各得 21 分，马刺队在阿拉莫穹顶球场击败了开拓者队，现场 35165 名观众见证了这一时刻。

“这对任何球队来说都是一场艰难的比赛，”开拓者队主教练迈克·邓利维(Mike Dunleavy)说，他指的是防守阿拉莫城的“双塔”。“你必须防守一位前 MVP（罗宾逊），或者你必须防守一位未来的 MVP（邓肯）。

“无论哪种方式，这都不轻松。”

开拓者队在比赛还剩 5 秒时有机会扳平比分，但拉希德·华莱士(Rasheed Wallace)的 21 英尺跳投弹高后击中篮板，没有命中。

尽管马刺队的投篮命中率只有 40.8%，但罗宾逊和邓肯的组合证明了对开拓者队的强大。

“在上一轮比赛中经历了与沙克的较量后，能够解放出来，在进攻中加入一些东西真是太好了，”罗宾逊说，他在这场比赛中获得了季后赛中最高的得分。 “这很有趣。上一轮系列赛的差别在于蒂姆有很大的优势。他比他们的球员更高。这一轮系列赛更加注重运动能力，这抵消了我们体型上的优势……但我认为，拥有两名 7 英尺的球员，你仍然拥有优势。”

邓肯全场 15 投 8 中，在篮板上获得了许多机会。他全场 13 个篮板中的 5 个来自进攻篮板，他上半场的 3 个进球中有 2 个是补篮。

“戴夫和蒂姆并不在乎得分，”马刺队的后卫马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)说。“他们只在乎胜利。当我们看到我们的巨塔们开始发力时，这会点燃我们其他人的热情。”

5 月 31 日 - @马刺 86，开拓者 85: 马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)在西部决赛第二场比赛的最后时刻的举动可能反映了许多在阿拉莫穹顶球场观看比赛的 35260 名球迷的感受。

“我开始喊‘不！不！’ ”罗斯说。“但是在我喊出口之前，球进了。所以我只是尖叫着‘好球！好球！’”

罗斯的“不！不！”是在他看到肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)在比赛还剩不到 10 秒时投出一记不平衡的三分球时喊出来的。“好球！好球！”是在球稳稳地落入篮筐，帮助马刺队以 9.9 秒的领先优势领先时喊出来的。

回放显示，埃利奥特在投篮时只用了一条腿支撑着身体，并且勉强保持在界内。在为史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)设置了第二个掩护后，埃利奥特在右角勉强接到了马里奥·埃利的传球，并在华莱士飞扑过来的瞬间投出了这记三分球。

“边线上的空间很小，”埃利奥特说。“我不知道我是怎么投出来的。”

“我当时在寻找传球，”罗宾逊说，他是这次战术中四个选择之一。“我当时想，‘你干什么要投这球？’ 但这是一个非常重要的球。能投进这样的球，你需要有足够的胆量。”

埃利奥特在整场比赛中都表现出色。他投出的第五个三分球在比赛还剩 56.9 秒时将马刺队的比分追至落后三分。

6 月 4 日 - 马刺 85，@开拓者 63: 由于邓肯因犯规麻烦而成为一名旁观者，马刺队将目光转向罗宾逊，希望他能带领他们取得季后赛的第九场胜利。

在邓肯除了第三节的 40 秒之外都坐在板凳上的情况下，“海军上将”在第三节的得分（8 分）与开拓者队持平。罗宾逊最终得到了 15 分、9 个篮板、5 次助攻和季后赛最高的 7 个盖帽。

“我的防守努力可能是我为球队贡献的最大价值，”罗宾逊说。“我知道没有那个 7 英尺高的家伙（邓肯）在场上，我必须做到这一点。”

在罗宾逊的帮助下，马刺队将开拓者队的投篮命中率压制在 24.7%，这也是本赛季季后赛的最低得分。

“他在第三节独自一人统治了比赛，”约翰逊(Johnson)谈到罗宾逊时说。“那些家伙真的很难投篮，因为大卫看起来就像是一个 8 英尺高的巨人。”

波波维奇(Popovich)说：“大卫做到了他整年为我们做的事情。戴夫是我们一切工作的基础。尽管我们在进攻中经常依靠蒂姆，但如果你真正计算一下，你会发现大卫几乎获得的球权与蒂姆一样多。在防守端，他就是个怪物。弱侧防守、无球防守、大前锋防守、盖帽、篮板……我们真的很依赖他。”

6 月 6 日 - 马刺 94，@开拓者 80: 马刺队本可以在赢得西部冠军后疯狂庆祝。他们本可以互相喷洒香槟，点燃巨大的雪茄。

但他们并没有举行大型庆祝活动，而是冷静地开始专注于下一个也是最重要的目标：赢得 NBA 冠军。

“更衣室里充满了笑容，”约翰逊说。“但没有人疯狂。”

马刺队确实穿上了“西部联盟冠军”的 T 恤和帽子，并轮流互相祝贺。

“他们（马刺队）经历了起伏，”埃利说。“你听说过他们“掉链子”和“软弱”。但在四场比赛中，我们已经抹去了所有这些。”

“已经过去了 10 年，”罗宾逊说，他是过去十年来马刺队的球队核心。“这正是我想象中的样子。你努力工作，你梦想着能最终庆祝的那一刻。”

波波维奇说：“我们像波特兰和盐湖城这样的小城市，这对我们和我们的球迷来说都是一件激动人心的事情。圣安东尼奥有很多人在庆祝。能够为他们带来胜利，我们感到很兴奋。”

点击查看原文：Western Conference finals: Spurs 4, Portland 0

Western Conference finals: Spurs 4, Portland 0

The playoffs The top-seeded Spurs breeze through their first three series in 12 games, winning six on the road Game 2 drama includes a T’wolves triumph, a late Lakers letdown and a ‘Memorial Day Miracle’

- May 29 - @Spurs 80, Portland 76 : David Robinson and Tim Duncan each scored 21 as the Spurs nipped the Trail Blazers before 35,165 at the Alamodome.

“It’s a tough matchup for anybody,” Portland coach Mike Dunleavy said, referring to defending the Twin Towers of the Alamo City. "You’ve got to guard a former MVP (Robinson) or you’ve got to guard a future MVP (Duncan).

“Either way, it’s not fun.”

Portland had a chance to tie the game with 5 seconds left, but Rasheed Wallace’s 21-footer bounced high off the rim and over the backboard.

Although the Spurs shot just 40.8 percent, the combination of Robinson and Duncan proved too much for the Blazers.

“After having to deal with Shaq the last series, it’s nice to be freed up to add a little offense to the mix,” said Robinson, who had his best scoring day of the playoffs. “It makes it fun. The difference last series was Tim had a big advantage. He was bigger than their guys. This series is more athletic, which neutralizes our size advantage … But I think with two 7-footers you still have an advantage.”

Duncan, who made 8 of 15 shots, found his opportunities on the boards. Five of his game-high 13 rebounds came on the offensive glass and two of his three first-half baskets were follow-ups.

“Dave and Tim don’t care about scoring,” Spurs guard Mario Elie said. “They care about winning. When we see our big guys get going, that fires the rest of us up.”

May 31 - @Spurs 86, Portland 85: Malik Rose’s actions late in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals probably mirrored those of many of the 35,260 fans at the Alamodome.

“I started to yell, 'No! No!” Rose said. “But before I could, it went in. So I just screamed, ‘Great shot! Great shot!’”

Rose’s shouts of “No! No!” came when he saw Sean Elliott take an off-balance three-pointer with less than 10 seconds. The “Great shot! Great shot!” came after the ball settled into the basket to give the Spurs the lead with 9.9 left on the clock.

Replays showed that Elliott, who was hopping on one leg at the time of the shot, barely stayed inbounds. After setting the second of two screens for Steve Kerr, Elliott barely caught the inbounds pass from Mario Elie in the right corner and released the shot as Wallace came flying at him.

“There’s not a lot of room on the sideline,” Elliott said. “I don’t know how I did it.”

“I was looking for the pass,” said Robinson, who was one of four options on the play. “I was like, ‘What are you doing taking that shot?’ But that was a huge shot. To make that, you’ve got to have some nerves.”

Elliott was clutch throughout the game. His fifth three-pointer drew the Spurs within three with 56.9 seconds left.

June 4 - Spurs 85, @Portland 63: With foul trouble reducing Duncan to a spectator, the Spurs turned to Robinson to lead them to their ninth straight playoff victory.

With Duncan on the bench for all but 40 seconds of the third period, the Admiral matched the Blazers’ scoring output in the period (eight points). Robinson finished 15 points, nine rebounds, five assists and a playoff-best seven blocked shots.

“My defensive effort is what I bring to this team probably more than anything,” Robinson said. “And I knew without the big 7-footer (Duncan) in there, I had to do that.”

Aided by Robinson, the Spurs held the Blazers to a 24.7-percent shooting effort from the field and the lowest point total in the playoffs this season.

“He really dominated the game in the third quarter single-handedly,” Johnson said of Robinson. “Those guys really had a hard time getting a good look at the basket because David looked like he was 8-foot tall out there.”

Said Popovich: “David did what he’s done for us all year. Dave is the foundation of everything we do. Even though we go to Tim a lot offensively, if you really counted, you’ll find David gets almost as many touches. And defensively, he’s just a monster. Weakside defense, off-ball defense, power-forward guarding, blocking shots, rebounding … we really feed off him.”

June 6 - Spurs 94, @Portland 80: The Spurs could have gone nuts after clinching the Western Conference title. They could have squirted each other with champagne and lit up big cigars.

But instead of a big celebration. They calmly began focusing on their next and most important goal: Winning an NBA title.

“There are a lot of smiles in this locker room,” Johnson said. "But no one is going crazy.

The Spurs did don their “Western Conference Champions” T-shirts and hats and took turns congratulating one another.

“They (the Spurs) have been through their ups and downs,” Elie said. “You’ve heard about their choking and being soft. But in four games, we’ve wiped the slate clean.”

“It’s been 10 long years,” said Robinson, the Spurs’ franchise player for the past decade. “It’s just what I imagined it would be like. You work so hard. You dream about the moment you can finally celebrate.”

Said Popovich: “We’re a small town like Portland and Salt Lake City, and this is a thrill for us and our fans. There are a lot of happy people back in San Antonio. It’s exciting for us to be able to deliver.” - Tom Orsborn

By Tom Orsborn, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Johnny Ludden

庆祝结束，未来如何？ - 马刺球员各奔东西

马刺队终于结束了在麦迪逊广场花园的狂欢，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)终于有机会与媒体见面。

邓肯刚刚带领球队获得了首个总冠军，结束了他在NBA的第二个赛季。他是刚刚加冕的总决赛MVP，纽约主教练杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)称他为联盟中最好的球员。

如果说有什么时机适合问出那种充满戏剧性和感伤意味的问题，比如“蒂姆，你刚刚赢得NBA总冠军，接下来你打算做什么？”，那现在就是了。但是，在邓肯耐心地回答了大约十个类似问题之后，有人突然冒出一句：“你觉得洛杉矶的新球队怎么样？”

这个问题不仅让邓肯措手不及，还让周围的900多名记者窃窃私语。不近人情吗？不识大体吗？毫无疑问。然而，提问者也展现了一个事实：无论你今天取得了怎样的成就，总有人想谈论明天。

至于卫冕NBA冠军的未来？好吧，从今天开始。在周日狂欢庆祝之后，马刺队在周一早上悄然在阿拉莫穹顶进行了最后一次聚会，整理储物柜，分配220万美元的季后赛奖金，交换电话号码和签名，然后各自踏上不同的旅程。

球队将在10月15日再次公开亮相，届时他们将前往意大利米兰参加麦当劳冠军赛，这是一项由六支球队参加的比赛，其中还包括澳大利亚的阿德莱德36人队、亚洲的C.S. Sagesse队、意大利的瓦雷泽雄鸡队、南美洲的瓦斯科达伽马队和立陶宛的扎尔吉里斯考纳斯队。萨克拉门托将代替马刺队前往东京参加1999年日本赛，对阵明尼苏达。

马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)“对我们说了一些话，”埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说道，他强忍着泪水。“你能够看到人们在发生如此特殊的事情时，平时看不到的一面。我们开了一个感人的会议。”

从现在起，一切都将改变，无论是球员还是教练。大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)是周一最后一个离开的人，当他爬上自己的汽车时，一名阿拉莫穹顶的工作人员喊着：“我的英雄！”在接下来的整个夏天，马刺队将成为人们的英雄。

他们将受到全城的欢呼，在任何餐厅都能享受免费的餐食。书籍交易已经开始运作。罗宾逊将于7月7日出现在“今夜秀与杰伊·莱诺(Jay Leno)”节目中。约翰逊将于周三作为嘉宾出现在“大卫·莱特曼深夜秀(Late Show with David Letterman)”节目中。

“埃弗里最好做好准备，因为戴夫可能会因为他口音和说话方式而取笑他，”肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)说道。“莱特曼可能会攻击他，但埃弗里能够应付。”

马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)将立即开始在休斯顿的西区网球俱乐部“垃圾话”。安德鲁·盖兹(Andrew Gaze)将永远回到澳大利亚。安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)、杰拉德·金(Gerard King)、布兰登·威廉姆斯(Brandon Williams)和德里克·戴尔(Derrick Dial)，去年的第二轮选秀球员，将为下个月在犹他州举行的菜鸟和自由球员训练营做好准备。

在过去六周里，埃利奥特终于有机会放松下来，此前他一直防守凯文·加内特(Kevin Garnett)、科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)、拉希德·华莱士(Rasheed Wallace)、拉特雷尔·斯普雷维尔(Latrell Sprewell)和艾伦·休斯顿(Allan Houston)。然而，邓肯却不能放松。他将在本周内前往佛罗里达州奥兰多，开始与美国国家队一起训练，为下个月在波多黎各圣胡安举行的奥运会资格赛做准备。

波波维奇和他的教练团队也需要等待休息。周三的NBA选秀是第一要务。威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)、马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)和贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)将在周四正式成为自由球员。

球队可以与自由球员谈判，但必须等到8月1日才能正式签下或交易球员，届时NBA将确定下一赛季的工资帽。虽然马刺队可能拥有三个工资帽特例（200万美元、120万美元和100万美元），但阵容预计不会有太大变化。

“我肯定会回来，”罗斯说道。“虽然任何事情都有可能发生，但我的心在这里。我的心告诉我，我将回到这里，所以我必须跟随我的心。”

珀杜表示，他重新签约的可能性为50%，他是最有可能离开的球员。随着罗斯的崛起，珀杜的上场时间减少了，多伦多、波士顿、萨克拉门托和底特律都表达了签下他的兴趣。马刺队上赛季为珀杜支付了420万美元的薪水，他们可能不愿意在总决赛中没有使用的球员身上投入如此多的资金。

“如果我不回来，我必须拿起电话，告诉每个人，我很享受和他们一起打球，以及下次我们相遇时，我会如何虐待他们，”珀杜说道。

波波维奇很快将与马刺队主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)坐下来，敲定自己的续约合同。波波维奇现有的合同最后一年预计将支付给他120万美元，这份合同很可能被废除，取而代之的是一份至少为期三年的新合同。

与此同时，邓肯今年夏天不会与马刺队续约，因为球场问题还没有解决。周日，当霍尔特和市长霍华德·皮克(Howard Peak)在河边漫步时，球迷开始高呼：“球场！球场！球场！”

霍尔特表示，他希望尽快与市领导人会面，并希望在11月的公投中加入这项内容。然而，1月份似乎是一个更现实的目标日期。

“我们不会参与有关留下还是离开的政治问题，”约翰逊说道。“我们将让那些有权势的人——管理层和市领导人——来决定。但我们从第一天起就一直在说，我们是社区宝贵的资产。我认为我们在球场内外都证明了这一点。”

目前，邓肯不太担心球场问题。也不担心湖人队。

“我将尽情享受这段美好时光，”他在总决赛结束后说道，“整个夏天。”

点击查看原文：The party's over, what's next? - Spurs now taking divergent paths

The party’s over, what’s next? - Spurs now taking divergent paths

The Spurs had finally stopped dancing on the Madison Square Garden floor long enough for Tim Duncan to meet the media.

Duncan had just completed his second season in the NBA by lifting his team to its first championship. He was the freshly crowned MVP of the Finals; the best player in the league, New York coach Jeff Van Gundy said.

If ever there was a time for the melodramatic, reflect-on-the-moment, “Tim, you just won the NBA Finals, where are you going?” question, this was it. But after Duncan dutifully answered about 10 of them, someone blurted out: “What do you think about the new team in L.A.?”

The question not only caught Duncan off guard, but sent 900 or so other reporters mumbling amongst themselves. Inconsiderate? Tactless? Definitely. The questioner, however, also showed that no matter how much you accomplish today, there’s always someone who wants to talk about tomorrow.

As for the future of the reigning NBA champions? Well, it begins today. After Sunday’s wild celebration, the Spurs quietly gathered one final time Monday morning at the Alamodome to clean out lockers, divide $2.2 million in playoff bonus money and exchange phone numbers and autographs before departing their own ways.

The team won’t publicly meet on the court again until Oct. 15, when the Spurs visit Milan, Italy, for the McDonald’s Championship, a six- team tournament that also includes Australia’s Adelaide 36ers, Asia’s C.S. Sagesse, Italy’s Varese Roosters, South America’s Vasco da Gama and Lithuania’s Zalgiris Kaunas. Sacramento will replace the Spurs in Tokyo for the 1999 Japan Games against Minnesota.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich “had a few words for us,” Avery Johnson said, fighting back tears. “You get a chance to see a side of people that you don’t normally see when something special like this happens. We had a touching meeting.”

From here on out, everything changes for both the players and the coaches. David Robinson was the last one to leave Monday, and as he climbed into his car an Alamodome worker yelled, “My hero!” The Spurs will be just that for the rest of the summer.

They will be cheered everywhere they go in town, treated to free meals at every restaurant. Book deals are already in the works. Robinson will appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” July 7. Johnson will be a guest on the “Late Show with David Letterman” Wednesday.

“Avery better be ready because Dave might come at him because of his accent and the way he puts sentences together,” Sean Elliott said. “Letterman might be on him, but Avery can handle himself.”

Mario Elie will immediately begin talking trash at Houston’s Westside Tennis Club. Andrew Gaze will head back to Australia for good. Antonio Daniels, Gerard King, Brandon Williams and Derrick Dial, last year’s second-round draft pick, will get ready for next month’s rookie and free agent camp in Utah.

After guarding Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Rasheed Wallace, Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston the past six weeks, Elliott finally gets a chance to relax. Duncan, however, doesn’t. He will leave within the week for Orlando, Fla., to begin training with the U.S. national team for next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Popovich and his staff also will have to wait to rest. Wednesday’s NBA Draft is the first order of business. And Will Perdue, Malik Rose and Jaren Jackson officially become free agents Thursday.

Teams can negotiate with free agents, but can’t officially sign or trade players until Aug. 1, when the NBA finalizes next season’s salary cap. Though the Spurs likely will have three salary cap exceptions to use ($2 million, $1.2 million and $1 million), the roster does not figure to change much.

“I’m definitely going to be back,” Rose said. “Although anything can happen, this is where my heart is. My heart tells me I’m going to be back here, so I have to follow my heart.”

Perdue, who said there’s a 50- percent chance he will re-sign, is the most likely departure. Perdue’s minutes declined with the emergence of Rose, and Toronto, Boston, Sacramento and Detroit have all expressed interest in signing him. The Spurs, who paid Perdue $4.2 million last season, may not want to invest so much in a player they didn’t use in the Finals.

“If I don’t come back, I’m going to have to pick up the phone and tell everyone how much I enjoyed playing with them and how I’m going to kick their (bleep) the next time we play them,” Perdue said.

Popovich will sit down with Spurs chairman Peter Holt soon to iron out his own extension. The last year of Popovich’s current contract, which is scheduled to pay him $1.2 million, likely will be torn up and replaced with a new deal lasting at least three years.

Duncan, meanwhile, won’t sign an extension with the Spurs this summer because the arena issue has not been settled. When Holt and Mayor Howard Peak floated by during the River Walk parade Sunday, fans began chanting, “Arena! Arena! Arena!”

Holt, who said he wants to meet with city leaders as quickly as possible, would like to get a referendum put on the November ballot. January, however, appears to be a more realistic target date.

“We’re not going to get into the politics of staying or leaving,” Johnson said. “We’ll let the higher powers - the management and city leaders - decide that. But we’ve always said from Day 1 that we were a valuable asset to the community. And I think we proved it on and off the court.”

For now, Duncan is not too concerned about the arena issue. Or the Lakers.

“I’m just going to try to ride this high,” he said after the championship game, “all summer.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Arthur Garcia

马刺发现你能从当下开始

是的，事实如此。

圣安东尼奥马刺队：1999 年 NBA 总冠军。

从停摆到以 6 胜 8 负开局，再到“阵亡将士纪念日奇迹”，到周五在麦迪逊广场花园中以 78-77 夺冠的胜利，验证了酝酿了四分之一世纪的历程。虽然从更大的视角来看这仅是一场比赛，意义不大，但球队在某种程度上提升了其长期受苦的支持者的生活品质。

“很多人和我们一起经历了许多事情，”肖恩·埃利奥特说。“那些真正支持我们的人，他们值得拥有这件奖杯。”

马刺队登上了新千年，处在他们运动的巅峰，而这座城市被他们英雄的每一个运球、投篮和呼吸所吸引。大卫·罗宾逊、蒂姆·邓肯、艾弗里·约翰逊、埃利奥特、马里奥·埃利和同伴们带领着这座城市进行了长达七周的季后赛旅程，载入史册。圣安东尼奥人曾经多次希望破灭，他们通过装饰住房、汽车和商店，将这座城市的日常生活变成一场持续不断的动员会，加入了这场旅程。

一段时间——事实上，是有一段时间——看起来这个如今充满神奇的赛季永远不会到来。停摆，是 NBA 历史上第一次停工，抹去了 1998-99 赛季的头三个月。

1 月中旬，停摆结束了，但马刺阵营中仍然存在不确定性。上赛季是邓肯加入后的首个赛季，马刺队仍然像罗宾逊时代的其他赛季一样提前结束赛季。在季后赛第二轮输给犹他爵士队后，问题仍然存在。

一支由好人组成的球队能获胜吗？它能由格雷格·波波维奇执教吗？它能在圣安东尼奥发生吗？

马刺队从停摆的灰烬中脱颖而出成为一支不同的球队。球迷最喜欢的文尼·德尔内格罗出局了。一群新球员和一种新的态度替代了德尔内格罗。埃利、史蒂夫·科尔和杰罗姆·克西带来了韧性、狡猾和冠军气质。安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯带来了青春和生气。安德鲁·盖兹带来了澳大利亚口音。

起初，这并没有奏效。2 月份臭名昭著的 6-8 战绩似乎是遥远的记忆，但马刺队的未来岌岌可危。新人们还没有完全融合。在上一赛季听从罗宾逊之后，邓肯接替了进攻的焦点，但双塔遇到了困难。“解雇波波！解雇波波！”的呼声响彻阿拉莫穹顶。

“我们开局很慢。每个人都开始对我们置之不理，”总决赛 MVP 邓肯说。“作为一个团体，我们团结在一起。我们彼此相信……这就是我们现在所在位置的原因。”

然后发生了某些事情，在三月初的休斯顿。在受到压力时，球员和教练都无法确切地说清它是什么，但一切都井然有序，以 99-82 战胜火箭队。

“我们在那里取得了一场大胜，”波波维奇说，“很明显，那种事情有助于人们相信。”

一场 31-5 的比赛开始了，马刺队在常规赛中以联盟最佳战绩与犹他队并列，并在整个季后赛中获得了主场优势。

那是一个怎样的季后赛啊！在第一轮第二场比赛中输给明尼苏达后，马刺队取得了季后赛创纪录的 12 连胜，其中包括四场横扫洛杉矶湖人队和波特兰开拓者队。

在阿拉莫穹顶举行的总决赛前两场比赛中，圣安东尼奥队击败了尼克斯队，然后纽约队在第三场比赛中取得胜利，重新进入了系列赛。马刺队毫不畏惧，反败为胜，在花园里拿下了接下来的两场比赛，结束了他们 26 年来的失败。

“这是一段漫长的旅程，”大卫·罗宾逊谈到他在马刺队的 10 年时说。“这是一个快乐，伙计。这段旅程的每一分钟都是值得的。”

自 1973 年以来，圣安东尼奥唯一一支大联盟球队偶尔会参加冠军赛，但一次又一次地失败。虽然这个球队几乎总是在赛场上获得成功，但它从未加入 NBA 的精英球队行列。现在，马刺队与公牛队、火箭队和活塞队一起，成为 90 年代的联盟总冠军。

NBA 总冠军消除了任何疑问，即一个相对较小的南德克萨斯州城市可以与体育界的纽约和洛杉矶竞争。圣安东尼奥也跳出了得克萨斯州邻居休斯顿和达拉斯的阴影，不再是这个体育狂热的州的第三者。

点击查看原文：Spurs find you can get there from here

Spurs find you can get there from here

Yes, it’s true.

San Antonio Spurs: 1999 NBA champions.

From the lockout to the 6-8 start to the “Memorial Day Miracle” to Friday, the 78-77 title-clinching victory over the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden validated an existence a quarter-century in the making. Though just a game, meaning little in the grand picture, the team, in some small way, elevated the quality of life of its long-suffering supporters.

“A lot of people have been through a lot with us,” Sean Elliott said. “And the people that really stuck by us, they deserve a piece of this trophy.”

The Spurs head into a new millennium at the pinnacle of their sport, with a city captivated by every dribble, shot and breath of their heroes. David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Avery Johnson, Elliott, Mario Elie and company have driven the city on a seven-week playoff ride into history. San Antonians, their hopes crushed so many times before, went along for the ride by decorating homes, cars and businesses, turning everyday life in the city into a continuous pep rally.

At one time - actually, for some time - it appeared the now-magical season would never take place. The lockout, the first work stoppage in NBA history, wiped out the first three months of the 1998-99 campaign.

Mid-January brought an end to the lockout, but uncertainty remained in the Spurs camp. San Antonio had ended the previous season, the first with Duncan, much the same way as others in the Robinson era. After a second-round postseason loss to the Utah Jazz, the questions continued.

Can a team of nice guys win? Can it win with Gregg Popovich as coach? Can it happen in San Antonio?

The Spurs emerged from the ashes of the lockout a different team. Fan-favorite Vinny Del Negro was out. In were a host of new players and a new attitude. Elie, Steve Kerr and Jerome Kersey brought toughness, guile and championship pedigrees. Antonio Daniels, youth and exuberance. Andrew Gaze, an Australian accent.

At first, it didn’t work. The notorious 6-8 record posted in February seems a distant memory, but the future of the Spurs hung in the balance. The new guys weren’t meshing. After deferring to Robinson last season, Duncan took over as the focal point of the offense, but the Twin Towers struggled. Cries of “Fire Pop! Fire Pop!” echoed through the Alamodome.

“We started out slow. Everybody started turning their backs on us,” said Duncan, the Finals MVP. “As a group, we stayed together. We believed in each other … That’s why we are where we are now.”

Then something happened, in early March at Houston. When pressed, the players and their coach can’t put an exact finger on it, but it all fell into place in a 99-82 rout of the Rockets.

“We had a big win there,” Popovich said, “and obviously those sorts of things help people believe.”

A 31-5 run had begun, and the Spurs finished the regular season tied with Utah for the league’s best record and secured home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

And what a postseason it was. After losing the second game in the first round to Minnesota, the Spurs peeled off a playoff-record 12 straight victories, including four-game sweeps of the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers.

San Antonio downed the Knicks in the first two games of the Finals in the Alamodome, before New York clawed back into the series with a victory in Game 3. The Spurs, undaunted, came back to claim the next two in the Garden, ending 26 years of coming up short.

“It’s been a long journey,” David Robinson said of his 10 years with the Spurs. “It’s a joy, man. It’s worth every minute of the journey.”

On occasion since 1973, San Antonio’s only big-league team flirted with championships, only to fall short time and again. The franchise, though almost always successful on the floor, never joined the NBA’s inner-sanctum of elite teams. Now, the Spurs take their place alongside the Bulls, Rockets and Pistons as league champions in the '90s.

The NBA title erases any doubts that a relatively small South Texas city can compete with the New Yorks and Los Angeleses of the sports world. San Antonio also stepped out of the shadow of Texas neighbors Houston and Dallas, no longer a third wheel in a sports-crazy state.

By Arthur Garcia, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29

年鉴

圣安东尼奥马刺队在 NBA 季后赛中的战绩：

1977：负于波士顿凯尔特人队，2-0。

1978：负于华盛顿子弹队，4-2。

1979：战胜费城76人队，4-3；负于华盛顿子弹队，4-3。

1980：负于休斯顿火箭队，2-1。

1981：负于休斯顿火箭队，4-3。

1982：战胜西雅图超音速队，4-1；负于洛杉矶湖人队，4-0。

1983：战胜丹佛掘金队，4-1；负于洛杉矶湖人队，4-2。

1984：未进季后赛。

1985：负于丹佛掘金队，3-2。

1986：负于洛杉矶湖人队，3-0。

1987：未进季后赛。

1988：负于洛杉矶湖人队，3-0。

1989：未进季后赛。

1990：战胜丹佛掘金队，3-0；负于波特兰开拓者队，4-3。

1991：负于金州勇士队，3-1。

1992：负于菲尼克斯太阳队，3-0。

1993：战胜波特兰开拓者队，3-1；负于菲尼克斯太阳队，4-2。

1994：负于犹他爵士队，3-1。

1995：战胜丹佛掘金队，3-0；战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-2；负于休斯顿火箭队，4-2。

1996：战胜菲尼克斯太阳队，3-1；负于犹他爵士队，4-2。

1997：未进季后赛。

1998：战胜菲尼克斯太阳队，3-1；负于犹他爵士队，4-1。

1999：战胜明尼苏达森林狼队，3-1；战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-0；战胜波特兰开拓者队，4-0；战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-1，获得 NBA 冠军。

NBA 总决赛

1946-47：费城勇士队战胜芝加哥雄鹿队，4-1。

1947-48：巴尔的摩子弹队战胜费城勇士队，4-2。

1948-49：明尼阿波利斯湖人队战胜华盛顿首都队，4-2。

1949-50：明尼阿波利斯湖人队战胜锡拉丘兹国民队，4-2。

1950-51：罗切斯特皇家队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-3。

1951-52：明尼阿波利斯湖人队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-3。

1952-53：明尼阿波利斯湖人队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-1。

1953-54：明尼阿波利斯湖人队战胜锡拉丘兹国民队，4-3。

1954-55：锡拉丘兹国民队战胜韦恩堡活塞队，4-3。

1955-56：费城勇士队战胜韦恩堡活塞队，4-1。

1956-57：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜圣路易斯老鹰队，4-3。

1957-58：圣路易斯老鹰队战胜波士顿凯尔特人队，4-2。

1958-59：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜明尼阿波利斯湖人队，4-0。

1959-60：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜圣路易斯老鹰队，4-3。

1960-61：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜圣路易斯老鹰队，4-1。

1961-62：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-3。

1962-63：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-2。

1963-64：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜旧金山勇士队，4-1。

1964-65：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-1。

1965-66：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-3。

1966-67：费城76人队战胜旧金山勇士队，4-2。

1967-68：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-2。

1968-69：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-3。

1969-70：纽约尼克斯队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-3。

1970-71：密尔沃基雄鹿队战胜巴尔的摩子弹队，4-0。

1971-72：洛杉矶湖人队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-1。

1972-73：纽约尼克斯队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-1。

1973-74：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜密尔沃基雄鹿队，4-3。

1974-75：金州勇士队战胜华盛顿子弹队，4-0。

1975-76：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜菲尼克斯太阳队，4-2。

1976-77：波特兰开拓者队战胜费城76人队，4-2。

1977-78：华盛顿子弹队战胜西雅图超音速队，4-3。

1978-79：西雅图超音速队战胜华盛顿子弹队，4-1。

1979-80：洛杉矶湖人队战胜费城76人队，4-2。

1980-81：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜休斯顿火箭队，4-2。

1981-82：洛杉矶湖人队战胜费城76人队，4-2。

1982-83：费城76人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-0。

1983-84：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-3。

1984-85：洛杉矶湖人队战胜波士顿凯尔特人队，4-2。

1985-86：波士顿凯尔特人队战胜休斯顿火箭队，4-2。

1986-87：洛杉矶湖人队战胜波士顿凯尔特人队，4-2。

1987-88：洛杉矶湖人队战胜底特律活塞队，4-3。

1988-89：底特律活塞队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-0。

1989-90：底特律活塞队战胜波特兰开拓者队，4-1。

1990-91：芝加哥公牛队战胜洛杉矶湖人队，4-1。

1991-92：芝加哥公牛队战胜波特兰开拓者队，4-2。

1992-93：芝加哥公牛队战胜菲尼克斯太阳队，4-2。

1993-94：休斯顿火箭队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-3。

1994-95：休斯顿火箭队战胜奥兰多魔术队，4-0。

1995-96：芝加哥公牛队战胜西雅图超音速队，4-2。

1996-97：芝加哥公牛队战胜犹他爵士队，4-2。

1997-98：芝加哥公牛队战胜犹他爵士队，4-2。

1998-99：圣安东尼奥马刺队战胜纽约尼克斯队，4-1。

NBA 总决赛 MVP

1969：杰里·韦斯特(Jerry West)，洛杉矶湖人队

1970：威利斯·里德(Willis Reed)，纽约尼克斯队

1971：卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)，密尔沃基雄鹿队

1972：威尔特·张伯伦(Wilt Chamberlain)，洛杉矶湖人队

1973：威利斯·里德(Willis Reed)，纽约尼克斯队

1974：约翰·哈夫利切克(John Havlicek)，波士顿凯尔特人队

1975：里克·巴里(Rick Barry)，金州勇士队

1976：乔·乔·怀特(Jo Jo White)，波士顿凯尔特人队

1977：比尔·沃顿(Bill Walton)，波特兰开拓者队

1978：韦斯·昂塞尔德(Wes Unseld)，华盛顿子弹队

1979：丹尼斯·约翰逊(Dennis Johnson)，西雅图超音速队

1980：魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)，洛杉矶湖人队

1981：塞德里克·麦克斯韦尔(Cedric Maxwell)，波士顿凯尔特人队

1982：魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)，洛杉矶湖人队

1983：摩西·马龙(Moses Malone)，费城76人队

1984：拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)，波士顿凯尔特人队

1985：卡里姆·阿卜杜尔-贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)，洛杉矶湖人队

1986：拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)，波士顿凯尔特人队

1987：魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)，洛杉矶湖人队

1988：詹姆斯·沃西(James Worthy)，洛杉矶湖人队

1989：乔·杜马斯(Joe Dumars)，底特律活塞队

1990：以赛亚·托马斯(Isiah Thomas)，底特律活塞队

1991：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1992：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1993：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1994：哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)，休斯顿火箭队

1995：哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)，休斯顿火箭队

1996：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1997：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1998：迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)，芝加哥公牛队

1999：蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，圣安东尼奥马刺队

点击查看原文：ALMANAC

ALMANAC

Spurs in the NBA playoffs 1977: Lost to Boston 2-0.

1978: Lost to Washington 4-2.

1979: Beat Philadelphia 4-3; lost to Washington 4-3.

1980: Lost to Houston 2-1.

1981: Lost to Houston 4-3.

1982: Beat Seattle 4-1; lost to L.A. Lakers 4-0.

1983: Beat Denver 4-1; lost to L.A. Lakers 4-2.

1984: Didn’t make playoffs.

1985: Lost to Denver 3-2.

1986: Lost to L.A. Lakers 3-0.

1987: Didn’t make playoffs.

1988: Lost to L.A. Lakers 3-0.

1989: Didn’t make playoffs.

1990: Beat Denver 3-0; lost to Portland 4-3.

1991: Lost to Golden State 3-1.

1992: Lost to Phoenix 3-0.

1993: Beat Portland 3-1; lost to Phoenix 4-2.

1994: Lost to Utah 3-1.

1995: Beat Denver 3-0; beat L.A. Lakers 4-2; lost to Houston 4-2.

1996: Beat Phoenix 3-1; lost to Utah 4-2.

1997: Didn’t make playoffs.

1998: Beat Phoenix 3-1; lost to Utah 4-1.

1999: Beat Minnesota 3-1; beat L.A. Lakers 4-0; beat Portland 4-0; beat New York 4-1 NBA champions.

NBA Finals

1946-47: Philadelphia Warriors def. Chicago Stags, 4-1

1947-48: Baltimore Bullets def. Philadelphia Warriors, 4-2

1948-49: Minneapolis Lakers def. Washington Capitols, 4-2

1949-50: Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals, 4-2

1950-51: Rochester Royals def. New York Knicks, 4-3

1951-52: Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks, 4-3

1952-53: Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks, 4-1

1953-54: Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals, 4-3

1954-55: Syracuse Nationals def. Fort Wayne Pistons, 4-3

1955-56: Philadelphia Warriors def. Fort Wayne Pistons, 4-1

1956-57: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks, 4-3

1957-58: St. Louis Hawks def. Boston Celtics, 4-2

1958-59: Boston Celtics def. Minneapolis Lakers, 4-0

1959-60: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks, 4-3

1960-61: Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks, 4-1

1961-62: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1962-63: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2

1963-64: Boston Celtics def. San Francisco Warriors, 4-1

1964-65: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1

1965-66: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1966-67: Philadelphia 76ers def. San Francisco Warriors, 4-2

1967-68: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-2

1968-69: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1969-70: New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1970-71: Milwaukee Bucks def. Baltimore Bullets, 4-0

1971-72: Los Angeles Lakers def. New York Knicks, 4-1

1972-73: New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1

1973-74: Boston Celtics def. Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3

1974-75: Golden State Warriors def. Washington Bullets, 4-0

1975-76: Boston Celtics def. Phoenix Suns, 4-2

1976-77: Portland Trail Blazers def. Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2

1977-78: Washington Bullets def. Seattle SuperSonics, 4-3

1978-79: Seattle SuperSonics def. Washington Bullets, 4-1

1979-80: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2

1980-81: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets, 4-2

1981-82: Los Angeles Lakers def. Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2

1982-83: Philadelphia 76ers def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0

1983-84: Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-3

1984-85: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics, 4-2

1985-86: Boston Celtics def. Houston Rockets, 4-2

1986-87: Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics, 4-2

1987-88: Los Angeles Lakers def. Detroit Pistons, 4-3

1988-89: Detroit Pistons def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0

1989-90: Detroit Pistons def. Portland Trail Blazers, 4-1

1990-91: Chicago Bulls def. Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1

1991-92: Chicago Bulls def. Portland Trail Blazers, 4-2

1992-93: Chicago Bulls def. Phoenix Suns 4-2

1993-94: Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks, 4-3

1994-95: Houston Rockets def. Orlando Magic, 4-0.

1995-96: Chicago Bulls def. Seattle SuperSonics, 4-2.

1996-97: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz, 4-2.

1997-98: Chicago Bulls def. Utah Jazz, 4-2.

1998-99: San Antonio Spurs def. New York Knicks, 4-1.

NBA Finals MVPs

1969: Jerry West, L.A. Lakers

1970: Willis Reed, New York

1971: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee

1972: Wilt Chamberlain, L.A. Lakers

1973: Willis Reed, New York

1974: John Havlicek, Boston

1975: Rick Barry, Golden State

1976: Jo Jo White, Boston

1977: Bill Walton, Portland

1978: Wes Unseld, Washington

1979: Dennis Johnson, Seattle

1980: Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1981: Cedric Maxwell, Boston

1982: Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1983: Moses Malone, Philadelphia

1984: Larry Bird, Boston

1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers

1986: Larry Bird, Boston

1987: Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1988: James Worthy, L.A. Lakers

1989: Joe Dumars, Detroit

1990: Isiah Thomas, Detroit

1991: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1992: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1993: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1994: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1995: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1996: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1997: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1998: Michael Jordan, Chicago

1999: Tim Duncan, San Antonio

via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-29, By Jeanne Jakle

艾弗里上“莱特曼秀”

深夜电视的追逐开始了：“小将军”艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)成为第一个被抓住的马刺球员。

他将于周三出现在哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）的《大卫·莱特曼深夜秀》(Late Show with David Letterman)上。这将在KENS频道晚上11:05播出。

据我所知，这是艾弗里第一次参加这类客串节目。他在周五晚上投进了制胜球。

多年来，大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)一直被邀请参加深夜节目。蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)在过去的一年中曾登上杰伊·莱诺(Jay Leno)的《今夜秀》(Tonight Show)。而前马刺球员丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman)经常被邀请参加节目，原因嘛，就不同了。

看到自然而坦率的约翰逊被尖刻的莱特曼盘问，应该会很有趣。

不知何故，朴实的艾弗里与这些尊贵的嘉宾一起出现在同一节目中，似乎很合适：皮埃蒙特鸟鸣者。

嘿，我只是报道这些，我没有编造。

肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)刚刚接到哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）的《克雷格·基尔伯恩深夜秀》(Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn)的电话。他将在周四的节目中客串出演。（但它将在KENS频道周五凌晨1:05播出）。

下周，罗宾逊将在全国广播公司（NBC）的《杰伊·莱诺今夜秀》(Tonight Show with Jay Leno)上亮相。他已同意于7月7日与杰伊聊天。莱诺的节目将在KMOL频道晚上10:35播出。

马刺无处不在

与此同时，从《早安美国》(Good Morning America)到《哥伦比亚广播公司早安》(CBS This Morning)，全国早间电视节目都对新晋NBA冠军赞不绝口。我听说，周一，GMA甚至播放了与海军上将罗宾逊的精彩访谈。

即使是像CNN的《国会山派》(The Capital Gang)这样的政治节目，也在周末就开始了关于马刺的即兴讨论。

主持人马克·希尔德斯(Mark Shields)通过抨击他们的竞争对手尼克斯的球迷来引出这个话题，称他们“极端粗鲁”。作为例子，他提到了他们在国歌演奏期间高喊“尼克斯加油”的情况，并接着说这种情况在印第安纳波利斯、盐湖城，当然也不会发生在圣安东尼奥。

在印刷领域，《今日美国》(USA Today)已经开始展望明年的NBA总决赛。

在周一出版的报纸上，作家大卫·杜普里(David DuPree)认为，马刺卫冕冠军的机会很小，因为大多数球员都“太老了”。毕竟，罗宾逊将在8月年满34岁。马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)将在11月年满36岁，埃利奥特31岁，约翰逊34岁。

别开玩笑了！这些老迈的骨头今年表现不错，我相信，下个赛季，它们不会老得太多。

创纪录的收视率

正如所有人预料的那样，周五在纽约举行的冠军争夺赛在圣安东尼奥的收视率很高，事实上，它创造了纪录。

它的收视率为52，份额为72，是本地电视历史上体育赛事，或者说任何赛事，收视率最高的节目。

在全国范围内，周五的比赛是总决赛直播中收视率最低的比赛之一。全国广播公司（NBC）报道称，有3500万人收看了比赛，而收看第三场和第四场比赛的人数为3800万。

至于周日游行和阿拉莫穹顶庆典的电视直播，观看人数也很可观，这表明人们还没有厌倦观看为他们的马刺欢呼。

点击查看原文：Paragon to change its name

Paragon to change its name

Soon, San Antonians won’t have Paragon Cable to kick around anymore.

Come early next year, the company you’ll be directing

complaints - or, for that matter, compliments - to will

be different: Time Warner Cable.

The folks will be the same; only the name will change. The

new San Antonio name will reflect the parent company

that bought Paragon back in 1995: Time Warner.

Why did it take so long - nearly five years - to change

Paragon? “We were attached to it,” Karen Hartley, vice

president of sales and marketing, said Monday.

And practically speaking, an ID change is very expensive,

she said, to the tune of a quarter-million dollars.

That’s because uniforms, signs, letterheads, trucks, just

about everything must be altered to bear the new name.

Avery on ‘Letterman’

The late-night TV pursuit has begun: The first Spur to be

nabbed is “The Little General,” Avery Johnson.

He’ll appear on CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman”

on Wednesday. That’s 11:05 p.m. on KENS.

As far as I can recall, this kind of guest shot is a first for

Avery, who scored the game-winning basket Friday night.

David Robinson, for years, has been invited on the

late-night gigs. Tim Duncan, in the past year, was

featured on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show.” And former

Spur Dennis Rodman was asked on frequently for, well,

different reasons.

It should be a kick watching the very natural and

outspoken Johnson being quizzed by the wry Letterman.

And somehow it seems appropriate for the down-home

Avery to be appearing on the same show with these

distinguished guests: The Piedmont Bird Callers.

Hey, I just report this stuff, I don’t make it up.

Sean Elliott just got a call from the "Late Late Show with

Craig Kilborn" on CBS. He’ll do a guest shot on

Thursday’s show. (But it airs at 1:05 a.m. Friday on

KENS.)

Next week, Robinson gets the spotlight on NBC’s

“Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” He’s agreed to chat it up

with Jay July 7. Leno airs on KMOL at 10:35 p.m.

Spurs everywhere

Meanwhile, the nation’s morning TV shows, from "Good

Morning America" to “CBS This Morning,” were full of

accolades for the new NBA champs. I’m told GMA on

Monday even featured a terrific interview with The

Admiral, Robinson.

Even political shows like CNN’s “The Capital Gang,” over

the weekend, got into an impromptu discussion about the

Spurs.

Moderator Mark Shields brought them up by slamming

the fans of their competitors, the Knicks, for "their

terminal boorishness." As an example, he cited the fact

that they chanted “Go Knicks” during the national anthem,

and went on to say that would never happen in

Indianapolis, Salt Lake City and certainly not in San

Antonio.

In the print realm, USA Today already jumped into next

year’s NBA championship debate.

In Monday’s paper, writer David DuPree suggested the

Spurs had little chance of a championship repeat because

most of the players will be too “old.” After all, Robinson

will be 34 in August. Mario Elie will be 36 come

November, Elliott is 31 and Johnson is 34.

Give me a break! Those creaky, old limbs sure did OK

this year, and I imagine, next season, they won’t be too

much creakier.

Record-breaking audience

As everyone expected, the San Antonio rating for Friday’s

clincher game in New York was huge; in fact, it was

record-breaking.

It earned a 52 rating, 72 share, and was the largest local

TV turnout ever recorded for a sporting event, or for that

matter, any event.

Nationally, Friday’s win was one of the lowest-rated of

the Finals telecasts. NBC reports that 35 million folks

tuned in, compared to the 38 million who watched games

three and four.

As for the audience that showed up for the Sunday

telecasts of the parade and Alamodome celebration, those

numbers also were sizable, indicating people hadn’t tired

of watching cheers for their Spurs.

*To leave a message for Jeanne Jakle, call ExpressLine

at 554-0500 and punch 4416. Or contact her by e-mail

at jjakle@express-news.net.*

By Jeanne Jakle, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-06-30, By Johnny Ludden

马刺队备战第29顺位选秀，无庆祝活动计划

这应该并不令人意外，马刺队不会举办选秀派对。周日的夺冠游行和集会，将会为庆祝球队获得NBA总冠军而让路。

就声势而言，今晚的NBA选秀除了为艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)在“大卫·莱特曼深夜秀”上的亮相提供一个不错的开场白外，并没有什么其他的意义。

除非在最后一刻进行交易，否则马刺队将在第一轮的第29位，也就是最后一个顺位进行选秀。由于下赛季的阵容中只有几个空缺位置，球队并不介意放弃这个选秀权，以避免三年保证合同的束缚。

马刺队主教练兼总经理格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)也表示，他会考虑选择一名海外球员，让他在海外打一两个赛季积累经验。

替补中锋威尔·珀迪(Will Perdue)和摇摆人贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)将在周四成为自由球员，马刺队也拥有第二轮的第57顺位选秀权，他们可能会寻找一些保险，以防其中一人离开。现有的阵容也需要在侧翼增强运动能力。

拉隆·普罗菲特(Laron Profit)，来自马里兰大学的6尺4寸后卫，是选秀中最好的运动员之一，他应该在第一轮的后段被选中。普罗菲特，速度快，弹跳好，上赛季场均14.5分，在特拉普斯队的抢断总数榜上排名第二。俄克拉荷马州立大学的阿德里安·彼得森(Adrian Peterson，6尺4寸)或明尼苏达大学的昆西·刘易斯(Quincy Lewis，6尺7寸)也是后卫位置上的选择。

匹兹堡大学的冯提戈·卡明斯(Vonteego Cummings，6尺3寸)在芝加哥的选秀前集训中，凭借其传球能力给球探留下了深刻印象，但他可以打任何一个后卫位置。如果卡明斯，与蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)拥有相同的经纪人，已经被选中，来自路易斯安那理工大学的朗尼·库珀(Lonnie Cooper，6尺3寸)应该可以被选中。

来自老自治领大学的卡尔·鲍德勒(Cal Bowdler，6尺10寸)；来自马萨诸塞州的拉里·凯特纳(Lari Ketner，6尺10寸)；以及来自新墨西哥大学的肯尼·托马斯(Kenny Thomas，6尺8寸)，都是马刺队前锋线的选择。

点击查看原文：No festivities planned as Spurs prepare for 29th pick

No festivities planned as Spurs prepare for 29th pick

This should come as little surprise, but the Spurs will not play host to a draft party. Sunday’s victory parade and rally celebrating the team’s NBA championship will have to make due.

As far as fanfare goes, tonight’s NBA Draft provides little more than a nice intro for Avery Johnson’s appearance on the “Late Show With David Letterman.”

Barring a last-minute trade, the Spurs will make the 29th and final pick of the first round. With few open slots on next season’s roster, the team would not mind unloading the pick to avoid the three-year guaranteed contract it requires.

Spurs coach and general manager Gregg Popovich also said he would consider taking a foreign player and leaving him overseas for a season or two of experience.

Backup center Will Perdue and swingman Jaren Jackson will become free agents Thursday and the Spurs, who also own the 57th overall pick in the second round, may look for insurance in case either leaves. The current roster also could use some athleticism on the perimeter.

Laron Profit, a 6-foot-4 guard from Maryland, is one of the better athletes in the draft and should be available at the bottom of the first round. Profit, who is quick and can jump well, averaged 14.5 points last season and finished second on the Terrapins’ career list with 252 steals. Oklahoma State’s Adrian Peterson (6-4) or Minnesota’s Quincy Lewis (6-7) also are options at off guard.

Pittsburgh’s Vonteego Cummings, 6-3, impressed scouts with his distribution at the pre-draft camp in Chicago, but can play either guard position. If Cummings, who shares the same agent as Tim Duncan, is already taken, Lonnie Cooper, a 6-3 point guard from Louisiana Tech, should be available.

Cal Bowdler, a 6-10 forward from Old Dominion; Lari Ketner, a 6-10 center/forward from Massachusetts; and Kenny Thomas, a 6-8 scoring forward from New Mexico are options for the Spurs’ front line.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News