马刺1998-99赛季实录（780+篇）

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-27, By Kevin O’Keeffe

领袖：科尔和艾利知道如何取胜

为什么两个在 18 年的 NBA 生涯中，合计场均仅得到 16 分的球员会引起如此大的关注？

对于史蒂芬·道格拉斯·科尔(Stephen Douglas Kerr) 和马里奥·安东尼奥·艾利(Mario Antoine Elie) 来说，戒指才是最重要的 - 指的是 NBA 总冠军戒指。

对于科尔和艾利来说，重要的数字是五 - 指的是他们之间的五座 NBA 冠军奖杯。

这就是为什么交易来一名 33 岁的慢速后卫（科尔）以及签下 35 岁的矮个（6 英尺 5 英寸）小前锋（艾利）对马刺来说非常合理的原因。马刺队在周二晚上在休斯敦对阵火箭队，开始了他们简短的季前赛。

这场比赛对艾利来说意义重大，他曾效力于 1993-94 赛季和 94-95 赛季的火箭队冠军球队。

而且艾利在那些冠军球队中绝不是打酱油的角色。

在 95 年的 NBA 总决赛中，艾利在 11 投 9 中的情况下得到 22 分，帮助火箭队在横扫奥兰多的比赛中赢下了第四场。如果不是艾利在西部半决赛第七场对阵菲尼克斯的比赛中，在比赛还剩 7.1 秒时投进三分球，火箭队甚至没有机会进入总决赛。

但随着火箭队为 21 世纪重新组建阵容，艾利被认为不再必要。他们的损失，却成为了圣安东尼奥的收获，因为艾利带来了狡猾的球风，这可能让老马刺球迷想起了保罗·格里芬(Paul Griffin)，科比·迪特里克(Coby Dietrick) 和艾伦·布里斯托(Allan Bristow)。

就像这三位马刺老将一样，艾利无所畏惧。在经历了整个夏季被马刺队后卫艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 招募后，他对于重返赛场感到无比兴奋。

“艾弗里没有答应我一辆车，”艾利笑着说，“他答应我 7 英尺高的内线（大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 和威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)）以及一个能推进球的控球后卫。”

作为回报，艾利向马刺队及其球迷承诺，他会成为一名享受脏活累活的球员，并且永远不会付出低于 100% 的努力。

科尔则是从芝加哥公牛队换来的，作为交换，马刺队送出了查克·珀森(Chuck Person) 和一个今年或明年的首轮选秀权。马刺队因此得到了联盟中最好的三分射手之一。

科尔也有一些额外的珠宝，因为他在公牛队最后三座 NBA 冠军奖杯的球队中与迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan) 合作 - 95-96 赛季、96-97 赛季和 97-98 赛季。

就像艾利在火箭队连续两年的冠军球队中一样，科尔也绝不仅仅是旁观者。在 97 年的 NBA 总决赛中，他在最后时刻投进的一记跳投帮助公牛队赢下了第六场，并最终获得了冠军。

马刺队的球迷希望这种经验能够在今年春天有所帮助，因为马刺队总是无法达到预期。

“在季后赛中，你需要拥有强大的心理素质，”艾利说，“我和史蒂夫都知道这一点。”

那么，这对搭档如何将这种经验传达给现今的马刺队呢？

“我们会和球员们交流，”科尔说，“但很多冠军经验是通过行动来展现的。”

艾利和科尔希望这一切都能快速发生。

“大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 已经不再年轻了（33 岁），”艾利说，“所以现在是冲刺的时候了（争取冠军）。”

艾利和科尔拥有强大的气场。你只要走进他们的第一次训练课就能感受到这一点。由于他们曾经取得的成就，他们在队友中立刻就拥有了威信。

现在，他们的队友们希望艾利和科尔能够帮助他们也成为其中的一份子。

点击查看原文：Ring leaders: Kerr, Elie know how it's done

Ring leaders: Kerr, Elie know how it’s done

Why all the fuss about two guys who, in 18 years of NBA play combined, together have averaged only 16 points per game?

For Stephen Douglas Kerr and Mario Antoine Elie, the ring is the thing - as in NBA championship ring.

For Kerr and Elie, the number that matters is five - as in NBA titles between them.

That’s why trading for a 33-year- old, slow guard (Kerr) and signing as a free agent a 35-year-old, short (6-foot-5) small forward (Elie) makes good sense for the Spurs, who embarked on their abbreviated preseason Tuesday night in Houston against the Rockets.

That game was of particular significance to Elie, who played on the Rockets’ title teams in 1993- 94 and '94-95.

And Elie wasn’t just window dressing on those championship teams.

In the '95 NBA Finals, Elie’s 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting gave the Rockets Game 4 in their sweep of Orlando. And had it not been for Elie’s three-pointer in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals at Phoenix with 7.1 seconds left, the Rockets wouldn’t even have had a chance to reach the finals.

But as the Rockets retooled for the 21st century, Elie was deemed unnecessary. Their loss, though, was San Antonio’s gain because Elie brings a guile older Spurs fans may remember seeing in Paul Griffin, Coby Dietrick and Allan Bristow.

As was the case with that trio of Spurs alums, Elie fears no one. He is ecstatic about his rebirth here following a summerlong recruitment by Spurs guard Avery Johnson.

“Avery didn’t promise me a car,” said Elie, laughing. “He did promise me 7-footers (David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Will Perdue) and a point guard who pushed the ball up the floor.”

In return, Elie promises the Spurs and their patrons a performer who enjoys the dirty work and one who will never give less than 100 percent.

In Kerr, who came from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Chuck Person and a No. 1 draft choice either this year or next, the Spurs get one of the league’s premier three-point shooters.

Kerr, too, has some additional jewelry thanks to playing with Michael Jordan on the Bulls’ last three NBA title teams - '95-96, '96- 97 and '97-98.

As with Elie on the Rockets’ back-to-back champions, Kerr was more than a bystander. In the '97 NBA Finals, his jumper in the last moments clinched Game 6 and the title for the Bulls.

It’s that experience that Spurs’ fans hope will make a difference this spring, when the Spurs always have fallen short of expectations.

“There is a mental toughness you have to have in the playoffs,” Elie said. “Steve and I know about that.”

So how does this pair translate that experience to the current edition of the Spurs?

“We will talk to the guys,” Kerr said. “But a lot of the championship experience comes in showing the guys.”

Elie and Kerr want it to happen quickly.

“David Robinson isn’t getting any younger (at 33),” Elie said. “So it’s time to make a run (at the title).”

Elie and Kerr have a presence. You could feel it just walking into the first practice session. They have instant credibility with their teammates because of what they’ve been a part of.

Now those teammates hope Elie and Kerr will help them be a part of it, too.

By Kevin O’Keeffe, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-29, By Johnny Ludden

马刺队将训练变成球迷友好型活动

当NBA要求每支球队为公众举办一场免费训练时，联盟官员认为这将是一个不错的起点，可以用来衡量在停摆后赢得球迷需要付出多少努力。

好吧，数据已经出来了，马刺队不用担心。

据估计，周四晚上有5100名观众来到阿拉莫穹顶观看史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)骑健身车。

想象一下，当他开始投篮时，会有多少人来观看。

马刺队在周四晚上举办了他们的公开训练。重点在于训练。马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)对着埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)大喊让他快点。杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey)在练习罚球。大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)在给自己的膝盖敷冰。

“这是一次训练，”马刺队业务运营副总裁拉塞尔·布克宾德(Russ Bookbinder)说。“这可能会有点无聊。但每个人都在欣赏扣篮。

“对于这样的活动来说，我们很高兴看到家庭在享受乐趣。”

训练过程中出现了几次扣篮，训练结束后也有很多乐趣。

在训练结束后——包括短暂的对抗赛——马刺队球员们和孩子们开玩笑玩耍，并签署了大约1200个签名。

“这是球迷友好的，”肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)说。“但我必须问一个问题：是否需要停摆才能更加球迷友好？或者应该从一开始就这样做？

“让球迷们看到我们不仅仅是来参加比赛，穿上衣服，然后就开始比赛，这对他们来说是件好事。”

尽管有这些活动，马刺队还是设法进行了一些训练。他们进行了单打对抗训练——埃利奥特封盖了约翰逊，约翰逊在埃利奥特头上得分——并进行了一些对抗赛。首发球员约翰逊、埃利奥特、罗宾逊、贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)和蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)对阵替补球员安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)、马里奥·伊莱(Mario Elie)、马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)、威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)和安德鲁·盖茨(Andrew Gaze)，双方在场上进行了几次对决。

球迷们甚至注意到马刺队在2月5日对阵萨克拉门托的揭幕战之前还需要改进的一些地方。首先，罗宾逊被一个穿着埃利奥特球衣的4英尺3英寸高的孩子得分了。

“NBA正在发布通知，告诉我们更友好一些，”约翰逊说。“但从我在这里看到的情况来看，我们一直都很亲近球迷。这对我们来说没有什么新鲜事。”

然而，马刺队的新面孔确实造成了一些混乱。有人想知道裁判是否符合NBA的规定。(他们不符合。)有人想知道盖茨是不是科尔。(他不是。)有人想知道丹尼尔斯是不是丹尼尔斯。(他是。)

在训练的前半段，球迷们看起来很困惑或很无聊。他们打哈欠。他们吃棉花糖。他们保持沉默。

至少直到一个摄影组哄他们做波浪舞。“我们喜欢我们的摄影师，”有人喊道。

但总的来说，这场活动成为了一次温暖而模糊的体验，让那些经历了7个月停摆的球迷们感到欣慰。在训练之前，NBA娱乐部门的员工从一个球员跑到另一个球员，询问球迷回归是否重要。答案——不出所料——是响亮的肯定。

“这需要一段时间，”埃利奥特说。“我相信如果我们赢了，并且打得很好，这将使他们更容易忘记停摆。但如果我们打得不好，而且放松了，人们会感到沮丧。”

波波维奇说：“这需要时间。到目前为止，球迷们一直都很棒。

“我一直认为圣安东尼奥的球员和球迷之间有着特殊的关系。我认为我们的球迷会比其他许多城市的球迷更快地回归。到目前为止，事实已经证明了这一点。这很棒。”

与此同时，科尔在周二晚上与休斯顿的热身赛中加重了腹股沟伤势，因此周四只能观看比赛。

“不严重，”科尔说。“如果这是比赛，我就可以上场了。”

这很好。考虑到周六对阵火箭队的热身赛有40038张免费门票，可以肯定的是，球迷们不是来观看他骑自行车的。

点击查看原文：Spurs make practice a fan-friendly affair

Spurs make practice a fan-friendly affair

When the NBA asked each team to hold a free practice for the public, league officials thought it would be a decent starting gauge to see how much work was needed to win back fans after the lockout.

Well, the numbers are in and the Spurs shouldn’t worry.

An estimated crowd of 5,100 showed up Thursday night at the Alamodome to watch Steve Kerr ride an exercise bike.

Imagine the turnout when he starts shooting.

The Spurs held their open practice Thursday night. With an emphasis on practice. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich yelled at Avery Johnson to hurry up. Jerome Kersey shot free throws. David Robinson got his knees iced.

“This is a practice,” Spurs vice president of business operations Russ Bookbinder said. "It can be a little boring. But everybody is getting into the dunks.

“For what this is, we’re happy to see families having fun.”

There were a few dunks during the practice and plenty of fun after it.

After the workout - which included a brief scrimmage - the Spurs joked and played with children and signed about 1,200 autographs.

“It’s fan friendly,” Sean Elliott said. "But I have to ask the question: Does it take a lockout to be more fan friendly? Or should it be done in the first place?

“It’s good for the fans to see that we just don’t show up for the game, throw our clothes on and play.”

Despite the festivities, the Spurs managed to get some work in. They went through one-on-one drills - Elliott blocked Johnson, Johnson scored over Elliott - and scrimmaged a bit. Starters Johnson, Elliott, Robinson, Jaren Jackson and Tim Duncan matched up against reserves Antonio Daniels, Mario Elie, Malik Rose, Will Perdue and Andrew Gaze a few trips down the floor.

The fans even noticed a few things the Spurs could work on before their Feb. 5 opener against Sacramento. For starters, Robinson got scored on by a 4-foot-3 kid wearing an Elliott jersey.

“The NBA is sending down notices telling us to be a little bit more fan friendly,” Johnson said. “But from what I’ve seen here, we’ve always been accessible to our fans. It’s really nothing new for us.”

The Spurs’ new faces did create some confusion, however. Someone wanted to know if the refs were NBA regulation. (They weren’t.) Someone wanted to know if Gaze was Kerr. (He wasn’t.) Someone wanted to know if Daniels was Daniels. (He was.)

For the first half of the practice, the fans looked confused or bored. They yawned. They ate cotton candy. They stayed silent.

At least until a camera crew coaxed them into doing the wave. “We love our cameraman,” someone yelled.

But for the most part, the event turned into a warm fuzzy for fans who suffered through the seven- month lockout. Prior to the practice, NBA Entertainment personnel hopped from player to player, asking if it was important that fans return. The answer - to little surprise - was an resounding yes.

“It’s going to take a while,” Elliott said. “I’m sure if we win and play well, it will make it easier for them to forget about it. But if we play bad and relax, people will be upset.”

Said Popovich: "It’s something that’s going to take time. So far the fans have been great.

“I’ve always thought that San Antonio has had such a special relationship between the players and fans. I figured our fans would come back quicker than in a lot of other cities. So far that’s been proven. It’s been great.”

Kerr, meanwhile, was relegated to watching Thursday after aggravating his groin in Tuesday night’s exhibition against Houston.

“It’s not bad,” Kerr said. “If this was a game I could play.”

That’s good. With 40,038 free tickets distributed for Saturday’s exhibition against the Rockets, it’s a safe bet the fans aren’t coming to watch him pedal.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-29, By Ihosvani Rodriguez

真爱粉为马刺而来

没有难看的怨恨，没有猖獗的冷漠，甚至没有一丝篮球停摆带来的报复。

据估计，周四晚上出现在阿拉莫穹顶的 5100 名马刺球迷都是宽容之人。

马刺队在圣安东尼奥进行了一场练习赛和签名马拉松，这是他们在圣安东尼奥进行的首次官方篮球比赛。

“我想说这是个巨大的成功，”马刺发言人丽贝卡·凯文 (Rebecca Caven) 说。“太棒了。”

的确，如果球迷有任何敌意，也并没有笼罩穹顶。

斯坦·卡尔德隆 (Stan Calderon) 和他的家人坐在中场看台的第一排。他们似乎都被这些篮球练习巨人的体型所吸引。

“看，我们总共五个人，我们都爱马刺，”卡尔德隆说。“我们听说这是免费的，我们不能错过看他们的机会。一旦赛季开始，我们不可能坐在这些好座位上。”

好吧。所以活动是免费的，但一桶爆米花仍然要 5 美元。

许多球迷仍然穿着工作服。许多人穿着球衣，带着球、卡片、海报和其他任何这些高个子英雄可以签名的物品。

随着夜晚的推移，人群越来越多，大多数人都在银色马刺舞者和土狼在球场上快速表演完之后才到场。

然后，这些家伙来了。疯子。每个人都在早上 6:30 到达阿拉莫穹顶，希望能和球员们谈话。那是早上……就像……早上。

“我们想说我们是这个赛季第一个走过这些门的人，”17 岁的丹尼尔·奥蒂兹 (Daniel Ortiz) 说。他和 18 岁的乔治·埃斯皮诺萨 (Jorge Espinosa Jr.) 和 19 岁的胡安·利尔 (Juan Leal) 坐在杰克·尼科尔森/斯派克·李座位上，他们都来自圣安东尼奥。

就像过去四年一样，保安阿曼多·阿雷东多 (Armando Arredondo) 站在球场的一端，密切关注着球迷。他没有报告任何大规模示威或抗议活动。也不需要调动防暴部队。

“没有，我们没有遇到这种情况。每个人似乎都很高兴来到这里，”他说。“我知道我很高兴。我可以赚点外快。”

至于球员们自己，他们戴上了公关帽子，试图弥合由于 NBA 停摆而造成的任何裂痕，这场停摆让常规赛缩短了几个月。

“我知道我们开始得有点晚，但我们很高兴看到你们都来了。我们将会度过一个伟大的赛季，”艾弗里·约翰逊 (Avery Johnson) 对人群说道，语气略带歉意。“没有你们的支持，我们就无法做到这些。”

点击查看原文：True-blue fanatics show up for Spurs

True-blue fanatics show up for Spurs

No ugly bitterness. No rampant cases of indifference. Not even a hint of basketball-lockout-induced vengeance.

The estimated crowd of 5,100 Spurs fans who showed up Thursday night at the Alamodome apparently are the forgiving type.

The Spurs made their first official basketball-playing appearance in San Antonio at a practice game and autograph marathon.

“I would say this is a huge success,” Spurs spokeswoman Rebecca Caven said. “This is awesome.”

Sure enough, if there was any haze of animosity on the part of the fans, it didn’t fog the dome.

Stan Calderon and his family sat in the front row of the midcourt bleachers. Each of them seemed enthralled by the sheer size of these basketball-practicing giants.

“Look, there are five of us in total, and we all love the Spurs,” Calderon said. “We heard it was free, and we couldn’t miss the chance to see them. There’s no way we’ll be sitting in these great seats once the season starts.”

OK. So the event was free, but a tub of popcorn still was $5.

Many fans still were dressed in their work clothes. Many wore jerseys and carried balls, trading cards, posters and anything else these tall heroes could sign on.

As the night progressed, the crowd got larger, the majority arriving a bit after the Silver Spurs Dancers and the Coyote did their quick numbers on the court.

Then there were these guys. Lunatics. Each arriving at the Alamodome at 6:30 a.m. in hopes of talking to the players. That’s a.m. … as in … like … morning.

“We wanted to say we were the first ones to walk through these doors this season,” said 17-year- old Daniel Ortiz, who sat in the Jack Nicholson/Spike Lee seats next to his buddies Jorge Espinosa Jr., 18, and Juan Leal, 19. All are from San Antonio.

As he’s been doing for the past four years, security guard Armando Arredondo stood at one end of the court keeping close tabs on the fans. He reported no mass demonstrations or protests. No need to bring in the riot squad, either.

“No, we haven’t had any of that. Everyone seems pretty happy being here,” he said. “I know I am happy. I get to make some extra money.”

As for the players themselves, they slipped on their public relations hats and tried to mend any rift that may have been caused by the National Basketball Association lockout that bit months out of the regular season.

“I know we started a little late, but we’re very glad to see that all of you came out here. We’re going to have a great season,” an apologetic Avery Johnson told the crowd. “We won’t be able to do any of this without your support.”

By Ihosvani Rodriguez, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-29, By Kevin O’Keeffe

Shaq’s mouth gets in his way one more time

“'Tis better to be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and confirm it.” - Anon. Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal would do well to heed that advice.

O’Neal suffered yet another lapse in judgment this week when he allowed an item in USA Today to rob him of his ability to reason.

As you are no doubt aware, USA Today rated the Spurs No. 1 in the Western Conference this season.

A fine compliment, yet a dubious prognostication given the fact that the Spurs have yet to demonstrate they can overcome the Utah Jazz in the playoffs, losing in '94, '96 and '98.

Perhaps the fact that we are in an odd-numbered year caused USA Today to be flush with optimism regarding the '99 Spurs.

O’Neal could have ignored the story, which ranked the Lakers No. 4 in the West, but reacted as one would expect a 6-year-old to behave. I say that with all due respect to the 6-year-olds looking in.

O’Neal, who at 26 is supposed to be the maturing leader of the Lakers, took the opportunity to again proclaim how much he detests the Spurs’ David Robinson and air his contempt for S.A.'s second-year pro Tim Duncan.

O’Neal mentioned how he hated Robinson, an emotion he has felt toward the Spurs’ future Hall of Famer since O’Neal’s days at Cole High School.

Which, if you’re keeping track at home, was the last place O’Neal won anything.

Now, ask yourself one thing: How can anyone hate David Robinson?

Oh, he may frustrate Spurs fans, teammates and coaches at times, but more often than not he thrills those watching him.

Regardless, there is nothing Robinson ever has done on or off the court to engender hatred.

As far as Shaq’s shot at Duncan - “He’s too light,” he said - well, at 255 Duncan may pale next to O’Neal’s 315.

But Duncan’s no Calista Flockhart.

Again, I believe O’Neal’s remark is rooted in jealousy.

As everyone who watched Duncan during his rookie season, O’Neal, too, sees the greatness emerging.

This latest bit of foolishness from O’Neal is explained by teammate Kobe Bryant thusly: “That’s just Shaq.”

Well … OK, then.

The idea that such a statement is a catch-all for O’Neal’s silliness is his biggest problem.

Shaq is a wonderful player. His 28.3 points-per-game average a year ago was No. 2 in the NBA. He was in the top 10 in blocked shots (2.4 per game) and averaged 11.3 rebounds per outing.

And to suggest that O’Neal has failed the Lakers, who signed him for $122 million in July 1996, for not yet bringing a title to L.A. is as foolish as the things he says.

Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the previous L.A. centers who won titles, had a far superior supporting cast than O’Neal.

You can find fault with O’Neal’s poor free-throw shooting (52 percent last season), making it impossible for him to be the go-to guy down the stretch - something you would expect a $122-million man to be.

Understand, too, that Michael Jordan didn’t lead the Bulls to their first NBA crown until he was 28.

Houston’s Hakeem Olajuwon was 31 - and Jordan was away playing baseball - when he took the Rockets to their first NBA title.

O’Neal hardly has been a disappointment … except when he opens his mouth.

By Kevin O’Keeffe, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-30, By Glenn Rogers

季前赛的季后赛味道 - 预计创纪录的观众将见证马刺与火箭的最后一场热身赛

今晚 7:30，马刺与火箭将在阿拉莫圆顶体育馆进行他们的最后一场季前赛，预计将有创纪录的观众涌入。

马刺队宣布已经发出了 40,038 张门票，这是该球馆举办的 NBA 比赛中的最高纪录。

如果每张门票都代表一位球迷，那么到场观赛的球迷数量将超过去年 3 月 14 日迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan) 最后一次对阵马刺时创下的 37,492 人的纪录。

“我想这将是一个非常热闹的夜晚，”主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 说。“不，我不会太担心这场比赛的输赢。这是季前赛，我们仍在努力磨合战术，帮助新球员融入球队。”

“嗯，有 40,000 张门票发出，但究竟有多少人会来呢？”后卫贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson) 开玩笑说。

周二晚上在休斯顿进行的第一场季前赛中，火箭以 106-104 险胜马刺。火箭队在比赛最后阶段派上了他们的“三巨头”——斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)、哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon) 和查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)；马刺则在最后 10 分钟使用了替补阵容。

阿拉莫圆顶体育馆的观众可能会看到这次比赛的结局有所不同。

“是的，我们会让球员上场的时间更长，”波波维奇说。“距离常规赛开幕已经很近了，所以我们被迫打得更像一场常规赛。我们正在加快节奏，而不是走缓慢、稳妥的路线。”

马刺中锋大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 预计自己的上场时间会增加，因为波波维奇正在努力让球队进攻步入正轨。

“我们会打更多战术，朝着常规赛的比赛情况迈进，”他说。“比赛结束后我们还有几天时间可以训练，但季前赛的赛程很短。”

罗宾逊并不喜欢球队阵容年复一年地发生变化，但他喜欢本赛季新加入球队的球员。

“当不断看到新面孔时，你可能会感到有点不安，”他说。“但我喜欢我们这次的一些引援。史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr) 和马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie) 曾经效力过冠军球队。杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey) 拥有丰富的季后赛经验。你对此没理由抱怨。”

科尔因为腹股沟拉伤缺席了几次训练，但他表示今晚会出战。

“我在今天训练时感觉很好，”他说。“我仍然处于熟悉队友和进攻战术的阶段。现在还很难说我是否感到舒适或不舒服。

“这里的进攻战术与以前大不相同。有很多定点战术。在芝加哥，我们更多地运行的是节奏进攻，更像大学风格的进攻。

“是的，我认为三角进攻（就像他在芝加哥使用的战术）在这里会非常有效，因为我们有两名强大的内线得分球员。三角进攻不是以控球后卫为中心的进攻；它更强调分享球权。即使你距离球最远，只要你做出了正确的切入，你也有可能获得球。”

波波维奇喜欢肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 的状态。

“皮特·纽厄尔(Pete Newell) 说得对：肖恩的第一步回来了，他跳得很好，”波波维奇说。埃利奥特在夏天的部分时间里都在夏威夷纽厄尔的“大个子训练营”训练。

“我有点惊讶于肖恩在周二的表现，对于一个缺席了两年的球员来说，他的表现很出色，”波波维奇说。

埃利奥特自 1989-90 赛季来到圣安东尼奥以来，已经经历了各种不同的马刺阵容，他认为现在的阵容是最好的。

“显然，一个重要的因素是，除了大卫·罗宾逊之外，我们还有蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)，”埃利奥特说。“蒂姆还在进步。在夏季的训练赛中，他简直是势不可挡。即使是特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings) 防守他，也无济于事。

“此外，我们现在的阵容深度更强。”

罗宾逊说，今年的目标与过去几个赛季一样：争夺总冠军。

“你不想错过机会，”他说。“当你输球的时候，就像有人扇了你一巴掌，告诉你你还不够好。你需要接受挑战，做出回应。”

点击查看原文：A little postseason in preseason - Record crowd expected as Spurs battle Rockets in final tuneup

A little postseason in preseason - Record crowd expected as Spurs battle Rockets in final tuneup

A record-breaking crowd might pack the Alamodome at 7:30 tonight when the Spurs and Rockets end their preseason schedule.

The Spurs have announced that 40,038 tickets have been distributed, the most for an NBA game at the dome.

If each ticket shows up attached to a fan, the crowd will exceed the 37,492 that appeared March 14 last year to watch Michael Jordan’s last appearance against the Spurs.

“I’d say it’s going to be a pretty raucous night,” Coach Gregg Popovich said. “No, I won’t be worrying that much about winning or losing the game. It’s preseason, we’re still working on getting the system in, bringing the new guys along.”

“Well, there are 40,000 tickets out, but how many are actually going to come?” joked guard Jaren Jackson.

The Rockets nipped the Spurs 106-104 in the first preseason game Tuesday night in Houston. The Rockets played their big three - Scottie Pippen, Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley - down the stretch; the Spurs went with reserves through the last 10 minutes.

The Alamodome crowd may see a different closing act this time.

“Yeah, we’ll play the guys a little more,” Popovich said. “It’s a quick path to the regular season so we’re kind of forced into playing more of a regular game. We’re pushing things a little faster rather than taking the slower, surer way.”

Spurs center David Robinson figures he’ll be on the floor more because Popovich is trying to get the offense in sync.

“We’ll run more plays, aim it toward regular game situations,” he said. “We’ll still have a few more days after the game to practice, but it’s a short run through the preseason.”

Robinson is not one to appreciate changes in the roster from year to year, but he likes the new players brought aboard this season.

“It can be a little unsettling when you keep getting new faces,” he said. “But I like some of the additions we made this time. Steve Kerr and Mario (Elie) have been on championship teams. Jerome Kersey has all that playoff experience. You can’t complain about that.”

Kerr sat out a few practices with a pulled groin but he said he will play tonight.

“I felt fine today at practice,” he said. "I’m still at the stage of getting familiar with my teammates and the offense. It’s a little too early to say whether I feel comfortable or uncomfortable.

"It’s a very different offense here. There are a lot of set plays. In Chicago, we ran more of a rhythm offense, more college style.

“Yes, I think the triangle offense (as he ran in Chicago) would be very effective here, with the two post players who are big time scorers. The triangle is not a point guard-oriented offense; it’s more share the ball. You’re just as likely to get the ball, even if you’re furthest away, if you make the right cut.”

Popovich likes the way Sean Elliott is looking.

“What Pete Newell said was right: Sean’s first step is back and he has a good jump,” Popovich said. Elliott spent a portion of the summer working at Newell’s Big Man Camp in Hawaii.

“I was a little surprised at how well Sean played Tuesday for a guy who has been out for two years,” Popovich said.

Elliott has seen a variety of different Spurs teams since arriving in San Antonio for the 1989-90 campaign, and he stamps this gathering as the best yet.

“Obviously, one big factor is that we have Tim Duncan to go along with David Robinson,” Elliott said. "Tim is still improving. He was just overpowering during our pickup games during the summer. It didn’t even matter when Terry Cummings was guarding him.

“In addition, we have a much deeper team now.”

Robinson said the quest this year will be the same as the past several seasons: Run for the title.

“You hate to lose your chances,” he said. “When you lose, it’s like somebody slaps you in the face and says you’re not good enough. The challenge is there to answer that.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-30, By Arthur Garcia

马刺队所有比赛首次实现电视直播

不想错过马刺队这个缩短赛季的任何一刻？只要有一台电视和基本的付费电视，你就不会错过。

马刺队于周五公布了其当地转播时间表，加上上周公布的全国转播时间表，所有 50 场常规赛都将通过电视直播。这是该球队历史上首次实现所有比赛的电视转播。

KRRT 将转播 16 场比赛，包括赛季揭幕战，周五对阵萨克拉门托国王队；KSAT 将转播 15 场比赛，Fox Sports Southwest 将转播 14 场比赛。

NBC 将转播 5 场马刺队比赛，Turner Sports（TBS 和 TNT）联合转播 4 场比赛。当地转播商（KRRT 和 FoxSW）与 Turner 在其 4 场比赛中存在重叠。

马刺队还宣布了常规赛期间的付费观看锁定期。与往年不同，Paragon Cable 不会在常规赛期间提供付费观看套餐，但可能会在季后赛期间恢复。

马刺队广播高级副总裁劳伦斯·佩恩 (Lawrence Payne) 表示，决定将所有比赛都进行电视转播源于球队在停摆后采取的“球迷友好型”做法，其中包括 99 美分的上层票价和二合一票价优惠。

“我们这样做是因为情况基本决定了它，”他说。

KSAT 和 KRRT 的分配量少于电台最初的计划。由于停摆导致赛季前三个月被取消，每家电台都计划转播约 20 场比赛。

“与我们所有的合作伙伴，没有足够的比赛供大家转播，”佩恩说。“所以某些转播商会比其他转播商少转播一些比赛。”

佩恩表示，马刺队和当地转播商在不到一周的时间里“加班加点”地制定了时间表。

在圣安东尼奥的 25 场主场比赛中，有 14 场将在无线电视（免费）上播出。其中包括 4 月 24 日星期六晚上对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛，这场比赛将由 NBC 转播。

佩恩将转播整个赛季的策略描述为“与我们过去所做的有很大的不同”。

格雷格·帕帕 (Greg Papa) 将继续担任马刺队当地转播商的主要解说员，前马刺队球员多克·里弗斯 (Doc Rivers) 已签约为 28 场比赛进行评论。里弗斯也是 Turner Sports 的分析师。

佩恩表示，球队计划在未来几天宣布里弗斯在 Turner 出差时他的替补人选。

点击查看原文：For first time, all Spurs games to be televised

For first time, all Spurs games to be televised

Don’t want to miss a minute of Spurs action this abbreviated season? With a TV and basic cable, you won’t.

The team released its local broadcast schedule Friday, and when added to the national schedule announced last week all 50 regular season games will be televised. It’s the first time in franchise history every game will be broadcast.

KRRT will have 16 games, including the season opener against Sacramento on Friday, KSAT has 15 games and Fox Sports Southwest 14.

NBC is doing five Spurs games and Turner Sports (TBS and TNT) combine for four contests. Local carriers (KRRT and FoxSW) overlap with Turner on its four games.

The Spurs also announced a pay- per-view lockout for the regular season. Paragon Cable will not have a pay-per-view package, as in previous years, during the regular campaign, but it may return for the playoffs.

Spurs senior vice president for broadcasting Lawrence Payne said the decision to televise every game stemmed from the “fan- friendly” approach, which includes 99 cents upper-level tickets and two-for-one ticket offers, adopted by the team in the wake of the lockout.

“We’re doing this because the circumstances pretty much dictate it,” he said.

The KSAT and KRRT allotments are less than what the stations originally planned. Each had planned to do about 20 games before the lockout wiped out the first three months of the season.

“With all of our partners, there were not enough games to go around,” Payne said. “So certain carriers would have less than others.”

Payne said the Spurs and the local carriers worked “more than overtime” to pound out a schedule in less than a week.

Of San Antonio’s 25 home games, 14 are on over-the-air (free) TV. Included is a rare Saturday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers on April 24 on NBC.

Payne described the strategy to broadcast the entire season as “a radical departure from what we’ve done in the past.”

Greg Papa will continue as the primary play-by-play voice for the Spurs local carriers, and former Spur Doc Rivers signed on to do color commentary for 28 games. River also is an analyst for Turner Sports.

Payne said the team plans to announce in the next few days the fill-in for Rivers when he’s on assignment with Turner.

By Arthur Garcia, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-31, By John Tedesco

马刺球迷高兴地观看首场比赛

周六晚上，球迷们挤满了阿拉莫穹顶，观看他们的马刺队比赛。

大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)在免费表演赛中的第一个动作是拿起麦克风，感谢整个穹顶的球迷。

“我们想感谢你们在停摆期间一直支持我们，”罗宾逊代表球员和管理层说道，引来全场欢呼。

这是停摆结束后马刺队在本赛季的首场主场比赛，为了打破纪录的观众人数，球队在比赛前送出了 40,000 张免费门票。

该纪录是在 1998 年 3 月 14 日创下的，当时迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)、斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)和芝加哥公牛队帮助吸引了超过 37,000 人来到穹顶。

但周六晚上的观众人数只有 35,280 人，未能打破纪录。

斯科蒂·皮蓬再次出现在阿拉莫穹顶，不过这次他穿的是休斯敦火箭队的球衣。

马刺队上周在火箭队的主场输了比赛。周六，他们以 78-70 的比分战胜了休斯敦队。

在罗宾逊向观众致意后，马刺队舞者手持大型标语在球场上走动，标语合在一起显示“感谢圣安东尼奥”。

少数人对海军上将（罗宾逊的绰号）的回应以嘘声表示不满，但这些嘘声几乎被席卷阿拉莫穹顶的欢呼声淹没。几位在比赛期间接受采访的球迷表示，他们并没有将停摆归咎于马刺队。

几位球迷表示，他们并不抱有任何幻想，知道马刺队为什么要免费送出 40,000 张门票。

“他们想确保我们不会对他们心存芥蒂，”迈克·萨拉查说，他带着家人来看比赛，并称自己为“忠实的马刺队球迷”。

37 岁的维姬·希思说，罗宾逊的感谢之情极大地弥合了球迷和马刺队之间的裂痕。“我认为他说的话真的很感人，”希思说。

其他球迷表示，即使没有免费门票促销活动，他们也会去看比赛。这场促销活动由《圣安东尼奥快报》赞助。

点击查看原文：Spurs fans glad to see first game

Spurs fans glad to see first game

The fans packed the Alamodome on Saturday night to see their Spurs in action.

The first play David Robinson made at the free exhibition game was to take a microphone and thank a dome full of fans.

“We want to thank you guys for standing by us through this lockout,” Robinson said on behalf of the players and management, to the roar of the crowd.

It was the first Spurs home game of the season after the players’ lockout was resolved, and the team was hoping to break a record attendance by giving away 40,000 free tickets before the game.

The record was set in March, 14, 1998, when Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls helped draw more than 37,000 people to the dome.

But the crowd count fell short Saturday night at 35,280 people.

Scottie Pippen was at the Alamodome again Saturday, except this time he wore a Houston Rockets jersey.

The Spurs had lost last week to the Rockets on their turf. Saturday they outscored Houston by 78-70.

The Spurs dancers strode around the court before the game with large placards that together read, “Thanks San Antonio” after Robinson greeted the crowd.

The few people who booed in response to the Admiral (as Robinson is called) were all but drowned out by cheers that swept the Alamodome. Several fans interviewed during the game said they didn’t hold the lockout against the Spurs.

They had no illusions as to why the Spurs gave out 40,000 tickets for free, several fans said.

“They wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to hold it against them,” said Mike Salazar, who came to the game with his family and described himself as a “dedicated Spurs fan.”

Vicki Heath, 37, said Robinson’s expression of gratitude went a long way toward healing the rift between the fans and the Spurs. “I thought what he said was really impressive,” Heath said.

Other fans said they would have gone to the game without the free ticket promotion, which was sponsored by the San Antonio Express-News.

By John Tedesco, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-31, By Johnny Ludden

马刺队在最终的热身赛中表现出色

他们关掉了灯光，打开了巨型屏幕，放起了音乐。马刺队新赛季口号的发布，从各个方面看都非常棒。

除了时间。

“每一场比赛都很重要”这句话对于一场表演赛来说似乎不太合适。除非，当然，你是艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)。他非常相信周六晚上78-70战胜休斯敦的比赛非常重要。

“我们需要赢得这场比赛，”约翰逊说。“你可以说这是季前赛，诸如此类。但是，不，我们需要赢得这场比赛。

“我们希望在第一场常规赛之前，能尝到胜利的滋味。”

马刺队在阿拉莫圆顶球场35,280名球迷面前，获得了胜利。如果说这场最终的热身赛有什么特别之处的话，那就是它让马刺队意识到，他们可能已经为两位明星球员找到了一个不错的替补阵容。

蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和戴维·罗宾逊(David Robinson)联手拿下33分和22个篮板。肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)尽管犯规次数较多，但仍然贡献了11分，并在防守端压制了斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)。约翰逊贡献了8分和6次助攻。

马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)在阿拉莫圆顶球场的首秀中，向马刺队球迷展示了球队为何签下他。威尔·珀迪(Will Perdue)在13分钟内贡献了4分和7个篮板。

“我对所有人的表现都印象深刻，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说，他让五名首发球员每人至少打了27分钟。“……戴维在场上尽职尽责。蒂姆也是如此。整个阵容都表现出色。

“肖恩的防守非常棒。你可以说在场上的每个人都表现出色。我们看起来像一支篮球队。”

考虑到马刺队将在星期五对阵萨克拉门托开启NBA赛季，这是一件好事。周六的比赛给了他们足够的时间来进行调整——他们只罚中了30罚中的18罚——直到那时。但上赛季以对手命中率41%的记录创下NBA纪录的防守，看起来已经恢复了状态。

在周二晚上对火箭队的比赛中丢了106分之后，马刺队加强了防守。休斯敦在下半场只投进了37投11中（命中率29.7%），并且在第三节中超过五分钟时间里颗粒无收，马刺队将11分的落后变成了53-52的领先优势。圣安东尼奥此后一直保持领先。

“我认为我们已经真正回归了自身，”邓肯说。“我们只打了两个季前赛，所以现在可能只是侥幸。但我们已经重新拾起了防守理念，并且开始更努力地比赛。”

这一点也体现在进攻篮板球上。马刺队以42-34的优势超过了休斯敦，抢下了14个进攻篮板。

“这就是今晚让我们崩溃的原因，”火箭队主教练鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇(Rudy Tomjanovich)说。“即使我们有内线优势，他们也抢下了篮板，包括罚球。”

埃利回到球场，来折磨他曾经的队友。仅在第二节，他便替补出场，贡献了6分、3次抢断，并获得了一次犯规。他和埃利奥特轮流压制皮蓬，让他只投进了19投6中。

“在老东家身上扎一刀，总是令人愉快，”埃利说。“这给了你在夏天的时候，可以用来聊天的话题。”

联盟中最爱说话的球员查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)看起来状态正佳。巴克利在加州鲍勃·霍普克莱斯勒经典赛上，在第10洞签下了100万美元的合同，并在周二的表演赛中贡献了22分和11个篮板，周六又贡献了18分。其中14分都是在第二节中取得的。

“我很高兴它结束了。非常高兴。对于我来说，这已经是一个漫长的季前赛了，”巴克利说，他在周一抵达训练营。

为了在七个月的停摆之后，重新赢回球迷，马刺队为这场比赛分发了40,083张免费门票。那些缺席的——门票，而不是球迷——可能在停摆的焚烧仪式中被烧掉了。但那些到场的球迷，在赛前介绍时得到了罗宾逊的感谢。

“代表球员和管理层，我们要感谢你们在停摆期间一直支持我们，”罗宾逊说。“我们拥有NBA中最棒的球迷。今年我们将让你们欢呼雀跃。”

无论是否表演赛，马刺队都表现出了他们的实力。

- 马刺队新闻：马刺队今天可以自由观看超级碗比赛。

球队将迎来训练营开始以来的第一个休息日。马刺队主席彼得·霍尔特(Peter Holt)将为球员们举办一场早午餐。

球队将在周一在圣母无染原罪大学进行训练。

• 自由球员后卫布兰登·威廉姆斯(Brandon Williams)由于鼻子骨折，没有参加周六的比赛。

• 正在圣费尔南多健身房为即将到来的对阵费利克斯·特里尼达(Felix Trinidad)的比赛进行训练的佩内尔·惠特克(Pernell Whitaker)，周六晚上出现在了人群中。

点击查看原文：Spurs impressive in final dress rehearsal

Spurs impressive in final dress rehearsal

They turned out the lights. Turned on the JumboTron. Cranked up the music. The unveiling of the Spurs’ new season slogan looked nifty in every regard.

Except timing.

“Every Game Counts” hardly seemed the appropriate intro for an exhibition. Unless, of course, you happen to be Avery Johnson. Who very much believed Saturday night’s 78-70 win over Houston very much mattered.

“We needed to win this game,” Johnson said. "You can say it’s preseason and all that. But, no. We needed to win this game.

“We wanted the winning taste in our mouths before our first regular-season game.”

The Spurs took their swig of victory in front of a quickly forgiving crowd of 35,280 at the Alamodome. And, if nothing else, the final dress rehearsal showed the Spurs they may have discovered a nice supporting cast for their two stars.

Tim Duncan and David Robinson had a ho-hum 33 points and 22 rebounds. Sean Elliott, despite foul trouble, added 11 points and strong defense against Scottie Pippen. Johnson chipped in eight points and six assists.

Mario Elie, making his Alamodome debut, showed Spurs fans why the team signed him. Will Perdue contributed four points and seven boards in 13 minutes.

“I was impressed with everybody,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who played each of the five starters at least 27 minutes. "… David did his job when he was out there. Tim did his job. Right on down the line.

“Sean’s defense was terrific. You can say that about everybody out on the court. We looked like a basketball team.”

That’s a good thing, considering the Spurs open the NBA season Friday against Sacramento. Saturday’s game gave them enough to work on - they made only 18 of 30 free throws - until then. But the defense that set an NBA record last season for holding opponents to 41-percent shooting looked up and running.

After giving up 106 points in Tuesday night’s loss to the Rockets, the Spurs clamped down. Houston hit only 11 of 37 shots (29.7 percent) in the second half and was held scoreless for more than five minutes in the third quarter when the Spurs turned an 11-point deficit into a 53-52 lead. San Antonio never trailed again.

“I think we’ve really gotten back into our own again,” Duncan said. “We’ve only played two preseason games so it might be a fluke right now. But we’ve picked up our defensive philosophy and are starting to play harder.”

That also showed on the offensive glass. The Spurs, who outrebounded Houston 42-34, pulled down 14 offensive rebounds.

“That’s what broke our backs tonight,” Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. “They even got them on free throws when we have inside position.”

Elie returned to haunt his old teammates. In the second quarter alone, he came off the bench and contributed six points, three steals and drew a charge. He and Elliott also took turns harassing Pippen into 6-of-19 shooting.

“It’s always nice to stick a dagger in your old team’s heart,” Elie said. “It gives you something for conversations over the summer.”

The league’s leading talker, Charles Barkley, looked in midseason form. Barkley, who signed his $1 million contract on the 10th hole at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in California, followed his 22-point, 11-rebound performance in Tuesday’s exhibition with 18 points Saturday. Fourteen of them came in the second quarter.

“I’m glad it’s over. Very glad. It’s been a long preseason for me,” said Barkley, who reported to training camp Monday.

In a bid to win back fans after the seven-month labor battle, the Spurs distributed 40,083 free tickets for the game. The missing - tickets, not fans - may been torched in a lockout effigy. But those who did show were thanked by Robinson after the pregame introductions.

“On behalf of the players and our management, we’d like to thank you for standing by us during the lockout,” Robinson said. “We’ve got the best fans in the NBA. We’re going to give you something to cheer about this year.”

Exhibition or not, the Spurs went out and backed it up.

- Spurs notes: The Spurs will be free to watch the Super Bowl today.

The team will have its first day off since training camp began. Spurs chairman Peter Holt will hold a brunch for the players.

The team will practice Monday at the University of the Incarnate Word.

- Free-agent guard Brandon Williams did not dress for Saturday’s game because of a fractured nose.

- Pernell Whitaker, who is training at San Fernando Gym for his upcoming fight against Felix Trinidad, was a face in the crowd Saturday night.

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-01-31, By Tony R. Garza

Focus: Build arena for city, not for the rich …

Nine years ago, after spending a couple of million dollars to expand HemisFair Arena, Mayor Henry Cisneros, Spurs owner Red McCombs, chamber of commerce groups and all the bureaucrats devised a scheme to convince voters to abandon the arena and vote for a domed convention center and arena.

By a close decision, the citizens of San Antonio wound up owning the world’s largest barn - the Alamodome.

Most surprising was that the facility was built for football despite the fact that we did not have the remote possibility of getting an NFL team. Promises to baseball fans were forgotten, as were state-of-the-art facilities for concertgoers and accommodations for convention space.

I worked with other concerned citizens to organize a “Save the Arena” petition drive. At the time, no mention was made by any city official of the need for an arena. So in the name of progress, the city demolished the arena.

Now Mayor Howard Peak says he wants to build the Spurs a new arena and that he has the perfect place - right alongside the biggest barn in Texas.

Peak contends that the Alamodome is making a $1 million profit for the city. He fails to mention that if the spurs leave the dome and most concerts and events move to a midsize arena, the empty barn is guaranteed not to make money.

There is a good argument for building a 20,000-seat arena, but the real issue is who will pay to build it and who will make money from it.

If we are serious about an arena, it must be built for the people of San Antonio, not for the Spurs.

In May, citizens will vote on a $148.3 million “quality-of-life” bond election. In addition, the mayor is proposing a tax increase in the form of a sales tax, which will force ordinary folks to bear the brunt of this sweetheart deal for the Spurs.

I like the Spurs and I recognize that they have been an asset to the city, but I resent that those who can least afford it would be forced to finance this deal.

There are other ways to finance business ventures, but no one in City Hall has the guts to tell the Spurs to find a better way.

And if the Spurs can get away with it, why not? Who can blame them? We can blame our elected leaders, who are running around like water boys, carrying buckets of cash for Spurs owners.

If you followed the NBA and Players Association contract negotiations then you know that when it comes to money, everything else takes a back seat. Ask Vinny Del Negro about team loyalty and player-community relations.

Our city leaders must protect the taxpayers’ interest. But I am not sure that we will not once again be fleeced.

Having witnessed the hard work by city leaders and staff in their dogged pursuit of an arena for the Spurs, I hope that they would also use their talents and influence to work on illiteracy, low-paying jobs, street repairs, juvenile delinquency, the homeless and other worthwhile causes.

- Tony R. Garza is former petition drive organizer for Save the Arena.

… Others agree

Don’t look at taxpayers

We all need to say “thank you” to Balcones Heights for increasing its tax rate.

Due to the imbalance of the tax rates in areas surrounding San Antonio, we may get another reprieve from the ever-looming taxpayer arena problem.

Why can’t the Spurs owners and/or players fund their own arena? Gail Hibbetts

Let deep pockets pay

I am really tired of our City Council and whoever trying to force an arena down our throats. We had an arena and to the best of my knowledge no one voted to tear it down. I wonder how many Express-News readers know just how much the powers that be have taken us for granted.

All of a sudden, Wurzbach Road picked up production and a number of connecting arteries between Weidner and O’Connor roads - yeah, all leading to the cement facility, the proposed arena site - appeared. The area around Weidner, O’Connor and Independence on the Northeast Side has been trashed. The work was started, but it’s unfinished and is a real eyesore and safety hazard.

Let those who profit from basketball and can afford to go to the games pay for the new facility. They can put a prospectus together and float a bond like other private enterprises do.

With the millions of dollars the Spurs pay in salaries, they must have one helluva business plan. Paul Gustowski

No one asked voters

This is in reference to suggestions by Mayor Howard Peak and former Mayor Nelson Wolff that what San Antonio needs is a new 20,000-seat downtown arena next to the Alamodome “where it belongs.”

Excuse me, mayors, but didn’t a former city commission (of which you were both members), without asking the taxpayers what they thought, vote to tear down a perfectly good 18,000-seat downtown arena? Tom Priolo

Demolshing arena wrong

As I listen to the news about where to build the Spurs a new arena, I think about the one they had before they moved into the Alamodome. I understand that the arena needed some renovation. Instead of destroying the structure, the city should have invested in bringing the arena up to the standards the Spurs and city needed for future events. It was in a prime location, accessible to all in one of the most beautiful areas of the city.

We shouldn’t have rushed to tear down something that meant so much to this city for so many years. David Burgess

Get design input on arena

I think the arena next to the Alamodome is a grand idea. San Antonio needs a big-time arena to house not only the Spurs but other major events such as concerts.

I recently moved back to San Antonio after a 15-year career in cities such as New Orleans and Houston. Those cities have first-class facilities that not only house major sporting events but bring economic opportunity to the areas where they are built.

An arena would pay for itself in a minimal amount of time. It’s good for San Antonio, good for business and good for the jobs it will provide our citizens.

The only thing I hope this new arena will not have is seats like those in the Alamodome. The dome is so uncomfortable that I do not like going there. The seats are too hard, too close together and have poor leg room. Install padded seats and drink holders. Make it a place like the Astrodome.

Finally, make it state of the art. Have the concession people communicate with the technology available such as that used at the Ballpark in Arlington. They can place your order with a hand-held device that enables them to get to you fast and conveniently. Rene Casanova

Spurs can afford to pay

Enough already.

King Henry I convinced the gullible taxpayers of Bexar County that the Alamodome was all we would ever need to host any sporting event from the Poteet tiddledywinks championship to a professional football team and a national political convention.

If the Spurs, fine folks that they are, need an arena of their own, why don’t they each chip in a month’s salary and build one?

The Bexar County sheep have been fleeced enough. Larry J. Crocker

Arena OK; not new taxes

I read in the news that the Spurs want a new arena.

I am not against the Spurs getting a new arena.

I am 73 years old. I do not want my taxes raised to help pay for an arena for the Spurs. I do not want to pay taxes for some place I cannot afford to go to on retirement pay. I am sure there are other Army and Air Force veterans who feel as I do.

Postscript:

I am amazed by the Spurs cutting Vinny Del Negro and Chuck Pearson. I found Kevin O’Keeffe’s Jan. 22 Express-News sports column to be an eye-opener.

I am a fan of basketball - not a rabid, have-to-be-at-every-game fan - but one who does follow how the Spurs are doing. I thought that Vinny and Chuck added skills to the team. They certainly added a sense of dignity. Unlike Dennis Rodman or that guy who choked his coach, neither of these gentlemen became public gossip. I personally appreciate the kind of role model these two gentlemen gave the youth of today with their team support and good behavior, both on and off the court.

It saddens me to see quality people let go and someone who appears to be a jerk left in charge. Quite frankly, I think the Spurs’ ownership ranks second only to that fool in Chicago who let Phil Jackson and that team go. Marsha Surad

By Tony R. Garza, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-01, By Kevin O’Keeffe

德尔·内格罗对贪婪的言论感到受伤

在非常晚的意大利时间，当我们交谈时，文森特·约瑟夫·德尔·内格罗听起来很疲惫。

德尔·内格罗的球队已被淘汰出意大利杯冠军锦标赛，作为一名竞争者，这让他很烦恼。

但德尔·内格罗还烦恼的是在圣安东尼奥发生的事情，他和他妻子林恩计划在那里度过他篮球生涯的剩余时间及以后的生活。

“受伤了…愤怒，”被马刺队抛弃后，德尔·内格罗第一次发表公开评论，“发生了恶意。我讨厌自己被描绘成贪婪的样子。

“贪婪？绝对不是。如果我如此贪婪，为什么我不接受留在意大利的合同，而不是为密尔沃基的 175 万美元例外情况签约？”

就是这样。

德尔·内格罗拒绝了他意大利球队每赛季 400 万美元的合同，接受了雄鹿队的四年合同。

今天，德尔·内格罗在密尔沃基接受体检。他将在周二出现在训练场。雄鹿队周五晚上在北卡罗来纳州夏洛特揭幕新赛季。

“乔治·卡尔太棒了，”德尔·内格罗谈到他与雄鹿队主教练的电话谈话时说。“他为我做了他能做的一切。我期待为他效力。知道你被需要的感觉真好。”

可悲的是，德尔·内格罗在圣安东尼奥并没有这种感觉。

正如我在 1 月 22 日的文章中提到的那样，马刺队总经理/教练格雷格·波波维奇在 1997 年 10 月向德尔·内格罗和他的代表杰克·马林表示，这里不需要文尼。

那是马林提出的波波维奇要求提供一份合同提案被忽视的时间。上赛季成为自由球员的德尔·内格罗再次证实，他或马林从未收到波波维奇的任何答复。

但上个月波波维奇独有的“诱饵转换”品牌在缺乏职业道德的基础上更上一层楼。

那时波波维奇要求马林提出高价——据我所知，波波维奇原话是：“提出一个让你自己看起来像个傻瓜、让我看起来像个英雄的报价。”

马林就是这样做的，而波波维奇假装厌恶和恐惧，声称德尔·内格罗每月索要 500 万美元，并以此为借口抛弃这位可以担任后卫和控球后卫的受欢迎球员。

而且别忘了，在波波维奇和马林 1 月 14 日的晚宴上，是波波维奇谈到了给德尔·内格罗他应得的东西。

那次晚宴讨论了从 300 万美元开始、最高达到 440 万美元的五年协议的参数。

据报道，波波维奇现在在他的广播节目中否认了这一说法。

但是你是法官。

你真的相信德尔·内格罗会索要 500 万美元吗？

拜托。

波波维奇不仅侮辱了德尔·内格罗这个好人，这位马刺队老板还侮辱了你们每一个人的智商。

在我们交谈时，我能看出德尔·内格罗有所保留。他谨慎地选择了自己的措辞。

德尔·内格罗是一个十足的职业球员。他从来不是一个在公开场合发表意见的人。

不过，毫无疑问，他在这件事上感到受伤。

“事情本不必如此，”德尔·内格罗说。“如果他们真的想要我，就像波普告诉杰克的那样，他们永远不应该让我成为自由球员。”

对于史蒂夫·科尔、马里奥·埃利和杰罗姆·科西加入马刺队阵容，德尔·内格罗除了赞扬之外别无其他。

“都是好球员，都是好人，”德尔·内格罗说。

然而，他并没有试图隐藏他对本赛季无法与马刺队一起打球的失落之情。

“有了蒂姆（邓肯）、戴夫（罗宾逊）、艾弗里（约翰逊）和健康的肖恩（埃利奥特），那将是一支优秀的球队，”德尔·内格罗说。“在圣安东尼奥呆了六年，经历了教练的更迭，我期待与球队在一起。

“在蒂姆的带领下，未来两年这支球队真的有实力脱颖而出。”

相反，32 岁的德尔·内格罗必须把他的高尔夫球杆放在壁橱里，适应密尔沃基的寒冷气候。

“我对挑战感到兴奋，”他说。“我对被乔治执教感到兴奋。而且，正如我所说，我很高兴去一个有人需要我地方。”

德尔·内格罗说，在他有时间的时候，他想和马刺队老板彼得·霍尔特谈谈事情的处理方式。

我希望我认为这对霍尔特来说很重要，他似乎处于波波维奇施展的斯文加利式魔咒之下。

所有这些的奇怪之处在于，波波维奇对德尔·内格罗的刻薄对波波维奇是有代价的。

波特兰、底特律、迈阿密和菲尼克斯也对德尔·内格罗感兴趣。

为什么总经理波波维奇没有签署并交易协议来为他获得“资源”？

“总之，”德尔·内格罗开始说，“波普只需要拿起电话说，‘文尼，我们不会签你。’我理解这是生意。”

但对于波波维奇来说，这总是见不得光的勾当。

点击查看原文：Del Negro hurt over tale of greed

Del Negro hurt over tale of greed

Vincent Joseph Del Negro sounded weary as we spoke at what was a very late hour in Italy.

Del Negro’s team had been eliminated from the Italian Cup Championship Tournament and, ever the competitor, that bothered him.

But what also bothers Del Negro is what happened in San Antonio, where he and his wife, Lynn, planned to spend the remainder of his basketball life and beyond.

“Hurt … angry,” Del Negro began, making his first public comments since being dumped by the Spurs after six years of exemplary service on and off the court. "There has been maliciousness. I hated the way I was made out to look greedy.

“Greedy? Far from it. If I was so greedy, why wouldn’t I have taken the contract to remain in Italy rather than sign for the $1.75 million exception in Milwaukee?”

Exactly.

Del Negro turned down $4 million per season from his Italian League team to accept a four-year contract with the Bucks.

Today, Del Negro is in Milwaukee taking his physical. He’ll be on the practice floor Tuesday. The Bucks open the season Friday night in Charlotte, N.C.

“George Karl has been wonderful,” Del Negro said of his telephone conversations with the Bucks’ head coach. “He has done everything for me that he could do. I’m looking forward to playing for him. It’s nice to know that you’re wanted.”

Which, sadly, Del Negro wasn’t in San Antonio.

As I mentioned in my Jan. 22 column, Spurs general manager/coach Gregg Popovich indicated to Del Negro and his representative, Jack Marin, in October 1997 that Vinny wasn’t wanted here.

That’s when a contract proposal from Marin that Popovich asked for was ignored. Del Negro, who was a free agent after last season, confirmed again that neither he nor Marin ever heard one word in response from Popovich.

But that lack of professionalism was topped by Popovich’s very own brand of “bait-and-switch” last month.

That’s when Popovich asked Marin to come in high - I was told Popovich’s exact words were, “Make an offer that makes you look like an idiot and me look like a hero.”

Marin did just that and Popovich feigned disgust and horror, putting out that Del Negro was demanding $5 million per season and using that as an excuse to dump the popular player, who could play off-guard and the point.

And lest we forget, during a dinner between Popovich and Marin on Jan. 14, it was Popovich who talked about giving Del Negro what he deserved.

The parameters of a five-year deal, which began at $3 million and topped out at $4.4 million, were discussed at that dinner.

Now, Popovich reportedly has denied this scenario on his radio show.

But you be the judge.

Do you honestly believe Del Negro would demand $5 million?

C’mon.

Popovich not only is insulting a good man in Del Negro, but the Spurs’ boss is insulting the intelligence of every one of you.

As we spoke, I could tell Del Negro was holding back. He chose his words carefully.

Del Negro is the consummate pro. He’s never been one to speak out publicly on matters.

Still, there was no mistaking the hurt he feels on this one.

“It didn’t have to come to this,” Del Negro said. “If they really wanted me, as Pop told Jack, they should never have let me become a free agent.”

Del Negro had nothing but praise for the additions of Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey to the Spurs’ roster.

“All good players, all good guys,” Del Negro said.

Yet, he didn’t try to hide how disappointed he was not having the chance to play with the Spurs this season.

“With Tim (Duncan), Dave (Robinson), Avery (Johnson) and a healthy Sean (Elliott), that’s going to be an excellent team,” Del Negro said. "And after being in San Antonio for six years, going through coaching changes and all, I was looking forward to being with the team.

“The next two years with Tim, the team really has a chance to go places.”

Instead, the 32-year-old Del Negro must put his golf clubs in the closet for the cold climes of Milwaukee.

“I’m excited about the challenge,” he said. “I’m excited about being coached by George. And, as I said, I’m glad to be going where somebody wants me.”

In time, Del Negro said he wants to talk to Spurs owner Peter Holt about how things were handled.

I wish I thought that would matter to Holt, who seems to be under a Svengali- like spell performed by Popovich.

What’s curious about all of this is that Popovich’s pettiness regarding Del Negro cost him.

Portland, Detroit, Miami and Phoenix also had an interest in Del Negro.

Why wouldn’t GM Popovich have done a sign-and-trade deal to have gotten something for his “resource?”

“Bottom line,” Del Negro began, “all Pop had to do was pick up the telephone and say, ‘Vinny, we’re not going to sign you.’ I understand that’s business.”

But with Popovich, it’s always monkey business.

By Kevin O’Keeffe, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-02, By Johnny Ludden

马刺备战新赛季

星期天是难得的休息日，马刺队队员们参加了球队聚会，并观看了超级碗比赛。但周一早上，队员们很快意识到，休息日并非完全免费。

教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)“今天给我们准备了一个惊喜，”埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)说。“通常情况下，我们会完成一些训练内容，然后罚球，然后回家。但他今天让我们一直训练。”

“我嗓子都哑了，因为说得太多了。”

马刺队周一进行了长达 2.5 小时的训练，这是迄今为止最长的训练。他们有理由这样训练，因为他们在休息了一天后，只有四天时间来准备四场比赛。

马刺队将以三场主场比赛开启新赛季，分别对阵萨克拉门托国王队（周五）、明尼苏达森林狼队（周六）和洛杉矶湖人队（周一），然后于 2 月 9 日飞往明尼阿波利斯，再次与森林狼队交锋。

“我们现在比任何人都更注重我们自己的体系，”波波维奇说。“我们不担心萨克拉门托、明尼苏达或洛杉矶。”

“我们自己的训练内容已经足够麻烦了，需要让每个人都习惯我们的打法。”

助理教练迈克·布登霍尔泽(Mike Budenholzer)和录像协调员乔·普伦蒂(Joe Prunty)在季前赛期间观察了即将到来的对手。自由球员的疯狂签约和一些关键的交易让许多球员加入了新的球队。

“几乎每支球队都进行了调整，”波波维奇说。“我们的大部分调整都发生在替补阵容上。我们的核心阵容已经到位，所以我认为我们处于良好的状态。”

虽然停摆给了球队只有两周的准备时间，但波波维奇表示，他一直试图避免让新加入的球员安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)、史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)、马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)、杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey)和安德鲁·盖兹(Andrew Gaze)太快地融入马刺队的体系。

“这有点困难，”波波维奇说。“你担心会跳过一些步骤。你想确保你的基础稳固。”

科尔在芝加哥公牛队独特的三角进攻中效力了五年，现在正在努力适应马刺队的进攻体系。三角进攻是一种更侧重于切入和大学风格的战术体系，而马刺队的进攻则有所不同。

“这很不一樣，”科尔说。“投篮方式不同。我们在这里执行很多战术。显然，我们会试图在快攻中推进球，抢到转换进攻得分的机会，但进攻体系仍然需要很大的调整。”

“现在说我是否感到舒适还为时过早。我只是在努力了解自己适合的位置。”

马刺队在周六以 78-70 战胜休斯顿火箭队的比赛中获得了许多得分机会，下半场投篮命中率高达 50%（32 投 16 中）。他们的防守也在最后两节收紧，将火箭队的投篮命中率限制在 29.7%（37 投 11 中）。

这场胜利让埃利期待着周一与湖人队和沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)的比赛。奥尼尔上周表示，湖人队不用害怕马刺队。

“让我们看看这位大嘴巴在来到这里之后会怎么做，”埃利说。“让你的比赛说话就行了。别在那里说大话。”

“奥尼尔是一位伟大的球员。我非常尊敬他。但只需要好好打球就行了。没必要做那些其他的事情。”

• 马刺队新闻：周五和周六对阵萨克拉门托国王队和明尼苏达森林狼队的比赛还有很多剩余票。

• 购买 5.50 美元至 51.50 美元之间任何价格的门票观看萨克拉门托国王队的比赛的球迷将获得一张同样价格的明尼苏达森林狼队比赛门票。两场比赛将开放上层看台。

• 自由球员后卫布兰登·威廉姆斯(Brandon Williams)周一早上接受了鼻骨骨折手术。

• 他已戴上了面罩，预计今天可以参加训练。

• 科尔在 1 月 26 日的季前赛中拉伤了腹股沟，现在恢复得越来越好。他周一参加了几乎全部的训练。

“这有点让我惊讶，”波波维奇说。“我以为他不能训练那么长时间。所以我希望他没事。”

点击查看原文：Spurs get ready for start of season

Spurs get ready for start of season

It was a well-earned Sunday off and the Spurs enjoyed it by holding a team party and watching the Super Bowl. But as the players quickly learned Monday morning, their day of rest didn’t come free of charge.

Coach Gregg Popovich “had a surprise for us today,” Avery Johnson said. "Normally, there’s a certain amount of stuff we do, then we shoot our free throws and go home. But he kept working us today.

“I’m hoarse from talking too much.”

The Spurs, who held a 21/2-hour practice Monday for their longest workout to date, had reason to stay late. After taking Sunday off, they were left with four days to prepare for four games.

The Spurs open the season with a three-game homestand against Sacramento (Friday), Minnesota (Saturday) and the Los Angeles Lakers (Monday) before jetting to Minneapolis on Feb. 9 for another meeting with the Timberwolves.

“We’re working more now on our system than anybody else’s,” Popovich said. "We’re not worrying about Sacramento, Minnesota or L.A.

“We’ve got enough trouble just getting our stuff in and getting everybody used to what we do.”

Assistant coach Mike Budenholzer and video coordinator Joe Prunty have scouted the upcoming opponents during the exhibition season. The flurry of free- agent signings and a few key trades have given an unusually large amount of players new homes.

“Just about every team has made changes,” Popovich said. “Most of our changes have come on the bench. We’ve got our core in place, so I think we’re in pretty good shape.”

Though the lockout gave teams just two weeks to prepare, Popovich said he has tried not to push newcomers Antonio Daniels, Steve Kerr, Mario Elie, Jerome Kersey and Andrew Gaze too quickly into the Spurs’ system.

“It is a little difficult,” Popovich said. “You’re paranoid about skipping steps. You want to make sure your foundation is sound.”

Kerr, whose pulled groin limited him last week, is trying to adjust after spending five seasons in the Bulls’ unique triangle offense, which is a more cutting-, college- style set than the Spurs run.

“It’s very different,” Kerr said. "The shots are different. We run a lot of set plays here. Obviously we’re going to try to push the ball on the break first and get transition points, but the offense is still a big adjustment.

“It’s too early for me to say whether I feel comfortable or uncomfortable. I’m just trying to get a feel for where I’m going to fit in.”

The Spurs had some good looks at the basket in Saturday’s 78-70 win over Houston, shooting 50 percent (16 of 32) in the second half. Their defense also tightened over the final two quarters, holding the Rockets to 11-of-37 shooting (29.7 percent).

It was a strong enough performance to make Elie look forward to playing the Lakers and Shaquille O’Neal on Monday. O’Neal said last week the Lakers have nothing to fear from the Spurs.

“Let’s see what Mr. Big Mouth is going to do once he gets down here,” Elie said. "Just let your game do the talking. Don’t be yapping your mouth.

“Shaq’s a great player. I have a lot of respect for him. But just go ahead and play the game. You don’t have to do all that other stuff.”

- Spurs notes: Plenty of tickets remain for Friday and Saturday’s games against Sacramento and Minnesota.

Fans who purchase any ticket priced between $5.50-$51.50 for the Sacramento game will receive a same-priced ticket free for Minnesota. The upper level will be open for both games.

- Free-agent guard Brandon Williams underwent surgery Monday morning to repair his fractured nose.

He was fitted for a mask and should be allowed to practice today.

Kerr also is moving better after suffering a pulled groin in the Jan. 26 exhibition game. He participated in almost the entire practice Monday.

“That kind of surprised me,” Popovich said. “I didn’t think he would be able to go that long. So I’m hoping he’s OK.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-03, By Johnny Ludden

海军上将有了新命令 - 马刺队为罗宾逊精炼角色，现在得分重担已卸下

无论是在休斯顿的西区网球俱乐部还是圣安东尼奥的全生命健康与健身中心，这个夏天，只要大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)走进健身房，蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)就已在那里。

“他总是在跑步，总是在举重，总是在打球，”罗宾逊说。“我感觉像个老家伙，试图跟上年轻人。”

当然，这有其合理的理由。33岁的罗宾逊是老队员之一。

当赛季于周五晚上对阵萨克拉门托揭幕时，罗宾逊将开始他在 NBA 的第十年，并进入一份被称为六年 6600 万美元“终身”合同的第四年。如果打完这个缩短的赛季，罗宾逊将比乔治·格文(George Gervin)的球队纪录 709 场少 23 场。

过去两个赛季，罗宾逊受到背部和膝盖伤病的困扰，但他表示自己感觉三年来最好。现在，与一位年轻的全明星 7 英尺中锋搭档，罗宾逊可以带着更轻的负担，进入自己名人堂生涯的暮年——至少是合同的最后阶段。

“我们从去年开始就尝试让大卫退居二线，真正以成为防守大闸和盖帽高手为荣，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)说。“也让他明白——这一点他很快便理解——他不需要场均得分 30 分，因为我们有邓肯。”

这一点在季后赛第一场就已显现出来，邓肯在下半场得到 28 分，在最后一节得到 18 分，帮助马刺队战胜菲尼克斯。虽然罗宾逊在进攻端表现挣扎，在对阵犹他队的系列赛中 76 投 30 中（命中率 39.4%），但他还是成为自 1978 年的卡里姆·阿卜杜勒·贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)之后，首位在季后赛中篮板（14.1 个）和盖帽（3.33 个）均领跑联盟的球员。

“我仍然要成为防守的支柱，”罗宾逊说。“我必须控制比赛节奏，创造一些机会。而且，在进攻端，我仍然要得分。

“但蒂姆在比赛后期带来了得分能力。他带来了你所需要的稳定高水平表现，而这在过去，我却没有。

“它减轻了我一直以来都要做所有工作的压力。这就是我喜欢的。”

罗宾逊在低位技术方面远不及邓肯精湛，但上赛季场均仍以 21.6 分领跑全队。但随着邓肯承担更多进攻重任，以及状态良好的肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)重返阵容，罗宾逊 99 年的一些数据可能看起来更接近周六对阵休斯顿的热身赛。

罗宾逊在 29 分钟内得到 15 分（11 投 5 中），14 个篮板和 2 次盖帽。他帮助压制了哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)，后者 10 投 3 中，还出现了 6 次失误。罗宾逊在第一节的 5 个篮板中，有 3 个是进攻篮板。

在本周末的主场，他将防守弗拉德·迪瓦茨(Vlade Divac)和沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)。

“大卫是一名非常聪明的球员，一名非常有运动能力的球员，”邓肯说。“他能影响或改变许多投篮。”

罗宾逊表示，过去两个夏天以及停摆期间进行的康复训练，帮助他缓解了之前对背部的担忧。波波维奇说，马刺队对他的膝盖也不比以往更担心，尽管密集的赛程可能会迫使威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)更多地上场，代替罗宾逊。

“显然，不同之处在于所有这些比赛的快速轮换，”波波维奇说。“我们还不知道这会产生什么影响。我们现在正试图通过限制他的上场时间来为这种情况做好准备。

“这只是出于谨慎，是一种常识的做法。”

罗宾逊说，假设他和邓肯本赛季的配合会更加默契，也是合乎逻辑的。

“显然，挑战会更大一些，”罗宾逊说。“没有人会对蒂姆出现在球场上感到惊讶。我希望蒂姆能够更加自信。

“他是联盟中最好的球员之一——如果不是联盟中最棒的球员。这使得我的工作更容易一些。”

• 马刺队消息：自由球员控球后卫克里斯·加纳(Chris Garner)在周二的训练后被裁掉，将球队阵容缩减到本赛季前两周球队可以携带的最多 14 名球员。

对于加纳来说，这并非最佳时机，他在上个赛季全部时间都在多伦多效力。他周二年满 24 岁。

马刺队的首发控球后卫对不合时宜的交易了如指掌。1990 年平安夜，丹佛裁掉了艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)。

加纳也不是周二生日的唯一球员。埃利奥特年满 31 岁。

• 对尊重来说，这太过分了。当史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)在训练后走过来接受采访时，一位电视记者告诉科尔，她曾短暂地把他误认为实习生。

科尔说：“我的确看起来像个实习生。”

点击查看原文：Admiral Gets New Orders - Spurs refine role for Robinson now that scoring burden lifted

Admiral Gets New Orders - Spurs refine role for Robinson now that scoring burden lifted

It didn’t matter whether it was Houston’s Westside Tennis Club or San Antonio’s Full Life Health and Fitness Center. Wherever David Robinson walked into a gym this summer, Tim Duncan was already there.

“He was always running, always lifting, always playing,” Robinson said. “I felt like the old guy trying to keep up with the young guys.”

There, of course, is a logical reason for that. Robinson, 33, is one of the older guys.

When the season opens Friday night against Sacramento, Robinson will begin his 10th year in the NBA and enter the fourth year of what has been called a six-year, $66 million “lifetime” contract. Playing all of this shortened season would leave Robinson 23 games behind George Gervin’s team record of 709.

Bothered by back and knee injuries the past two seasons, Robinson said he feels as good as he has in three years. And now paired with a young All-NBA 7- footer, Robinson can head into the twilight of his Hall of Fame career - or at least the end of his contract - with a lighter workload on his shoulders.

“We started last year to try to have David move over and really take pride in being the defensive stopper and shot blocker,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “And also get him to understand - which he did very quickly - he doesn’t have to score 30 a game because we have Duncan.”

That became apparent in the first game of the playoffs when Duncan scored 28 points in the second half and 18 in the final quarter to push the Spurs past Phoenix. While Robinson struggled offensively, making 30 of 76 shots (39.4 percent) in the Utah series, he also became the first player to lead the playoffs in both rebounds (14.1) and blocks (3.33) since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1978.

“I still have to be the backbone of the defense,” Robinson said. "I have to kind of control the pace of the game and make some things happen. And, still, offensively, I have to score.

"But Tim brings some of that late-game scoring. He brings the consistent high-level performance that you need, and in the past, that I haven’t had.

“It takes some of the pressure off of me to have to do all of the work all of the time. That’s what I like.”

Robinson, who has nowhere near the refined low-post game Duncan possesses, still averaged a team-high 21.6 points last season. But with Duncan assuming more of the offensive load and a healthy Sean Elliott back in the lineup, some of Robinson’s '99 box scores may look closer to Saturday’s exhibition against Houston.

Robinson finished with 15 points (5-of-11 shooting), 14 rebounds and a pair of blocks in 29 minutes. He helped shackle Hakeem Olajuwon, who missed 7 of 10 shots and turned the ball over six times. Three of Robinson’s five first-quarter rebounds came off the offensive glass.

In this weekend’s homestand, he will defend Vlade Divac and Shaquille O’Neal.

“David’s a real smart player, a real athletic player,” Duncan said. “He can affect or change a lot of shots.”

Robinson said the rehab work he did the last two summers and during the lockout have helped alleviate some earlier fears he had about his back. The Spurs, Popovich said, also aren’t more concerned than usual about his knees, even though the packed schedule could force Will Perdue to see more time in place of Robinson.

“The difference obviously is the quicker turnaround for all these games,” Popovich said. "We don’t know what that effect is going to be yet. We’re trying to prepare for it now by limiting his minutes.

“It’s just a precautionary, common-sense kind of thing.”

It’s also logical, Robinson said, to assume he and Duncan will work even smoother together this season.

“The challenge will be a little greater, obviously,” Robinson said. "Nobody is going be surprised by Tim coming out on the floor. I’m hoping Tim is going to be able to assert himself more.

“He’s one of the best players in the league - if not the best player in the league. That makes my job a little easier.”

- Spurs notes: Free-agent point guard Chris Garner was cut after Tuesday’s practice, reducing the roster to the maximum 14 players teams can carry the first two weeks of the season.

It wasn’t exactly the best timing for Garner, who spent all of last season with Toronto. He turned 24 Tuesday.

The Spurs’ starting point guard knows all too well about untimely transactions. Denver waived Avery Johnson on Christmas Eve 1990.

Garner also wasn’t the only player with a birthday Tuesday. Elliott turned 31.

- So much for respect. When Steve Kerr walked over for an interview after practice, a television reporter told Kerr she had briefly mistaken him for an intern.

Said Kerr: “I do look like an intern.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Johnny Ludden

Off-season confirms: Spurs’ time is now

It has become an annual rite of spring almost as much as the city’s historic Fiesta celebration. After the Spurs’ season grinds to a halt in the playoffs, David Robinson laments about off-season moves past and future, invariably issuing his standard plea: Can’t we all just stick together?

Though change is inevitable in today’s nomadic NBA - Joe Smith, the 23-year-old 1995 No. 1 draft pick, has played for three teams - there is more than sufficient reason for the Admiral to believe only he has dropped anchor in San Antonio.

Since leaving the Navy for the NBA before the 1989-90 season, Robinson is the only player to serve an uninterrupted commitment with the Spurs. Sean Elliott, the only other member of Robinson’s rookie team still remaining, took a one-year leave in Detroit.

When the 1999 season opens Friday night, 82 different players, from Andrew Gaze to Zarko Paspalj, will have worn the silver and black during Robinson’s tenure. He has played under seven head coaches and three different ownership groups. The franchise has switched homes from the HemisFair Arena to the Alamodome and wants to move again.

And, like clockwork, the Spurs set their revolving door spinning again this off-season. Mainstays Chuck Person and Vinny Del Negro packed and left. Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey moved in.

But even Robinson, who didn’t initially embrace the decision to let Del Negro go, finds it hard to fault the latest transactions.

“For the first time in a while I like some of the new additions that we’ve made,” Robinson said. "If you bring in guys with championship experience like Mario and Steve, how can you complain about that kind of stuff? I mean, those guys bring Finals experience.

“I believe in consistency, but I think this has been a positive summer for us.”

That opinion is widespread. Most believe Spurs general manager/coach Gregg Popovich and his front office have assembled a veteran, talented roster that should, at the least, contend for supremacy in the rugged Western Conference during the shortened 50-game season. Even an NBA championship, Spurs chairman Peter Holt said, is not an unrealistic goal if the team meshes together smoothly.

Both Robinson and Elliott agree that, on paper, this year’s Spurs rank ahead of their rookie team that included Rod Strickland, Terry Cummings and Willie Anderson. That group won 56 games before losing to Portland in seven games in the 1990 Western Conference semifinals.

“This team is much deeper. Much deeper,” Elliott said. “We’re better than any Spurs team, I think.”

Much of that, Elliott said, has to do with Tim Duncan. Duncan, who won Rookie of the Year and All- NBA honors last season, should continue his role as the team’s primary offensive weapon. That will allow Robinson to focus on rebounding and defense.

This season, however, the Twin Towers figure to get some relief from a more balanced supporting cast. After missing 89 games over the last two seasons with knee problems, Elliott looked in the brief preseason like he could provide athleticism the Spurs need on the perimeter.

“We need to have somebody out there that has that quality,” Popovich said. “Sean has certainly shown that so far.”

Kerr and Elie, in addition to the five championship rings they own, have proved they can knock down the big shot. Gaze offers another insurance three-point threat off the bench. With other scoring options, point guard Avery Johnson can worry more about directing the offense.

“We didn’t want people who could just make three-pointers,” Johnson said. “We wanted people who could make them two or three feet behind the line.”

Having another 7-footer also should come in handy for the Spurs. Though the team’s schedule isn’t quite as exhausting as others around the league, Robinson still has been plagued by back and knee problems throughout the past two seasons. When he needs a rest, Will Perdue has shown to be a more than capable backup.

And what the Spurs lack in youth is compensated for in part by versatility. Duncan and Robinson can play either power forward or center. Kersey can play both forward positions. Elie and Elliott can swing between guard and small forward. Kerr can play some point if needed.

“It can be good or bad,” Elliott said. "We have a lot of guys who are used to playing a lot of minutes. And there might not be enough minutes there some nights.

“But if we’re mature enough and can handle that, then it will work out great.”

Despite the abbreviated training camp, Popovich has been cautious about introducing too much too fast. The Spurs will jell better later in the season, he said, if they proceed carefully now. Indoctrinating the new personnel into the system will take time.

One thing, however, won’t change.

“We want to ground our game in defense,” said Popovich, who built a defense that held opponents to an NBA record-low 41.1 percent shooting last season. "We want to be a team that can make stops. There are no great teams that aren’t fundamentally sound on defense.

“Whether it’s the Bulls, the Pacers, the Sonics, Utah, it doesn’t matter.”

Last season’s Western Conference semifinal series against the Jazz, Popovich said, also should serve as a springboard for this season. The Spurs fell to Utah in five games but dropped the first two by a total of four points. Duncan also was limited with a sprained ankle.

“The point was we were able to compete against a great Utah team, the best team they ever had,” Popovich said. "We were able to beat them. We believed we could beat them.

“And it felt the same way against Seattle and Indiana and Chicago and New York - everybody. We came out with great confidence, really looking forward to this season. What we want to make sure and do is capture that again after the long lockout.”

Adding Kerr, Elie and Kersey, who hold a combined 296 games of playoff experience, should help. With the exception of Perdue and Jaren Jackson, whose contracts expire at the end of the season, the Spurs have their core locked up for the next two years.

Beyond that, the franchise’s future is up in the air. Relocation remains a distinct possibility if the Spurs don’t get a new arena. Some of the players, Elie reminded, are also living on borrowed time.

“This team should be hungry,” Elie said. "They’ve been close so many times. And you know David is not getting any younger. He has a couple of years left.

“This is the time to make the run.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By spurs/nba preview

马刺队工作人员

格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)
教练/总经理

格雷格·波波维奇于1994年5月31日第二次来到圣安东尼奥，接替被解雇的鲍勃·巴斯(Bob Bass)，担任篮球运营副总裁。

波波维奇于1996年12月10日接替被解雇的鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)担任主教练。他于1997年4月签署了一份为期三年的主教练兼总经理合同。

自从回到圣安东尼奥，波波维奇已经采取行动，收购了埃弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)、肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)、威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)、贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)、史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)、马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)和杰罗姆·克西(Jerome Kersey)等球员。

波波维奇于1988年首次来到马刺队，担任拉里·布朗(Larry Brown)的助理教练。他于1992年离开马刺队，担任金州勇士队唐·尼尔森(Don Nelson)的助理教练。

波波维奇在空军学院打了四个赛季，并于1970年毕业。他曾在空军担任了六年的助理教练，并在波莫纳-皮特泽(加州)学院担任了八年的主教练。

萨姆·舒勒(Sam Schuler)

职位：球员人事主管

马刺队历史：1994年6月受聘；担任波波维奇在管理层中的得力助手。

背景亮点：曾担任金州勇士队球员人事主管六年。

R.C. 布福德(R.C. Buford)

职位：球探主管

马刺队历史：1994年重返球队担任首席球探；也曾在圣安东尼奥担任过四年的助理教练，从1988年开始；负责大学球探工作。

背景亮点：曾担任洛杉矶快船队助理教练两个赛季；曾在1988年NCAA冠军队担任拉里·布朗在堪萨斯州的助理教练。

汉克·伊根(Hank Egan)

职位：助理教练

马刺队历史：1994年8月受聘为马刺队助理教练。

背景亮点：1971年至1984年担任空军主教练。

保罗·普雷西(Paul Pressey)

职位：助理教练

马刺队历史：1994年受聘；在退役前效力马刺队两个赛季，此前在NBA效力11年，于1992年退役。

背景亮点：1982年被密尔沃基在第一轮选中；在724场比赛中场均得到10.6分和5.6次助攻。

迈克·布登霍尔泽(Mike Budenholzer)

职位：助理教练

马刺队历史：在1996-97赛季前受聘为助理教练；之前担任过两个赛季的视频协调员。

背景亮点：在1993-94赛季丹麦的维尔勒篮球俱乐部场均得到27.5分。

威尔·塞维宁(Will Sevening)

职位：运动训练师/旅行主管

马刺队历史：7月受聘，接替长期担任训练师的约翰·安德森(John Andersen)。

背景亮点：过去四个赛季在印第安纳步行者队担任助理训练师/力量教练。

迈克·布伦加特(Mike Brungardt)

职位：力量与体能教练

马刺队历史：在球队进入第五个赛季。

背景亮点：力量优势公司(Strength Advantage Inc.)的创始人。

点击查看原文：Spurs staff

Spurs staff

GREGG POPOVICH Coach/General Manager Gregg Popovich arrived for the second time in San Antonio to take over as vice president of basketball operations, replacing the fired Bob Bass on May 31, 1994.

Popovich replaced the fired Bob Hill as head coach on Dec. 10, 1996. He signed a three-year contract as head coach and general manager in April 1997.

Since returning to San Antonio, Popovich has made moves to acquire players Avery Johnson, Sean Elliott, Will Perdue, Jaren Jackson, Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey.

Popovich first came to the Spurs in 1988 as an assistant to Larry Brown. He left in 1992 to become an assistant under Don Nelson at Golden State.

Popovich played four seasons at the Air Force Academy, from which he graduated in 1970. He was an assistant coach at Air Force for six years and head coach at Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) College for eight years.

SAM SCHULER

Title: Director of player personnel

Spurs history: Hired in June 1994; serves as Popovich’s right-hand man in front office.

Background highlights: Player personnel director for six years at Golden State.

R.C. BUFORD

Title: Director of scouting

Spurs history: Rejoined team in '94 as head scout; also spent four years in San Antonio as assistant coach, starting in '88; oversees college scouting.

Background highlights: Spent two seasons as assistant coach with Los Angeles Clippers; was assistant at Kansas under Larry Brown on '88 NCAA title team.

HANK EGAN

Title: Assistant coach

Spurs history: Hired as Spurs assistant in August 1994.

Background highlights: Head coach at Air Force from '71 to '84.

PAUL PRESSEY

Title: Assistant coach

Spurs history: Hired in '94; played for Spurs for two seasons before retiring after 11-year NBA career in '92.

Background highlights: First- round draft pick by Milwaukee in '82; averaged 10.6 points and 5.6 assists in 724 games.

MIKE BUDENHOLZER

Title: Assistant coach

Spurs history: Hired as assistant prior to the '96-97 season; previously was video coordinator for two seasons.

Background highlights: Averaged 27.5 points for Vejle Basketball Club in Denmark in '93-94 season.

WILL SEVENING

Title: Athletic trainer/director of travel

Spurs history: Hired in July to replace longtime trainer John Andersen.

Background highlights: Spent past four seasons as assistant trainer/strength coach with the Indiana Pacers.

MIKE BRUNGARDT

Title: Strength and conditioning coach

Spurs history: Entering fifth season with team.

Background highlights:A founder of Strength Advantage Inc.

By spurs/nba preview, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Johnny Ludden

老派巨星 - 蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan) 的天赋与眼光

他曾与大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson) 争论过草坪侏儒礼仪，与格兰特·希尔(Grant Hill) 一起修剪过草坪，还为一家全国性体育杂志撰写了一篇第一人称的封面故事，而各种邀约仍然源源不断。仅在最近几周，蒂姆·邓肯就被要求递交以下职位的申请：火炬手、指挥棒持有人、旗手、接班人，当然还有永远时髦的“下一个乔丹”。

邓肯当然都拒绝了。随着 NBA 进入后乔丹时代，并寻找下一代球员来帮助联盟继续前进，邓肯被广泛提名的原因恰恰在于他从未忘记自己的真实目标。

“蒂姆不是一个 MTV 球员，他是一个篮球运动员，”马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich) 说，“他是一个老派、刻苦训练、基础扎实的篮球运动员。”

邓肯也有自己的代言。他有他 22 岁的 PlayStation 爱好。他也有自己的优先问题。具体来说，他无法决定是否应该推迟他作为控球后卫的职业生涯。

无论是赞美如潮还是偶尔的批评，邓肯都像泡沫塑料一样泰然处之。

上周沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal) 当众抱怨罗宾逊和邓肯后，一位洛杉矶时报读者批评了奥尼尔，写道：“你为什么不闭嘴，长大成人，并展现出像蒂姆·邓肯那样的精雕细琢和优雅，正是这些品质让（马刺队）从一开始就成为比湖人更有力的竞争者。”

罗宾逊说：“我不需要告诉蒂姆任何事。他在自己解决问题方面做得很好。”

现在，在第二个赛季开始前夕，邓肯表示他在联盟中的第一个赛季教会了他很多，包括时间流逝的速度。在 11 个月的时间里，他从选秀状元变成了自 1980 年拉里·伯德(Larry Bird) 之后第一位入选全明星阵容的新秀。在此过程中，他获得了一些重要的建议。

在邓肯加入马刺队的第一天，查克·珀森(Chuck Person) 告诉他要记住，比赛也是一项生意。为期七个月的停摆让全世界都意识到了这一点。停摆结束后，马刺队没有续约他的朋友蒙蒂·威廉姆斯(Monty Williams)，并交易了珀森，这再次提醒了邓肯。

“人们会来来往往，”邓肯说，“这不是个人问题。我知道这一点。我想很多球员也知道这一点。

“有时候你会觉得有点个人化，但你必须经历它。你必须继续前进。”

邓肯做到了。他将去年的季后赛（从他在对阵菲尼克斯的第四节中得到 18 分开始，到在对阵犹他的比赛中扭伤脚踝结束）称为“一个开始”。波波维奇并没有那么谦虚，他说：“他正在走向巨星之路。”

邓肯上赛季场均得到 21.1 分和 11.9 个篮板，他可能会重新确立自己在马刺队进攻端的核心地位。肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott) 的回归将使他无需在小前锋位置上勉强上场。

在确定了邓肯上赛季的优势后，马刺队教练现在可以专注于充分利用这些优势。他将练习将球举得更高，并在已经广受赞誉的移动技巧中加入一个摇摆步。他的大部分进攻技巧只需要打磨。

“让我们面对现实吧。他的勾手不会有太大进步，”波波维奇说，“它就像 10 分制中的 9.8 分。

“但就像大多数伟大的球员一样，拉里·伯德、魔术师·约翰逊（Magic Johnson）——他们都在不断进步——在他们职业生涯中不断添加新的技巧。蒂姆也会这样做。”

尽管邓肯上赛季场均 2.5 次封盖，并入选联盟最佳防守阵容第二阵容，但他在这方面还有提升空间。但波波维奇说，他最大的进步将在心理上。邓肯应该变得更加自信、更加稳定。

“大卫承担了这种责任和压力很长时间了，”波波维奇说，“蒂姆也将得到他应得的份额。”

当然，马刺队希望他成为他们未来的基石。今年夏天，邓肯将有资格重新签约六年，价值 7100 万美元。根据新的劳资协议，没有球队可以向邓肯（他可以在下赛季结束时测试自由球员市场）提供比马刺队更高的报价。

“他理解自己可以成为这个联盟的接班人，这是一种成熟的表现，”波波维奇说，“他理解随之而来的责任，以及随之而来的勤奋。”

这种影响力已经影响到他的同龄人。在太平洋大学的最后一个赛季，洛杉矶快船队的选秀状元迈克尔·奥洛沃坎迪(Michael Olowokandi) 在卫星电视上观看马刺队的比赛，学习邓肯的脚步。罗宾逊在听说邓肯在停摆期间偶尔会在休斯敦西区网球俱乐部训练后，也前往了那里。

埃利奥特说邓肯在当地比赛中占据主导地位。他说，即使是经验丰富的强硬球员特里·卡明斯(Terry Cummings) 也不是他的对手。

“如果特里生气了，他可以把这座球馆举起来。他非常强壮，”埃利奥特说，“但这对蒂姆来说毫无意义。”

停摆也让邓肯有机会提升自己的商业吸引力。自上赛季结束以来，他已出现在耐克(Nike)、雪碧(Sprite) 和 Edge 的高调广告中。与罗宾逊合作的 Edge Gel 广告的谈判一度陷入僵局，因为邓肯不愿完全剃掉胡子。

邓肯的商业经理兼来自维克森林大学的朋友马克·斯科特(Marc Scott) 以及他位于华盛顿的经纪人隆·巴比(Lon Babby) 制定了一个营销计划，但他们对过度曝光邓肯持谨慎态度。他们的理念很简单。“我们不想做任何会让他远离篮球的事情，”斯科特说。

邓肯在圣安东尼奥的影响力不难看出。雪碧罐上印着他的照片，在杂货店货架上随处可见。上赛季，他的 21 号球衣在马刺队的纪念品商店的销量是罗宾逊 50 号球衣的四倍。丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman) 是唯一一个销量超过“海军上将”的球员，他的销量是罗宾逊的两倍半。

“他很有优雅，”芝加哥体育名人网络(Sports Celebrity Network) 的诺瓦·兰克特里(Nova Lanktree) 说。“他尊严、敬业、脚踏实地、专注。我认为，他的害羞也是他魅力的一部分。”

与罗宾逊和艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson) 不同，邓肯并不假装精通回答平凡问题的艺术。不止一位电视记者抱怨过邓肯的“金句”，或者更确切地说，是缺乏“金句”。

然而，大多数球迷并不介意他在停摆期间保持沉默。当纽约的帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing) 抱怨自己需要 1500 万美元的收入时，邓肯和底特律的格兰特·希尔保持沉默。

这并没有让这对搭档（都是巴比的客户）受到工会其他成员的喜爱。底特律的一家报纸报道称，一些球员会在赛季期间针对邓肯和希尔。犹他队的卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone) 公开批评了他的两位全明星同伴。

“卡尔想说什么就说什么，”邓肯说。“我真不在乎他说什么。他不是那种我在电视上看到他就会停下来听他说话的人。

“他总是说一些话。他说他永远不会再为犹他队效力。然后他就和他们签了一份合同。所以我不在乎他说什么。”

邓肯的幽默感有时在公众面前不为人知。巴比曾要求他多微笑，这足以说明这一点。事实上，他是马刺队最爱恶作剧的人之一。

他向一个惊慌失措的安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels) 展示了他庞大的刀具收藏，并向丹尼尔斯的脸晃了晃一把巨大的潜水刀。他以偷拍粗心大意的摄影师而闻名。而且，在两个月前他为《体育画报》(Sport) 杂志撰写的那篇文章中，邓肯说他在 NBA 面临的最大问题之一是，他总是被人击中……嗯，男人最不想被击中的地方。

“人们不知道的是，蒂姆其实是一个 7 英尺高的孩子，”丹尼尔斯说。“他喜欢玩游戏，喜欢玩具。

“他是一个超级巨星。但他不像很多其他让自我膨胀控制他们行动的超级巨星。他很清醒。

“蒂姆知道自己想要从生活中得到什么。他会做任何必要的事情来实现这一点。”

邓肯说：“这一切都来得很快，转眼就过去了。我只是希望我还有很长的路要走，而且这仅仅是这条路的开始。”

点击查看原文：Old-School Superstar - Tim Duncan's huge talent is matched by his outlook

Old-School Superstar - Tim Duncan’s huge talent is matched by his outlook

He has debated lawn-gnome etiquette with David Robinson, mowed the grass with Grant Hill, penned a first-person cover story for a national sports magazine, and still the offers keep pouring in. In recent weeks alone, Tim Duncan has been asked to submit applications for: Torch Carrier, Baton Holder, Flag Bearer, Heir Apparent and, yes, the ever trendy Next Jordan.

Duncan, of course, has dismissed each. As the NBA moves into the post-Jordan era and looks for another generation of players to help carry the league, the very reason Duncan receives widespread nomination is that he hasn’t forgotten his true calling.

“Tim’s not an MTV player. He’s a basketball player,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s an old- school, work-hard, fundamentally sound basketball player.”

Duncan, too, has his endorsements. He has his 22-year- old PlayStation interests. And he has his priority problems. Namely, he can’t decide whether to put off his career as a point guard.

Whether it’s an ocean of praise or the rare drop of criticism, Duncan has swallowed both with all the aplomb of Styrofoam.

After Shaquille O’Neal whined out loud about Robinson and Duncan last week, a Los Angeles Times reader took O’Neal to task, writing, “Why don’t you shut up, grow up and put up and show the polish and class of a Tim Duncan, which has made (the Spurs) favorites ahead of the Lakers to begin with.”

Said Robinson: “I don’t need to tell Tim anything. He’s doing a good enough job of figuring things out for himself.”

Now on the eve of his sophomore season, Duncan said his first year in the league taught him plenty. Including how fast it can fly by. In 11 months, he transformed himself from No. 1 draft pick into the first All-NBA rookie since Larry Bird in 1980. Along the way, he picked up some important advice.

On one of Duncan’s first days with the Spurs, Chuck Person told him to remember that the game was also a business. The seven- month lockout told the world that. After it ended Duncan was greeted with another reminder when the Spurs didn’t re-sign his friend Monty Williams and traded Person.

“People are going to be coming and going,” Duncan said. "It’s not personal. I know that. And I think a lot of the guys know that.

“Sometimes you take it a little personal, but you have to live through it. You’ve got to move on.”

Duncan has, calling last year’s playoffs - which began when he scored 18 points in the fourth quarter against Phoenix and ended with a sprained ankle against Utah - “a start.” Popovich isn’t nearly as modest, saying, “He’s on the road to stardom.”

Duncan, who averaged 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds last season, likely will re-establish himself as the Spurs’ go-to guy on offense. With Sean Elliott back he won’t have to play uncomfortably at small forward.

After determining Duncan’s strengths last season, Spurs coaches can now focus on taking full advantage of them. He will work on holding the ball higher and adding a rocker step to his already acclaimed resume of moves. Much of his offensive game merely needs polish.

“Let’s face it. His jump hook is not going to get a whole lot better,” Popovich said. "It’s like a 9.8 on a 10 scale.

“But as most great players progressed, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson - all of them - added things to their game as they went along. Tim will do the same.”

Though he averaged 2.5 blocks last season and was named to the league’s all-defensive second team, Duncan has more room to improve on that end of the court. But his greatest growth, Popovich said, will come mentally. Duncan should become more assertive, more consistent.

“David has borne that same sort of responsibility and pressure for a long time,” Popovich said. “Tim will be getting his share of that.”

The Spurs, of course, want to make him their foundation for the future. This summer Duncan will be eligible to re-sign for six years worth $71 million. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, no team can offer Duncan - who could test the free-agent waters at the end of next season - more money than the Spurs.

“There’s a maturity about him in understanding that he can be the heir apparent in this league,” Popovich said. “He understands the responsibility that entails, the work ethic that entails.”

It has brushed off on his peers. During his senior season at Pacific, Michael Olowokandi, the Los Angeles Clippers’ No. 1 draft pick, watched Spurs games on satellite TV to study Duncan’s footwork. Robinson traveled to Houston’s Westside Tennis Club when he heard Duncan was occasionally working out there during the lockout.

Elliott said Duncan dominated the local scrimmages. Even rugged veteran Terry Cummings, he said, was no match.

“Terry could lift this gym up if he got mad. He’s that strong,” Elliott said. “But that didn’t mean anything against Tim.”

The lockout also allowed Duncan time to enhance his commercial appeal. Since the end of last season he has appeared in high-profile campaigns for Nike, Sprite and Edge. Negotiations for the Edge Gel spot, which paired him with Robinson, briefly bogged down because Duncan wouldn’t completely shave his beard.

Marc Scott, Duncan’s business manager and friend from Wake Forest, and his Washington-based agent, Lon Babby, have put together a marketing plan, but are cautious about overexposing Duncan. Their philosophy is simple. “We don’t want to do anything that’s going to take him away from playing basketball,” Scott said.

It’s not hard to see Duncan’s impact in San Antonio. Sprite cans bearing his picture line grocery- store shelves. His No. 21 jersey outsold Robinson’s No. 50 by a 4-to- 1 margin at Spurs’ souvenir stores last season. Dennis Rodman was the only other player to outsell the Admiral, eclipsing him 2.5-to-1.

“He’s got elegance,” said Nova Lanktree, of the Chicago-based Sports Celebrity Network. “He’s dignified, committed, grounded and focused. His shyness is even a little bit of his charm, I think.”

Unlike Robinson and Avery Johnson, Duncan doesn’t pretend to master the art of answering the mundane question. More than one TV reporter has mumbled about Duncan’s sound bites, or rather, lack thereof.

Most fans, however, didn’t mind that he kept his mouth shut during the lockout. While New York’s Patrick Ewing complained about his need for a $15 million livelihood, Duncan and Detroit’s Grant Hill stayed quiet.

That didn’t endear the pair - both clients of Babby - to other members of the union. One Detroit newspaper report said some players would target Duncan and Hill during the season. Utah’s Karl Malone publicly criticized his two fellow All-Stars.

“Karl can talk all he wants,” Duncan said. "I really don’t care what he says. He’s not someone who, when he comes on TV, I’m going to stop and listen to him.

“He says things all the time. He said he wasn’t ever going to go play for Utah again. And then he goes and signs a contract with them. So I don’t care what he says.”

Duncan’s sense of humor is sometimes lost before the public eye. Enough so that Babby has asked him to smile more. In truth, he is one of the Spurs’ leading pranksters.

He introduced a startled Antonio Daniels to his extensive knife collection by flashing a large diving blade in Daniels’ face. He has been known to pickpocket careless cameramen. And in the article he wrote for Sport magazine two months ago, Duncan said one of his biggest problems with the NBA is that he keeps getting hit in, well, the absolute last place men want to be hit.

“What people don’t know about Tim is that he’s a 7-foot kid,” Daniels said. "He loves to play games. He loves toys.

"He’s a superstar. But he’s not like a lot of other superstars who let their egos take them all over the place. He has his head screwed on straight.

“Tim knows what he wants out of life. And he does what he has to do to accomplish that.”

Said Duncan: “It’s all come and gone real quick. I just hope I have a long way to go and that this is only the beginning of that road.”

By Johnny Ludden, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By spurs/nba preview

遇见马刺

2 贾伦·杰克逊(Jaren Jackson)

位置：后卫

身高/体重：6英尺6英寸，215磅

年龄：31岁（1967年10月27日出生于新奥尔良）

大学：乔治城大学

NBA 经验：第九个赛季，在马刺的第二个赛季

合同状况：签署了一份为期一年的联盟最低标准合同，价值725,000美元，将会获得按比例计算的442,000美元。

1997-98 赛季亮点：这位流浪球员终于找到了家，首发出场45场比赛……总上场时间（2,226分钟）比他前七个赛季的总和（2,174分钟）还要多……在球队中罚球命中率和三分球命中数领先……除了盖帽之外，所有数据都创造了个人单赛季记录。

展望：将会首发出场担任得分后卫……为球队提供可靠的后场防守……在肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)、史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)和马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)的身边，他不需要承担过多的进攻重任。

4 史蒂夫·科尔(Steve Kerr)

位置：后卫

身高，体重：6英尺3英寸，181磅

年龄：33岁（1965年9月27日出生于贝鲁特，黎巴嫩）

大学：亚利桑那大学

NBA 经验：第11个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：将会获得五年的1,100万美元合同的第一年薪金，约为375万美元。

1997-98 赛季亮点：在芝加哥公牛队21场比赛的季后赛中，场均上场19.8分钟，贡献4.9分和1.7次助攻……投篮命中率达到45%，三分球命中率达到44%……联盟三分球命中率排名第五，罚球命中率达到92%……左锁骨骨折，缺席了22场比赛……在东部半决赛第五场对阵黄蜂的比赛中，创下了职业生涯最高的15分……在芝加哥的第二场比赛中，他比卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)和爵士队更努力地抢到了自己的失误球，并将球传给了迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)完成上篮，帮助芝加哥将比赛带向胜利。

展望：科尔预计将成为球队战术体系中的定点射手，当防守球员包夹大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)或蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)时，他会获得传球机会……科尔已经成为了联盟历史上三分球命中率最高的球员，达到47.3%……这位身高6英尺3英寸的后卫在防守端可能是一个弱点，如果他和艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)同时在场，可能会出现问题。

6 艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)

位置：后卫

身高/体重：5英尺11英寸，175磅

年龄：33岁（1965年3月25日出生于新奥尔良）

大学：南方大学

NBA 经验：第11个赛季，在马刺的第八个赛季

合同状况：将会获得三年870万美元合同的第二年薪金，按比例计算为180万美元（完整赛季为300万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：在季后赛中可能打出了职业生涯最好的表现，场均贡献17.3分和6.1次助攻，投篮命中率达到60.4%……助攻失误比排名联盟第四，达到3.58:1……因髋部受伤缺席了7场比赛……获得了NBA体育精神奖。

展望：将会担任首发控球后卫，带领球队进攻……预计还将帮助新球队在更衣室里团结一致……随着肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)回归，他的进攻地位降至第四或第五……擅长快攻得分。

10 安德鲁·盖兹(Andrew Gaze)

位置：后卫

身高，体重：6英尺6英寸，210磅

年龄：33岁（1965年7月24日出生于澳大利亚墨尔本）

大学：圣约翰大学

NBA 经验：第二个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：本赛季将获得25万美元。

1998-99 赛季亮点：为墨尔本老虎队出战了17场比赛，场均贡献33.5分，投篮命中率达到53%，场均上场47分钟……国际比赛三分球命中率达到42%，罚球命中率达到89%。

展望：马刺希望盖兹能够上场并投进一些跳投，可能是一两记三分球，在五分钟左右的时间里……他在防守端将会是一个弱点，但是如果他能点燃一些得分，他就会物超所值……他能否在NBA的22英尺三分线外保持准确性还有待观察。

17 马里奥·埃利(Mario Elie)

位置：后卫

身高，体重：6英尺5英寸，210磅

年龄：35岁（1963年11月26日出生于纽约）

大学：美国国际学院

NBA 经验：第九个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：将会获得两年约367万美元合同的第一年薪金，价值175万美元。

1997-98 赛季亮点：为火箭队出战了73场比赛，场均贡献8.4分和3次助攻……首发出场59次……三分球命中率仅为29%，但罚球命中率达到83%……只因伤病缺席了6场比赛，并首发了休斯顿最后的20场比赛……三次得分超过20分。

展望：马刺希望埃利能够将他不屈不挠的比赛态度灌输到其他球员身上……教练们还希望他能够在训练中用强硬的对抗方式挑战肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)……马刺可能会明白为什么火箭队不急于重新签下埃利——他们认为自1996年手臂骨折后，他的投篮水平已经不如以前。

21 蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)

位置：前锋/中锋

身高/体重：7英尺0英寸，255磅

年龄：22岁（1976年4月25日出生于美属维尔京群岛圣克罗伊岛）

大学：维克森林大学

NBA 经验：第二个赛季，都在马刺度过

合同状况：将会获得三年1,024万美元合同的第二年薪金，按比例计算为207万美元（完整赛季为340万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：NBA年度最佳新秀……自1980年拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)以来，第一位入选NBA最佳阵容一阵的新秀……在最有价值球员投票中排名第五……唯一一位首发出场所有82场比赛的马刺球员……联盟两双次数排名第一，达到57次。

展望：已经被一些人认为是联盟中最好的球员……预计将继续担任球队的头号进攻选择，并在防守端取得进步……随着肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)回归，他不需要再打小前锋……应该更加果断。

25 杰罗姆·科西(Jerome Kersey)

位置：前锋

身高，体重：6英尺7英寸，225磅

年龄：36岁（1962年6月26日出生于弗吉尼亚州克拉克维尔）

大学：朗伍德大学

NBA 经验：第15个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：将会获得两年约210万美元合同的第一年薪金，价值100万美元。

1997-98 赛季亮点：去年只为超音速队出战了37场比赛……在11月21日对阵马刺的比赛中，左脚发生应力性骨折，缺席了18场比赛……两次左肩脱臼……9次得分上双，在3月14日对阵森林狼的比赛中，抢下了全场最高的13个篮板。

展望：必须保持健康，才能为小前锋和大前锋位置提供替补……需要注入力量，展现强硬、有威慑力的表现……不需要频繁投篮，但他拥有相当可靠的侧翼跳投。

31 马利克·罗斯(Malik Rose)

位置：前锋

身高/体重：6英尺7英寸，250磅

年龄：24岁（1974年11月23日出生于费城）

大学：德雷克塞尔大学

NBA 经验：第三个赛季，在马刺的第二个赛季

合同状况：签署了一份为期一年的联盟最低标准合同，价值450,000美元，将会获得按比例计算的274,390美元。

1997-98 赛季亮点：成为马刺队的自由球员签约中的一个好发现……在球队最后的28场比赛中，他出战了23场……在对阵猛龙和森林狼的比赛中，分别创下了个人单场最高的12分。

展望：将会帮助球队在蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)和杰罗姆·科西(Jerome Kersey)身后提供一些替补防守和篮板……擅长低位进攻，但身高对于大前锋来说略矮……在休赛期进行了跳投训练。

32 肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)

位置：前锋

身高/体重：6英尺8英寸，220磅

年龄：31岁（1968年2月2日出生于亚利桑那州图森）

大学：亚利桑那大学

NBA 经验：第10个赛季，在马刺的第九个赛季

合同状况：将会获得六年3,200万美元合同的第四年薪金，按比例计算为350万美元（完整赛季为580万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：连续第二年缺席了超过一半的比赛……左股四头肌腱修复手术后，缺席了最后42场比赛……在1996-97赛季，他的右膝出现过同样的问题……在受伤之前，他的进攻角色减少，表现挣扎。

展望：可能是球队成功的关键……如果健康，将会为马刺队提供急需的突破手……展现出重新获得快速第一步的早期迹象……将会被用来防守一些联盟中顶级的得分手……也能够用外线投篮拉开防守。

33 安东尼奥·丹尼尔斯(Antonio Daniels)

位置：后卫

身高/体重：6英尺4英寸，200磅

年龄：23岁（1975年3月19日出生于俄亥俄州哥伦布）

大学：博林格林州立大学

NBA 经验：第二个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：将会获得三年710万美元合同的第二年薪金，按比例计算为150万美元（完整赛季为250万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：为温哥华灰熊队打出了起起伏伏的一个赛季……与灰熊队主教练布莱恩·希尔(Brian Hill)发生过矛盾……大部分时间投篮表现不佳，但在对阵活塞的比赛中，在比赛结束前3.1秒命中了绝杀球……在赛季末获得了更多的上场时间。

展望：将会作为艾弗里·约翰逊(Avery Johnson)的替补出任控球后卫……球队中最有运动能力的球员之一……喜欢快节奏的比赛……在停摆期间一直在练习投篮。

41 威尔·珀杜(Will Perdue)

位置：中锋

身高/体重：7英尺0英寸，240磅

年龄：33岁（1965年8月29日出生于佛罗里达州墨尔本）

大学：范德比尔特大学

NBA 经验：第11个赛季，在马刺的第四个赛季

合同状况：球队选择执行合同的最后一年选项，将会获得按比例计算的260万美元（完整赛季为420万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：当马刺队使用全员身高7英尺的阵容时，他获得了30场首发中的21场……作为首发球员，场均贡献8分和10.2个篮板……在对阵费城76人的比赛中，创下了职业生涯最高的21分……在4月13日对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛中，因将湖人队控球后卫德里克·费舍尔(Derek Fisher)扔倒在地而被罚出场并被罚款5,000美元。

展望：马刺队幸运的是，他们不需要为了寻找射手而交易他……在比赛间休息时间很短的情况下，他需要替补大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)……出色的替补篮板手。

50 大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)

位置：中锋

身高/体重：7英尺1英寸，250磅

年龄：33岁（1965年8月6日出生于佛罗里达州基韦斯特）

大学：美国海军学院

NBA 经验：第10个赛季，都在马刺度过

合同状况：将会获得六年6,600万美元合同的第四年薪金，按比例计算为700万美元（完整赛季为1,140万美元）。

1997-98 赛季亮点：入选NBA最佳阵容二阵和最佳防守阵容二阵……联盟得分排名第十，篮板排名第五……因右膝受伤缺席了6场比赛……在被犹他爵士队前锋卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)的肘部击中头部后，缺席了3场比赛。

展望：应该继续担任球队的防守领袖……在过去两个赛季饱受伤病困扰之后，密集的赛程将是对他的考验……如果新的射手能够帮助拉开防守，他可能会获得更多发挥的空间。

11 布兰登·威廉姆斯(Brandon Williams)

位置：后卫

身高/体重：6英尺6英寸，215磅

年龄：23岁（1975年2月27日出生于路易斯安那州科林斯顿）

大学：大卫森学院

NBA 经验：第二个赛季，在马刺的第一个赛季

合同状况：签署了一份不保障的为期一年的合同，价值25万美元联盟最低标准。

1997-98 赛季亮点：在与金州勇士队签署了两份为期10天的合同后，出战了9场比赛……本赛季为CBA的拉克罗斯鲍勃猫队出战了10场比赛，场均贡献22.8分、6.2个篮板和2次助攻。

54 杰拉德·金(Gerard King)

位置：前锋

年龄：23岁（1972年11月25日出生于新奥尔良）

身高/体重：6英尺9英寸，250磅

NBA 经验：第一个赛季

合同状况：签署了一份不保障的为期一年的合同，价值287,500美元的新秀联盟最低标准。

1997-98 赛季亮点：为意大利联赛的丰塔纳弗雷达锡耶纳队出战了26场比赛，场均贡献17.5分和10.5个篮板……在希腊举行的世界锦标赛上，为美国队出战，场均贡献5.9分，篮板数全队最高，达到5.3个。

展望：在训练营中展现出了良好的手感……可以从替补席上提供更多的力量。

点击查看原文：Meet the Spurs

Meet the Spurs

2 Jaren Jackson Position: Guard Height/weight: 6-6, 215 Age: 31 (Oct. 27, 1967, New Orleans)

College: Georgetown

NBA experience: Ninth season, second with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $442,000 after signing league-minimum $725,000 one-year contract.

1997-98 highlights: Journeyman finally found home, starting 45 games … Totaled more minutes (2,226) than he had his first seven seasons combined (2,174) … Led team in free-throw percentage and three-pointers made … Set personal single-season records in every category but blocks.

Outlook: Will start at shooting guard … Gives team solid defender in backcourt … Won’t have to shoulder as much of an offensive load with Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr and Mario Elie around.

4 Steve Kerr

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6-3, 181

Age: 33 (Sept. 27, 1965, Beirut, Lebanon)

College: Arizona

NBA experience: 11th season, first with Spurs

Contract status: Will earn about $3.75 million in first of five-year, $11 million deal.

1997-98 highlights: Averaged 4.9 points and 1.7 assists in 19.8 minutes during Chicago Bulls 21-game playoff run to the NBA title . . . Hit 45 percent of his field goals, including 44 percent from three-point range . . . Ranked fifth in league in three-point field-goal percentage and hit 92 percent of his free throws . . . Suffered a fractured left clavicle and missed 22 games . . . tied his career-high 15 points vs. Hornets in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals . . . Outhustled Karl Malone and Jazz to get the rebound of his own miss and passed to Michael Jordan for layup to send Game 2 in Chicago’s direction.

Outlook: Kerr is expected to provide the set-up shooter to receive the pitch out when the defense closes down David Robinson or Tim Duncan . . . Kerr already is the NBA’s career leader in three-point field-goal percentage with 47.3 . . . The 6-3 guard can be a liability on defense and that may cause problems if he’s on the floor with Avery Johnson.

6 Avery Johnson

Position: Guard

Height/weight: 5-11, 175

Age: 33 (March 25, 1965, New Orleans)

College: Southern

NBA experience: 11th season, eighth with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $1.8 million ($3 million for full season) in second of three-year, $8.7 million contract.

1997-98 highlights: May have had best stretch of career during playoffs, averaging 17.3 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 60.4 percent … Had league’s fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio with 3.58-to-1 mark … Missed seven games with hip injury … Won NBA Sportsmanship Award.

Outlook: Will run offense as starting point guard … Also expected to help new team jell in locker room … With Sean Elliott back, reduced to fourth or fifth option on offense … Strong finisher on break.

10 Andrew Gaze

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6-6, 210

Age: 33 (July 24, 1965, Melbourne, Australia)

College: Seton Hall

NBA experience: Second season, first with Spurs

Contract status: Will earn $250,000 this season.

1998-99 highlights: Appeared in 17 games with Melbourne Tigers and averaged 33.5 points and hit 53 percent of his shots while averaging 47 minutes . . . Hit 42 percent from international three-point line and hit 89 percent of his free throws.

Outlook: Spurs would love it if Gaze could pop onto the floor and pop a few jumpers, maybe a three or two, in five or so minutes of action . . . He will be a liability on defense, but he will pay his freight if he can ignite some scoring . . . Still to be determined will be his accuracy from the NBA’s 22-foot three-point line.

17 Mario Elie

Position: Guard

Height, weight: 6-5, 210

Age: 35 (Nov. 26, 1963, New York)

College: American International

NBA experience: Ninth season, first with Spurs

Contract status: Will earn $1.75 million in first of two-year contract worth about $3.67 million.

1997-98 highlights: Averaged 8.4 points and three assists through 73 games with the Rockets . . . Earned 59 starts . . . Hit just 29 percent of his three-point tries but was an 83 percent free-throw shooter . . . Missed only six games because of injuries and started Houston’s last 20 games . . . scored 20 or more points three times.

Outlook: The Spurs hope Elie can inject his do-or-die floor attitude into rest of team . . . Coaches also want him to challenge Sean Elliott with physical approach during practices . . . Spurs may learn why Rockets weren’t overly eager to re-sign Elie - they think he hasn’t been same shooter since breaking arm in 1996.

21 Tim Duncan

Position: Forward/center

Height/weight: 7-0, 255

Age: 22 (April 25, 1976, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands)

College: Wake Forest

NBA experience: Second season, both with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $2.07 million ($3.4 million for full season) in second of three-year, $10.24 million contract. 1997-98 highlights: NBA Rookie of the Year … First rookie to be named to All-NBA first team since Larry Bird in 1980 … Finished fifth in MVP voting. … Only Spur to start all 82 games … Led NBA with 57 double-doubles.

Outlook: Already regarded by some as league’s best player … Figures to continue role as the team’s No.1 offensive option and improve on defense. … With Sean Elliott back, won’t have to see time at small forward … Should be more assertive.

25 Jerome Kersey

Position: Forward

Height, weight: 6-7, 225

Age: 36 (June 26, 1962, Clarksville, Va.)

College: Longwood

NBA experience: 15th season, first with Spurs

Contract status: Will make $1 million in first of two-year contract worth about $2.1 million.

1997-98 highlights: Appeared in just 37 games with Sonics last year . . . suffered a stress fracture in left foot in Nov. 21 game against Spurs and lost 18 games . . . Twice separated left shoulder . . . scored in double figures nine times and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds against Minnesota March 14.

Outlook: Has to stay healthy so he can provide backup work at both small and power forward slots; needed to inject muscle and physical, intimidating play; won’t be asked to shoot often but does have reasonably dependable jumper from the side.

31 Malik Rose

Position: Forward

Height/weight: 6-7, 250

Age: 24 (Nov. 23, 1974, Philadelphia)

College: Drexel

NBA experience: third season, second with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $274,390 after signing league-minimum $450,000 one-year contract.

1997-98 highlights: Developed into good free-agent find for Spurs … Playe in 23 of team’s final 28 games … Scored season-high 12 points against Toronto and Minnesota.

Outlook: Will help give team some defense and rebounding off the bench behind Tim Duncan and Jerome Kersey … Low-post oriented, but a little too small at power forward … Worked on jumper in off-season.

32 Sean Elliott

Position: Forward

Height/weight: 6-8, 220

Age: 31 (Feb. 2, 1968, Tucson, Ariz.)

College: Arizona

NBA experience: 10th season, ninth with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $3.5 million ($5.8 million for full season) in fourth of six-year, $32 million contract.

1997-98 highlights: Missed more than half the season for the second straigh year … Sat out the final 42 games after having his left quadriceps tendon repaired … Had the same problem with his right knee in 1996-97 … Prior to injury, struggled with reduced role on offense.

Outlook: Could be key to team’s success … If healthy, gives Spurs needed slasher … Shown early signs of regaining quick first step … Will be used to defend some the league’s top scorers … Also can spread defenses with outside shot.

33 Antonio Daniels

Position: Guard

Height/weight: 6-4, 200

Age: 23 (March 19, 1975, Columbus, Ohio)

College: Bowling Green

NBA experience: Second season, first with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $1.5 million ($2.5 million for full season) in second of three-year, $7.1 million contract.

1997-98 highlights: Spent up-and-down season with Vancouver … Struggled a time with Grizzlies coach Brian Hill … Shooting was spotty for most of season, but hit game-winner with 3.1 seconds left against Detroit … Saw more time toward end of season.

Outlook: Will back up Avery Johnson at point guard … One of team’s most athletic players … Likes up-tempo game … Worked on shooting throughout lockout.

41 Will Perdue

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-0, 240

Age: 33 (Aug. 29, 1965, Melbourne, Fla.)

College: Vanderbilt

NBA experience: 11th season, fourth with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $2.6 million ($4.2 million for full season) after team picked up final option year of contract.

1997-98 highlights: Twenty-one of 30 starts came when Spurs went to big lineup with all three 7-footers … Averaged 8 points and 10.2 rebounds as starter … Scored a career-high 21 points against Philadelphia … Ejected and fined $5,000 for throwing Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher to the ground on April 13.

Outlook: Spurs were fortunate they didn’t have to trade him to find shooter … With little recovery time between games, will need to spell David Robinson … Good rebounder off bench.

50 David Robinson

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-1, 250

Age: 33 (Aug. 6, 1965, Key West, Fla.)

College: Navy

NBA experience: 10th season, all with Spurs

Contract status: Will make prorated $7 million ($11.4 million for full season) in fourth of six-year, $66 million contract.

1997-98 highlights: Named to the All-NBA second team and All-Defensive second team … Finished 10th in league in scoring and fifth in rebounding … Missed six games with right knee injury … Missed three games after getting hit in head by elbow from Utah forward Karl Malone.

Outlook: Should continue role as team’s defensive leader … After sufferin knee problems past two seasons, crammed schedule will be test … Could find more room to work if new shooters help spread defenses.

11 Brandon Williams

Position: Guard

Height/weight: 6-6, 215

Age: 23 (Feb. 27, 1975, Collinston, La.)

College: Davidson

NBA experience: Second season, first with Spurs Contract status: Signed non-guaranteed, one-year contract for $250,000 minimum.

1997-98 highlights: Played in nine games after signing two 10-day contracts with Golden State. …Appeared in 10 games this year for CBA’s La Crosse Bobcats, averaging 22.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2 assists.

54 Gerard King

Position: Forward

Age: 23 (Nov. 25, 1972, New Orleans)

Height/weight: 6-9, 250

NBA experience: first season

Contract status: Signed non-guaranteed, one-year contract for rookie minimu $287,500.

1997-98 highlights: Averaged 17.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in 26 games for Fontanafredda Siena in Italian League … Averaged 5.9 points and team-high 5.3 rebounds for U.S. team at World Championships in Greece.

Outlook: Showed nice touch during camp … Could provide more muscle off bench.

By spurs/nba preview, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Glenn Rogers

别扯了：冠军宝座空悬——乔丹退役，多支球队争冠机会

NBA 1998-99赛季，或者说1999年赛季，出现了一幅奇特的景象。

看看那些球员，他们都在研究自己的食指，对着镜子左顾右盼，自我审视，心里想着：“今年也许就是我的年。”

确实，今年对许多球员来说可能是他们的年，特别是湖人、爵士、马刺、火箭、步行者、尼克斯和热火队的球员。

今年的冠军将属于这些球队中的一支，因为迈克尔·乔丹(Michael Jordan)已经退役，芝加哥公牛队——90年代的霸主——也随之解散，这将确保在6月底或7月初，将会有新的球员戴上NBA总冠军戒指。

这将是一个短暂而激烈的赛季，也可能是联盟历史上最有趣的赛季之一。

让比赛更添几分趣味的是，老牌球星出现在陌生的城市。

斯科蒂·皮蓬(Scottie Pippen)南下加盟休斯顿，卢克·朗利(Luc Longley)西进菲尼克斯。丹尼斯·罗德曼(Dennis Rodman)可能会在佛罗里达州继续他的职业生涯。安东尼奥·麦克戴斯(Antonio McDyess)回到了落基山脉，而乔·史密斯(Joe Smith)依然在寻找高薪，最终落脚冰天雪地的明尼阿波利斯。

弗拉德·迪瓦茨(Vlade Divac)回到了加州，这一次他加盟了国王队。黄蜂队主教练戴夫·考恩斯(Dave Cowens)将不得不忍受德里克·科尔曼(Derrick Coleman)，但菲尼克斯的丹尼·安吉(Danny Ainge)却很高兴在失去麦克戴斯后迎来汤姆·古吉奥塔(Tom Gugliotta)。

球员们一直抱怨繁重的赛程，他们一周要打四场比赛，还要连续两天比赛。

看看他们现在将面临什么。

发令枪响，争夺季后赛席位的狂潮将在星期五开始。由于停摆导致32场比赛取消，球队将把50场比赛压缩在90天内进行。

在简短的赛季里，球队将有三场比赛要在连续的三天内进行。

教练们仍在调整他们的轮换阵容，试图为他们的球星缩短上场时间，同时也要保持球队的竞争力。尼克斯队主教练杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)表示，他计划让帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing)在连续三场比赛的中间一场比赛中休息，但尤因，至少现在，表示他希望一直上场。

有些人认为年轻的球队将从中受益。

如果事实证明如此，年轻有为的湖人队可能从西部诸强中脱颖而出，利用犹他、休斯顿和圣安东尼奥老将们的老迈之躯。

这也可能对同样老迈的步行者队不利，步行者队是大多数观察家最看好夺得东部冠军的球队，并给来自波士顿、费城和克利夫兰的年轻球员带来意想不到的机会。

当然，犹他队似乎已经老了很长时间，但卡尔·马龙(Karl Malone)、约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)和杰夫·霍纳塞克(Jeff Hornacek)的三巨头依然带领爵士队在过去两年里连续两次与公牛队争夺总冠军。

马龙誓言他们会卷土重来，教练杰里·斯隆(Jerry Sloan)已经开始使用严格的轮换阵容来让老将们休息，这在这次比赛中可能会起到决定性的作用。

无论哪种理论占上风，伤病、开局不利或短暂的连败都可能致命。

新泽西篮网队是东部的一匹黑马，他们的夺冠希望已经被伤病所吞噬。凯里·基特尔斯(Kerry Kittles)和罗尼·赛卡利(Rony Seikaly)预计都将缺席赛季的前四周。夏洛特队已经因为马特·盖格(Matt Geiger)、迪瓦茨和戴尔·库里(Dell Curry)的离开而元气大伤，现在他们又将失去球星射手格伦·莱斯(Glen Rice)几周时间。

这个奇怪的赛季对所有球队都有影响，森林狼队是令人筋疲力尽的赛程的典型代表。明尼苏达队将在3月4日开始的16天里打11场比赛。其中8场比赛将在三个不同的西部客场之旅中进行。

火箭队希望凭借皮蓬在小前锋位置上的统治力重返巅峰，而马刺队则认为蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)经过一年的磨练以及肖恩·埃利奥特(Sean Elliott)的重振雄风，终于可以帮助圣安东尼奥队超越爵士队。

“休斯顿实力强大。皮蓬已经赢得了六个冠军，他知道需要怎么做，”湖人的科比·布莱恩特(Kobe Bryant)说。“圣安东尼奥有强壮的球员。一些球队很强硬。我们也有很强硬的球队。”

火箭队需要担心的是他们的三位球星——哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)、查尔斯·巴克利(Charles Barkley)和皮蓬——都从严重的伤病中恢复过来。

一些联盟内部人士对西雅图超音速队的沉默感到有趣，超音速队是一支常年进入季后赛的球队，现在由保罗·韦斯特法尔(Paul Westphal)执教，他是一位知道如何提升进攻的教练，并且来到了一支以防守著称的球队。

湖人的沙奎尔·奥尼尔(Shaquille O’Neal)一直在说大话，但洛杉矶必须证明他们已经获得了成熟和团队合作精神。

在所有这些调动、胸膛拍打和对赛季受损的哭泣声中，5月的排名可能与去年赛季结束时的排名非常相似。

如前所述，除公牛队以外，顶级球队基本保持不变。垫底球队也是如此。

快船队依然毫无威胁，多伦多猛龙队仍在寻找可辨认的飞行路线。除非出现奇迹，否则国王队、勇士队、灰熊队和小牛队在西部，以及雄鹿队和76人队在东部，都没有希望进入季后赛。

凯尔特人队、奇才队、魔术队和活塞队希望芝加哥的缺席以及夏洛特队的困境能够打开季后赛名单的底部。

未来冲击

以下是对1999年NBA赛季的一些预测：

季后赛

分区决赛：西部 - 爵士对阵湖人；东部 - 步行者对阵热火

总决赛：步行者对阵湖人

NBA总冠军：湖人

荣誉/耻辱

最有价值球员：斯科蒂·皮蓬

最佳新秀：迈克·毕比(Mike Bibby)

最佳教练：保罗·韦斯特法尔

处境艰难的教练：德尔·哈里斯(Del Harris)和格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)

进步最大的球队：萨克拉门托和丹佛

退步的球队：夏洛特

原地踏步的球队：洛杉矶快船队

第一支爆发教练解雇传闻的球队：多伦多、底特律、明尼苏达和金州。

点击查看原文：No Bull: title is up for grabs - Jordan's exit an opening for many teams to make run at championship

No Bull: title is up for grabs - Jordan’s exit an opening for many teams to make run at championship

There’s a curious sight in the NBA’s 1998-99 season - or should we say the 1999 campaign?

Look at all those players studying their index fingers, glancing in the mirror, checking themselves out, thinking, “This could be the year.”

This, indeed, could be the year for dozens of players, particularly those with the Lakers, Jazz, Spurs, Rockets, Pacers, Knicks and Heat.

This year belongs to one of those teams because Michael Jordan has retired, effectively disbanding the Chicago Bulls - the dominant team of the '90s - and ensuring a new group of players will wear NBA championship rings at the end of June or early July.

It’s going to be a short, intense season, and it could be one of the most interesting in the history of the league.

Spicing the proceedings will be the sight of old stars popping up in strange cities.

Scottie Pippen went south to Houston, Luc Longley west to Phoenix. Dennis Rodman might be carrying on in Flordia. Antonio McDyess returned to the Rocky Mountains and Joe Smith, still looking for big bucks, landed in snow-bound Minneapolis.

Vlade Divac is back in California, this time with the Kings. Hornets coach Dave Cowens will have to put up with Derrick Coleman, but Phoenix’s Danny Ainge is happy to welcome Tom Gugliotta after losing McDyess.

Players have been known to grumble and gripe about their hectic schedules, playing four games in a week, suffering through back-to- backs.

Look what’s awaiting them now.

The starter’s gun goes off and the stampede to the playoffs begins Friday. Thanks to the lockout that wiped out 32 games, the teams will jam 50 games into 90 days.

The teams will play three games on three consecutive nights three times during the abbreviated season.

Coaches are still tinkering with their rotations, trying to slice minutes for their stars while still keeping respectable units on the floor. Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy says he doesn’t plan to play Patrick Ewing on the middle game of the three-contest sprints, but Ewing, at least now, says he wants to play at all times.

Some figure younger teams will be the beneficiaries.

If that proves true, the youthful and talented Lakers could emerge from the Western pack, taking advantage of the senior citizens residing in Utah, Houston and San Antonio.

That also could hurt the more elderly Pacers, most observers’ favorite to win the Eastern Conference, and give unexpected life to youngsters from Boston, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

Utah, of course, seemingly has been aging for decades, but the triumvirate of Karl Malone, John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek still has led the Jazz to the last two finals clashes with the Bulls.

Malone vows they will be back, and the fact that Coach Jerry Sloan already has been using a rigid rotation to rest his veterans may prove decisive this time around.

Whatever theory prevails, injuries, stumbling starts or short losing streaks could prove fatal.

Already, injuries have darkened chances for the New Jersey Nets, an Eastern dark horse. Kerry Kittles and Rony Seikaly both are expected to miss at least the first four weeks of the season. Charlotte, already hurt by the departures of Matt Geiger, Divac and Dell Curry, will be without star shooter Glen Rice for several weeks.

The bizarre season affects all teams, and the Timberwolves are the poster children for exhausting stretches. Minnesota will play 11 games in 16 days beginning March 4. Eight of the contests will be on the road in three different Western road trips.

The Rockets hope to barge back into the big- time with Pippen running things at small forward, and the Spurs figure a year of seasoning for Tim Duncan and a rejuvenated Sean Elliott will finally boost San Antonio past the Jazz.

“Houston’s loaded. Pippen’s won six titles, he knows what it takes,” the Lakers Kobe Bryant says. “San Antonio has big bodies. There are some tough teams. We have a tough team, too.”

The Rockets have to worry about the fact that their three stars - Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley and Pippen - are returning from debilitating injuries.

Some league insiders are amused that little is being said about the Seattle SuperSonics, a perennial playoff participant now guided by Paul Westphal, a man who knows how to juice up an offense and finds himself in an arena already acquainted with furious defense.

The Lakers’ Shaquille O’Neal has been talking a good game, but Los Angeles will have to prove it has acquired maturity and team play.

With all the shuffling and chest thumping and the crying about the damaged season, the standings in May probably will look pretty similar to those at season’s end last year.

As mentioned, the top teams, with the notable exception of the tanking Bulls, remain the same. So do the bottom dwellers.

The Clippers remain harmless, the Toronto Raptors still are searching for a recognizable flight pattern. Barring minor miracles, the Kings, Warriors, Grizzlies and Mavericks in the West and the Bucks and Sixers in the East have little hope to make the playoffs.

Boston, Washington, Orlando and Detroit hope that the absence of Chicago and problems in Charlotte will open up the bottom of the playoff rosters.

Future shock

A few predictions for the 1999 NBA season:

POSTSEASON

Conference finals: West - Jazz vs. Lakers; East - Pacers vs. Heat

Finals: Pacers vs. Lakers

NBA champion: Lakers

HONORS/DISHONORS

Most Valuable Player: Scottie Pippen

Rookie of the Year: Mike Bibby

Coach of the Year: Paul Westphal

Coaches on the hot seat: Del Harris and Gregg Popovich

Teams most improved: Sacramento and Denver

Team going backward: Charlotte

Team going nowhere: Los Angeles Clippers

First team controversy: Charlotte coach Dave Cowens takes on Anthony Mason and Derrick Coleman

First franchises to launch coach-firing rumors: Toronto, Detroit, Minnesota and Golden State - Glenn Rogers

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Glenn Rogers, Express-News NBA writer

西部联盟

中西部赛区

1. 圣安东尼奥马刺 (San Antonio Spurs)

   1997-98赛季: 56胜26负
   教练: 格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich)
   关键球员: 蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 整个夏天都在努力避免“二年级新秀墙”。准备好成为MVP了吗?

   展望: 如果想要打进总决赛，除了邓肯和大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 的组合之外，还需要史蒂夫·科尔 (Steve Kerr) 和安德鲁·盖兹 (Andrew Gaze) 的三分球。

2. 休斯顿火箭 (Houston Rockets)

   1997-98赛季: 41胜41负
   教练: 鲁迪·汤姆贾诺维奇 (Rudy Tomjanovich)
   关键球员: 斯科蒂·皮蓬 (Scottie Pippen) 带着总冠军戒指而来，但一个状态出色、充满活力的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺 (Hakeem Olajuwon) 至关重要。

   展望: 查尔斯·巴克利 (Charles Barkley) 会为皮蓬取代德雷克斯勒 (Drexler) 而欣喜若狂，这三位老将组成的三巨头可能会对西部赛区构成威胁。

3. 犹他爵士 (Utah Jazz)

   1997-98赛季: 62胜20负
   教练: 杰里·斯隆 (Jerry Sloan)
   关键球员: 时间老人。卡尔·马龙 (Karl Malone)、约翰·斯托克顿 (John Stockton) 和杰夫·霍纳塞克 (Jeff Hornacek) 必须把他甩在身后。

   展望: 如果老将们能从板凳球员那里得到足够的帮助，前景依然光明。马龙可能觉得自己才是迈克尔·乔丹 (Michael Jordan) 戒指的合法继承人。

4. 明尼苏达森林狼 (Minnesota Timberwolves)

   1997-98赛季: 45胜37负
   教练: 菲利普·桑德斯 (Flip Saunders)
   关键球员: 乔·史密斯 (Joe Smith) 被寄予厚望，希望他能接过汤姆·古格里奥塔 (Tom Gugliotta) 的火炬? 勇士不这么认为，森林狼球迷也不这么认为。

   展望: 凭借斯蒂芬·马布里 (Stephon Marbury) 和凯文·加内特 (Kevin Garnett)，森林狼仍然可以让对手感到恐惧，但他们在去年的季后赛首轮比赛中就怀念古格里奥塔，今年也会如此。

5. 温哥华灰熊 (Vancouver Grizzlies)

   1997-98赛季: 19胜63负
   教练: 布莱恩·希尔 (Brian Hill)
   关键球员: 迈克·毕比 (Mike Bibby) 可能会带来足够的火力和牵制力，从而激活布莱恩特·里弗斯 (Bryant Reeves) 和谢里夫·阿卜杜·拉希姆 (Shareef Abdur-Rahim)。

   展望: 灰熊队在分区垫底的日子可能要结束了，但进入季后赛还需要几年的时间。

6. 达拉斯独行侠 (Dallas Mavericks)

   1997-98赛季: 20胜62负
   教练: 唐·尼尔森 (Don Nelson)
   关键球员: 待定。时间会证明这些被抛弃的球员中是否有人会被归类为至关重要的人物。

   展望: 尼尔森说了很多关于培养他的球队成为季后赛竞争者的豪言壮语。今年夏天，这种言论还会继续。

7. 丹佛掘金 (Denver Nuggets)

   1997-98赛季: 11胜71负
   教练: 迈克·德安东尼 (Mike D’Antoni)
   关键球员: 安东尼奥·麦克戴斯 (Antonio McDyess) 回归，签下的合同金额远远超过了掘金一年前本可以给他的金额。

   展望: 重建工作还将持续几个赛季，他们会怀念自己的乐透签。

太平洋赛区

1. 洛杉矶湖人 (Los Angeles Lakers)

   1997-98赛季: 61胜21负
   教练: 德尔·哈里斯 (Del Harris)
   关键球员: 德里克·费舍尔 (Derek Fisher) 可以掌控好球队的进攻节奏，“show time”可以重回论坛球馆，哈里斯也不会被解雇。

   展望: 如果沙奎尔·奥尼尔 (Shaquille O’Neal) 能够学习迈克尔·乔丹的职业道德，并帮助队友成为真正的团队成员，那么总冠军指日可待。

2. 凤凰城太阳 (Phoenix Suns)

   1997-98赛季: 56胜26负
   教练: 丹尼·安吉 (Danny Ainge)
   关键球员: 贾森·基德 (Jason Kidd)，一旦他从失去麦克戴斯的阴影中走出来，并学会喜欢古格里奥塔。

   展望: 古格里奥塔和卢克·朗利 (Luc Longley) 可以融入太阳队快速的进攻体系中，并提供防守，也许还能打进第二轮。

3. 西雅图超音速 (Seattle SuperSonics)

   1997-98赛季: 61胜21负
   教练: 保罗·韦斯特法尔 (Paul Westphal)
   关键球员: 文·贝克 (Vin Baker) 在管理层的保证下加盟，他们认为他是一位等待爆发的超级巨星。等待必须结束。

   展望: 缩水赛季可能会让这支老迈的超音速队疲惫不堪。首轮游?

4. 波特兰开拓者 (Portland Trail Blazers)

   1997-98赛季: 46胜36负
   教练: 迈克·邓利维 (Mike Dunleavy)
   关键球员: 达蒙·斯塔德迈尔 (Damon Stoudamire) 必须提高投篮命中率 (上赛季为41%)，并学会组织更精准的进攻。

   展望: 开拓者队如果能进入季后赛就很幸运了。他们能否在首轮比赛中胜出令人怀疑。

5. 萨克拉门托国王 (Sacramento Kings)

   1997-98赛季: 27胜55负
   教练: 里克·阿德尔曼 (Rick Adelman)
   关键球员: 克里斯·韦伯 (Chris Webber) 的古怪性格可能总是让他无法将自己的精神状态与运动技能完美结合。让弗农·马克斯韦尔 (Vernon Maxwell) 接近韦伯是谁的馊主意?

   展望: 如果阿德尔曼能够留住他现在的球员，他可能不会像他的前任那样遭遇厄运。

6. 金州勇士 (Golden State Warriors)

   1997-98赛季: 19胜63负
   教练: 皮·杰·卡莱西莫 (P.J. Carlesimo)
   关键球员: 可能在这份名单上不存在——也许是未来会加入球队的新秀安托万·贾米森 (Antawn Jamison)。

   展望: 卡莱西莫已经被球员掐过脖子了，在本赛季结束后，当他拿到解约书的时候，他可能会喘不过气来。

7. 洛杉矶快船 (Los Angeles Clippers)

   1997-98赛季: 17胜65负
   教练: 克里斯·福特 (Chris Ford)
   关键球员: 如果有的话，那就是新秀迈克尔·奥洛沃坎迪 (Michael Olowokandi)。这位状元秀的到来应该会引起洛杉矶的关注，也许还会为球队的防守增添一点活力。

   展望: 福特的耐心和理智将在这支东拼西凑的球队每晚被对手撕碎的过程中经受考验。

点击查看原文：By Comments and predicted order of finish - Western Conference

By Comments and predicted order of finish - Western Conference

MIDWEST DIVISION 1. San Antonio Spurs 1997-98: 56-26 Coach: Gregg Popovich Key player: Tim Duncan has worked all summer to avoid the pitfalls of the sophomore jinx. Ready for MVP status?

Outlook: Need Steve Kerr and Andrew Gaze canning three-pointers over the Duncan-David Robinson combination to reach first Finals.

2. Houston Rockets

1997-98: 41-41

Coach: Rudy Tomjanovich

Key player: Scottie Pippen comes adorned with rings but a fresh, mobile Hakeem Olajuwon is essential.

Outlook: Charles Barkley will be ecstatic with Pippen instead of Drexler and this veteran trio could threaten to come out of the West.

3. Utah Jazz

1997-98: 62-20

Coach: Jerry Sloan

Key player: Father Time. Karl Malone, John Stockton and Jeff Hornacek have to keep him in the rear view mirror.

Outlook: Bright if oldsters find enough relief from spunky bench. Malone may feel he’s rightful heir to Michael Jordan’s ring.

4. Minnesota Timberwolves

1997-98: 45-37

Coach: Flip Saunders

Key player: Joe Smith is expected to pick up where Tom Gugliotta left off? The Warriors didn’t think so and neither will Wolves fans.

Outlook: Wolves can still scare opponents with Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett, but they missed Gugliotta in the first round last year and will again.

5. Vancouver Grizzles

1997-98: 19-63

Coach: Brian Hill

Key player: Mike Bibby may provide just enough fire and distraction to ignite and free Bryant Reeves and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Outlook: The Grizzlies’ time at the bottom of the division could end, but a playoff berth is a few years away.

6. Dallas Mavericks

1997-98: 20-62

Coach: Don Nelson

Key player: TBA. Time will tell if one of these castoff players will be classified as vital.

Outlook: Nelson talks a lot about grooming his group to be playoff contenders. Talk will continue this summer.

7. Denver Nuggets

1997-98: 11-71

Coach: Mike D’Antoni

Key player: Antonio McDyess returns, signing for far more cash than the Nuggets could have had him for a year ago.

Outlook: Rebuilding will continue for a couple more seasons and they’ll miss their lottery pick.

PACIFIC DIVISION

1. Los Angeles Lakers

1997-98: 61-21

Coach: Del Harris

Key player: Derek Fisher can run a disciplined offense, Showtime could return to the Forum and Harris won’t get fired.

Outlook: If Shaquille O’Neal can adopt Michael Jordan’s work ethic and help turn teammates into team players, it’s ring time.

2. Phoenix Suns

1997-98: 56-26

Coach: Danny Ainge

Key player: Jason Kidd, once he recovers from the loss of Antonio McDyess and learns to like Tom Gugliotta.

Outlook: Gugliotta and Luc Longley could slide into Phoenix’s dashing offense, provide defense and maybe get into the second round.

3. Seattle SuperSonics

1997-98: 61-21

Coach: Paul Westphal

Key player: Vin Baker arrived with management assurances that he was a superstar in waiting. The wait must end.

Outlook: The short season might wear out the older Sonics. First round and out?

4. Portland Trail Blazers

1997-98: 46-36

Coach: Mike Dunleavy

Key player: Damon Stoudamire must pick better shots (he hit 41 percent last year) and learn to run precise attacks.

Outlook: Blazers will be lucky to make playoffs. It’s doubtful if they can survive first round.

5. Sacramento Kings

1997-98: 27-55

Coach: Rick Adelman

Key player: Chris Webber’s funky ways may always keep his mental game distant from his athletic skills. Whose brilliant idea was it to bring Vernon Maxwell close to Webber?

Outlook: Adelman may not suffer the same fate as his predecessors if he is able to hang onto his current players.

6. Golden State Warriors

1997-98: 19-63.

Coach: P.J. Carlesimo

Key player: May not exist on this roster - maybe the future draft pick coming to join promising rookie Antawn Jamison.

Outlook: Carlesimo’s already been choked by a player, he may be gasping after he gets his walking papers at season’s end.

7. Los Angeles Clippers

1997-98: 17-65.

Coach: Chris Ford

Key player: If there is one, it would be rookie Michael Olowokandi. The No. 1 draft pick should perk up attention around Los Angeles and maybe add a little zest to the defense.

Outlook: Ford’s patience and sanity will be tested by watching this patchwork crew getting ripped on a nightly basis.

By Glenn Rogers, Express-News NBA writer, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Glenn Rogers

您好，NBA：盖茨获得另一个机会

“你好，老兄。很高兴认识你。”

这句话将在比赛结束后，当一些新面孔在马刺队的更衣室里闲逛时，让他们感到惊讶。

这句话来自前锋安德鲁·盖茨(Andrew Gaze)的澳大利亚口音，他的声音略微尖锐。他从澳大利亚国家篮球联赛的墨尔本老虎队来到这里，为马刺队的远投增添一些活力。

盖茨在澳大利亚几乎是国民英雄，他唯一一次在NBA打球是在1993-94赛季，当时他为华盛顿打了7场比赛。他的职业生涯将他带到了欧洲和澳大利亚的冠军赛以及奥运会。

盖茨是国际篮球历史上得分最高的球员，九次入选NBL全明星，1984年获得NBL年度最佳新秀，并带领老虎队获得了两个NBL冠军。

“他去哪里都场均能得到35分左右，”马刺队球探主管R.C. 布福德(R.C. Buford)说。布福德在将这位射手带到圣安东尼奥方面发挥了重要作用。

盖茨在塞顿霍尔大学打了一年大学篮球，该校在1989年NCAA冠军赛中加时赛以80-79输给了密歇根大学。

“最近，我在今年夏天的好意志运动会上看到了他，”布福德在周三早上马刺队在圣心大学的训练结束后说。

“但这种情况是，如果你的教练不相信他，它就不会奏效。但(格雷格·波波维奇)在希腊的冠军赛期间看到了他。”

33岁的盖茨在澳大利亚的一位体育记者眼中已经快43岁了，他习惯了赢得冠军。但在马刺队，他将不得不满足于在板凳末端有限的上场时间。

“这没问题，”盖茨谈到自己从球队核心球员变成边缘球员时说。“我正在努力融入球队，希望我能每天都进步一点点，证明我能在这里打球。在澳大利亚，当你是球队的重要球员时，你总是想知道谁在你的替补席上，那些上场时间不多的球员。

“你想知道他们的特殊技能以及他们在关键时刻如何帮助你。”

盖茨很想站起来投几个三分球，来遏制对手的势头，或者点燃一支正在挣扎的进攻。

他有一份为期一年的合同，但他不会冒险。这位和蔼可亲的家伙还没有在圣安东尼奥扎根。

“我还没有银行账户，”他笑着说。“也没有地址。什么都没有。我得整理一下。”

在球场上很容易认出盖茨，他的灰白色头发让他在三分线附近显得格外突出。

这位步伐敏捷、投篮速度快的球员是第一批被选中来提升圣安东尼奥进攻的球员之一。

“是一系列奇怪的巧合把我带到了这里，”盖茨说。“R.C. 看到了我。‘波波’也看到了我。然后是停摆，他们不确定他们能签下哪些射手。”

所有国际球员的弊端是他们的防守不足，至少在NBA是这样。NBA世界由教练统治，他们决心设计最复杂的防守方案，摧毁任何可能出现的得分爆发。

“这里的防守方式不同，”盖茨说。“他们有无区域防守规则。但我们在这支球队里也有非常具体的防守策略，这很有帮助。当你拥有两名超级巨星，他们是中锋，你就领先一步。”

换句话说，如果你认为自己要被突破，就把你的防守对象引导到一边，进入蒂姆·邓肯或大卫·罗宾逊的怀抱。马刺队上赛季将对手的投篮命中率限制在联盟最低的41%，后场球员维尼·德尔·尼格罗和艾弗里·约翰逊远非防守大闸。

自从来到德克萨斯州南部以来，盖茨已经有了不少幽默时刻。其中最令人难忘的一次发生在力量训练室，这里很少有海外球员光顾。

“我问了一个重量有多重，有人告诉我185磅，”盖茨说。“我举了起来，差点把自己弄死，差点砸到我的头。我在想公制单位，而我不擅长单位换算。”

盖茨也对NBA训练师的一些工作感到好笑。

“我最惊讶的是我意识到这里没有人自己贴绷带。在澳大利亚，每个人都自己贴，”他说。“我还是不太习惯。偶尔我会让训练师来做。”

点击查看原文：G'day, NBA: Gaze gets another shot

G’day, NBA: Gaze gets another shot

“Hello, mate. Nice to meet ya.”

That’s a greeting that will turn a few newcomers’ heads when they mingle in the Spurs’ locker room after games.

It comes in the slightly high-pitched Australian twang of forward Andrew Gaze, who arrived in town from the Melbourne Tigers of his country’s National Basketball League to provide a little more oomph to the Spurs’ outside shooting.

Gaze, all but a national hero in Australia, had his only brush with the NBA during the 1993-94 season when he played seven games for Washington. His career instead has taken him to European and Australian championship games and Olympic competition.

Gaze, the leading scorer in international basketball history, was an NBL All- Star nine times, NBL Rookie of the Year in 1984 and led the Tigers to a pair of NBL titles.

“He averages about 35 points a game everywhere he goes,” said Spurs director of scouts R.C. Buford, who had a strong hand in bringing the shooter to San Antonio.

Gaze played one year of college ball at Seton Hall and the school went to the 1989 NCAA championship game, losing 80-79 in overtime to Michigan.

“Most recently, I saw him in the Goodwill Games this (past) summer,” Buford said after the Spurs’ workout at the University of the Incarnate Word on Wednesday morning.

“But this is a situation where it doesn’t work if your coach doesn’t believe in him. But (Gregg Popovich) saw him in Greece during the championship games.”

Gaze, 33 but going on 43 according to one Australian sportswriter, is used to winning titles. But with the Spurs he will have to be content with limited minutes at the end of the bench.

“That’s no problem,” said Gaze of his descent from numero uno to distant reserve. "I’m trying to fit in with the team here, hoping I can make the little steps each day to show that I can play here. In Australia, when you are one of the key players, you always want to know who is on your bench, the guys who don’t play much.

“You want to know their particular skills and how they can help you in critical situations.”

Gaze would love to get up and fire a few three-pointers to stem an opponent’s momentum or ignite a sputtering offense.

He has a one-year contract but he’s taking no chances. The amiable fellow still hasn’t quite sunk any roots into Alamo City soil.

“I don’t have a bank account yet,” he said with a grin. “No address either. No nothing. I’ve got to get organized.”

Gaze will be easy to spot on the floor, his grayish-white hair marking him around the three-point line.

The man with the quick first step and rapid-fire release was one of the first players pegged to shore up the San Antonio offense.

“It was an odd set of circumstances that brought me here,” Gaze said. “R.C. saw me. ‘Pop’ saw me. Then came the lockout, and they weren’t sure which shooters they would be able to bring in.”

The knock against all international players is their lack of defense, at least as far as the NBA is concerned. The NBA world is ruled by coaches determined to design the most complicated defensive schemes to destroy any and all potential outbreaks of points.

“The defense here is different,” Gaze said. “They have the no-zone rules. But we have very specific (schemes) on defense on this team and that helps. When you have two superstars who are big men, you are ahead of the game.”

In other words, if you think you are going to get beat, guide your man to the side and into the waiting arms of Tim Duncan or David Robinson. The Spurs held foes to an NBA-low, 41-percent shooting last year, and the backcourt of Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson were far from defensive stoppers.

Gaze has had his humorous moments since arriving in South Texas. One of the more memorable ones came in the weight room, a place not frequented too often by overseas ballplayers.

“I asked how much one of the weights weighed and was told 185,” Gaze said. “I lifted it and almost killed myself, crushed my head. I was thinking of the metric system, and I’m not good at the conversions.”

Gaze also is amused by some of the work expected of an NBA trainer.

“I was most amazed when I realized that nobody tapes their own ankles here. Everybody does in Australia,” he said. “I’m still not comfortable doing it. Once in a while, I’ll let the trainer do it.”

By Glenn Rogers, via San Antonio Express-News

[这也将成为过去]

1999-02-04, By Glenn Rogers, Express-News NBA writer

东部联盟

中部赛区

1. 印第安纳步行者(Indiana Pacers) 1997-98: 58-24
   教练: 拉里·伯德(Larry Bird)
   关键球员: 步行者将走多远取决于里克·史密斯(Rik Smits)的脚步。

展望: 伯德去年带他们走到了总决赛的大门前，今年他们也许能打开它。

2. 亚特兰大老鹰(Atlanta Hawks)

1997-98: 50-32

教练: 莱尼·威尔肯斯(Lenny Wilkens)

关键球员: 史蒂夫·史密斯(Steve Smith)是球队得分王，但老鹰想要登上巅峰，就必须找到一个合适的先锋。

展望: 老鹰队上赛季开局势如破竹，后来却一泻千里。缩短的赛季可能会对老鹰队在99赛季有利。

3. 克利夫兰骑士(Cleveland Cavaliers)

1997-98: 47-35

教练: 迈克·弗拉特洛(Mike Fratello)

关键球员: 体能教练，他需要减掉大前锋肖恩·坎普(Shawn Kemp)和中锋兹德鲁纳斯·伊尔戈斯卡斯(Zydrunas Ilgauskas)身上的肥肉。

展望: 骑士队应该可以轻松进入季后赛，但在季后赛中缺乏整体实力，难以掀起波澜。

4. 底特律活塞(Detroit Pistons)

1997-98: 37-45

教练: 阿尔文·金特里(Alvin Gentry)

关键球员: 格兰特·希尔(Grant Hill)将在洛伊·沃特(Loy Vaught)激进的打法帮助下，重返超级巨星的行列。

展望: 活塞队将难以突破首轮。

5. 密尔沃基雄鹿(Milwaukee Bucks)

1997-98: 36-46

教练: 乔治·卡尔(George Karl)

关键球员: 格伦·罗宾逊(Glenn Robinson)最好有更多实际行动，而不是空谈，否则将面临卡尔的怒火。

展望: 赛季太短，卡尔无法灌输他的防守理念，所以教练很快就会回到度假状态。

6. 夏洛特黄蜂(Charlotte Hornets)

1997-98: 51-31

教练: 戴夫·考恩斯(Dave Cowens)

关键球员: 喜怒无常的德里克·科尔曼(Derrick Coleman)在弗拉德·迪瓦茨(Vlade Divac)离队和两名关键球员受伤后，接过了领袖的角色。

展望: 格伦·莱斯(Glen Rice)和安东尼·梅森(Anthony Mason)的伤病，将彻底葬送黄蜂队的季后赛希望。

7. 芝加哥公牛(Chicago Bulls)

1997-98: 62-20

教练: 蒂姆·弗洛伊德(Tim Floyd)

关键球员: 他在替补席上等待机会，等待着被交易或明年夏天从自由球员市场上签下。

展望: 前景非常黯淡。公牛队将在明年夏天关注选秀，而杰里·克劳斯(Jerry Krause)会在肥皂箱上推销未来。

8. 多伦多猛龙(Toronto Raptors)

1997-98: 16-66

教练: 巴奇·卡特(Butch Carter)

关键球员: 多伦多可能永远无法留住任何球员足够长的时间，让他们成为关键球员。祝你好运，特雷西·麦克格雷迪(Tracy McGrady)。

展望: 猛龙队将在六月份选秀中选择顶尖的新秀。

大西洋赛区

1. 迈阿密热火(Miami Heat)

1997-98: 55-27

教练: 帕特·莱利(Pat Riley)

关键球员: 阿隆佐·莫宁(Alonzo Mourning)必须证明自己的高薪价值，控制住自己的脾气，并带领球队前进。

展望: 热火队拥有莱利的思维方式，他们有可能挺进东部决赛，甚至更远。

2. 新泽西网(New Jersey Nets)

1997-98: 43-39

教练: 约翰·卡利帕里(John Calipari)

关键球员: 基斯·范·霍恩(Keith Van Horn)去年几乎与蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)并驾齐驱，未来更加光明。

展望: 网队上赛季在与公牛队的季后赛中短暂地战斗了一场。如果凯里·基特尔斯(Kerry Kittles)和罗尼·塞卡利(Rony Seikaly)能及时从伤病中恢复，网队有望挺进第二轮。

3. 纽约尼克斯(New York Knicks)

1997-98: 43-39

教练: 杰夫·范甘迪(Jeff Van Gundy)

关键球员: 拉特雷尔·斯普雷维尔(Latrell Sprewell)必须控制住自己的手，只碰球，并希望帕特里克·尤因(Patrick Ewing)能更频繁地传球。

展望: 热火队和步行者队的火力太猛，尼克斯队将无缘东部决赛。

4. 奥兰多魔术(Orlando Magic)

1997-98: 41-41

教练: 查克·戴利(Chuck Daly)

关键球员: 陷入困境的佩尼·哈达威(Penny Hardaway)必须努力与戴利相处，或者被迫交易。

展望: 在内线加入了艾克·奥斯汀(Ike Austin)后，魔术队或许可以填补公牛队留下的季后赛席位。

5. 华盛顿奇才(Washington Wizards)

1997-98: 42-40

教练: 伯尼·比克尔斯塔夫(Bernie Bickerstaff)

关键球员: 奇才队将发现米奇·里奇蒙德(Mitch Richmond)是否能再次为他们带来胜利。

展望: 内线实力不足可能会让奇才队无缘季后赛。

6. 波士顿凯尔特人(Boston Celtics)

1997-98: 36-46

教练: 里克·皮蒂诺(Rick Pitino)

关键球员: 肯尼·安德森(Kenny Anderson)将有机会停止吹嘘，踏踏实实地打球，在绿衫军中大放异彩。

展望: 这是一群寻找团队的球员，他们今年将无法找到它。

7. 费城76人(Philadelphia 76ers)

1997-98: 31-51

教练: 拉里·布朗(Larry Brown)

关键球员: 艾伦·艾弗森(Allen Iverson)必须在令人眼花缭乱的交叉步中，增加一些传球。

展望: 拉里在50场比赛结束后，将没有太多时间去训练球员。

点击查看原文：By Comments and predicted order of finish - Eastern Conference

By Comments and predicted order of finish - Eastern Conference

CENTRAL DIVISION 1. Indiana Pacers 1997-98: 58-24 Coach: Larry Bird Key player: Pacers will go where Rik Smits’ feet can take them.

Outlook: Bird showed them the door to the Finals last year. They may open it this time.

2. Atlanta Hawks

1997-98: 50-32

Coach: Lenny Wilkens

Key player: Steve Smith is the scoring man, but the Hawks won’t reach the path to the top until they find a small forward.

Outlook: Hawks flew high early then plummeted last year. Short season could prove beneficial in '99.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

1997-98: 47-35

Coach: Mike Fratello

Key player: Conditioning coach, who has to trim the fat off power forward Shawn Kemp and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

Outlook: The Cavs should ease their way into the playoffs but lack the overall power to do much damage once there.

4. Detroit Pistons

1997-98: 37-45

Coach: Alvin Gentry

Key player: Grant Hill should resume his path to superstar status with help from Loy Vaught’s feisty play.

Outlook: The Pistons will have trouble getting past the first round.

5. Milwaukee Bucks

1997-98: 36-46

Coach: George Karl

Key player: Glenn Robinson better have more bite than bark or risk the wrath of Karl.

Outlook: Season will be too short for Karl to install his defensive attitude, so the coach will be back on vacation soon.

6. Charlotte Hornets

1997-98: 51-31

Coach: Dave Cowens

Key player: Moody, inconsistent Derrick Coleman inherits the leadership role after departure of Vlade Divac and two key injuries.

Outlook: Injuries to Glen Rice and Anthony Mason sabotage any playoff hopes.

7. Chicago Bulls

1997-98: 62-20

Coach: Tim Floyd

Key player: He waits in the wings, to be flushed in a trade or signed from the free-agent list next summer.

Outlook: Very grim indeed. Bulls will be looking at lottery picks next summer, and Jerry Krause will be on the soap box selling the future.

8. Toronto Raptors

1997-98: 16-66

Coach: Butch Carter

Key Player: Toronto may never keep any player long enough to be key. Good luck with Tracy McGrady.

Outlook: Raptors will be sorting through the top draft picks in June.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. Miami Heat

1997-98: 55-27

Coach: Pat Riley

Key player: Alonzo Mourning must justify his big contract, put a damper on his temper and carry this team.

Outlook: The Heat have Riley’s mindset, and they could storm into the conference finals and beyond.

2. New Jersey Nets

1997-98: 43-39

Coach: John Calipari

Key player: Keith Van Horn almost rivaled Tim Duncan for praise last year and better days are ahead.

Outlook: The Nets enjoyed their brief playoff battle against the Bulls last season. They may be ready for the second round if Kerry Kittles and Rony Seikaly return in time from injuries.

3. New York Knicks

1997-98: 43-39

Coach: Jeff Van Gundy

Key player: Latrell Sprewell has to keep his hands just on the ball and hope Patrick Ewing lets go of the ball often enough.

Outlook: Heat and Pacers have too much firepower to allow Knicks to get another whiff of the conference finals.

4. Orlando Magic

1997-98: 41-41

Coach: Chuck Daly

Key player: A tarnished Penny Hardaway has to try to be friendly with Daly or force a trade.

Outlook: The addition of Ike Austin in the middle might help the Magic slip into the playoff slot vacated by Chicago.

5. Washington Wizards

1997-98: 42-40

Coach: Bernie Bickerstaff

Key player: Wizards will discover if Mitch Richmond will provide the scoring for another victory or two.

Outlook: Weakness in the pivot could cost Washington a playoff spot.

6. Boston Celtics

1997-98: 36-46

Coach: Rick Pitino

Key player: This will be Kenny Anderson’s chance to cut the talk, walk the walk and shine in a green jersey.

Outlook: This is a group of players searching for a team. They won’t find it this year.

7. Philadelphia 76ers

1997-98: 31-51

Coach: Larry Brown

Key player: Allen Iverson has to add a few passes to his ankle-twisting crossovers.

Outlook: Larry won’t have much teaching time before school lets out after 50 games.

By Glenn Rogers, Express-News NBA writer, via San Antonio Express-News