由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
- 作者：安德鲁·洛佩兹(Andrew Lopez), ESPN
- 2024年7月9日，下午4:27 ET
圣安东尼奥——在职业生涯的暮年，克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)本可以选择去追逐那枚难以捉摸的 NBA 总冠军戒指。但他没有，他选择了一支上赛季仅取得22胜60负的球队。
为什么？
因为他仍然渴望竞争。
“没有什么比有机会上场比赛、做出贡献和打篮球更让我开心的了，”保罗在周二的新闻发布会上说道。此前，他刚刚同意与圣安东尼奥马刺队签订一份为期一年的合同。
他本可以选择在离洛杉矶的家更近的地方打球，但他没有，他将离开家人，为圣安东尼奥效力。
“我的家人就是一切。我的妻子在这里，我的孩子们在洛杉矶，他们会在那里度过这个赛季，”保罗说。“我太热爱篮球了，我可以住在离家近的地方，但如果我不打球，我就不快乐。”
“我爱死我的家人了。所以，当我们看到这个机会时，尽管这会让我远离家人，但我的家人比任何人都了解我，他们知道我只想打球。我比什么都想打球。这就是我感谢他们，更感谢来到这里的原因。”
保罗也将首次与马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)联手，他说在自己职业生涯的这个阶段能为波波维奇效力是“一种荣誉和荣幸”。
“显然，多年来我一直很敬佩波波维奇，当你像他一样在这个联盟待了很长时间，你会得到很多尊重，”保罗说。“这不仅是因为他的篮球智商，还因为他的人品、他的竞争力和所有的一切。”
在谈到自己19年的职业生涯时（他一直在西部联盟打球，包括上赛季效力于金州勇士队），保罗说，他不认为有哪支球队是他交手次数超过马刺队的，他是对的。保罗在与马刺队的比赛中总共出场81场（包括季后赛和常规赛），这是他在 NBA 中对阵任何一支球队的最高纪录。
这位控球后卫说，在同意与马刺队签约之前，他与波波维奇的会面更像是一次谈话，而不是波波维奇在向他推销。
现年39岁的保罗加入了一支上赛季联盟最年轻的球队，这支球队还拥有上赛季最佳新秀维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)，他是当今篮球界最令人兴奋的球员之一。
保罗说，他和哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)在周一飞往圣安东尼奥的航班上谈到，他们迫不及待地想看到文班亚马每天的成长，巴恩斯在一笔三方交易中从萨克拉门托国王队被交易到马刺队。
“这个赛季我和文班交过手，我告诉你，联盟里可能没有哪个球员像他一样，在比赛结束后还能被所有人谈论，”保罗说。“每个人都必须适应他带来的变化。”
现年32岁的巴恩斯在去年夏天与国王队签署了一份3年5400万美元的续约合同，但由于他的合同还剩两年，因此当国王队希望得到德玛尔·德罗赞(DeMar DeRozan)时，他被认为是可以牺牲的。
作为合同的一部分，巴恩斯原本可以获得10%的交易保证金，但他放弃了这笔钱，以帮助国王队、马刺队和芝加哥公牛队完成这笔交易。周二，他解释了为什么拒绝这笔额外收入，称这是一个“相当容易的决定”。
“说来好笑，在新劳资协议下，交易保证金比我预想的更有吸引力，但我认为来到这里，为波波维奇效力，和这群家伙一起打球的机会更让我兴奋，”这位小前锋说。
巴恩斯与波波维奇重聚，后者曾在2019年国际篮联篮球世界杯上执教过美国队。巴恩斯说，他记得在波波维奇手下一起吃过很棒的晚餐，但也记得波波维奇有能力与球队中的每个人都建立联系。
“他和每个球员的说话方式都不一样，他知道如何与他们沟通，”巴恩斯说。“所以，我认为这就是我和他一拍即合的原因。他是个直言不讳的人。我喜欢这一点。”
巴恩斯和保罗表示，他们承认自己将作为马刺队的元老发挥作用。控球后卫德章泰·穆雷(Devonte’ Graham)在今年2月年满29岁，他是上赛季球队中最年长的球员。
这两位新援将努力带领这支年轻的球队前进。
但保罗也对自己能学到什么感到“兴奋”。
“这可能是我职业生涯中最酷的事情，我去过一些更年轻的球队，但我一直在向这些家伙学习，”保罗说。
“我有机会和谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)在他进入联盟的第二年一起打球，我从他身上学到了很多东西。我从德文·布克(Devin Booker)、米卡尔·布里奇斯(Mikal Bridges)和所有那些家伙身上学到了很多东西。所以，我很高兴能和这些家伙分享我所知道的，以及他们想知道的一切，但我也很高兴能看到我能从他们身上学到什么。”
点击查看原文：CP3 on Spurs: Playing time trumped chasing ring
CP3 on Spurs: Playing time trumped chasing ring
- Andrew Lopez, ESPNJul 9, 2024, 04:27 PM ET
SAN ANTONIO – In the twilight of his career, Chris Paul could have opted to chase an elusive NBA championship. Instead, he chose to go to a team that went just 22-60 a season ago.
Why?
He still wants to compete.
“I love nothing more than the opportunity to play and contribute and hoop,” Paul said at his introductory news conference Tuesday after agreeing to a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
He could have played closer to his home in the Los Angeles area, but instead, he’ll leave his family and play for San Antonio.
“My family is everything. My wife is here, my kids are back in L.A., and that’s where they will be during the season,” Paul said. "And I love basketball so much that I could be close to home, but if I’m not playing, I’m not happy.
“And I love my family to death. So, when we saw this opportunity, even though it’ll put me away from my family, my family knows me better than anybody and they know that I just want to play. I want to play more than anything. And that’s why I’m grateful for them and more so grateful to be here.”
Paul also gets to join forces with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich for the first time, saying it is “an honor and a privilege” to be able to play for Popovich at this stage of his career.
“Obviously, I’ve admired Pop from afar for years, and when you’re in this for a while, as he’s done for a long time, there’s so much respect there,” Paul said. “Not only for his basketball IQ but just for who he is as a person, as a competitor and all of that.”
While discussing his 19-year career – all of which has taken place in the Western Conference, including with the Golden State Warriors last season – Paul said he doesn’t think there’s a team he has played more than the Spurs, and he is correct. Paul has logged 81 combined playoff and regular-season games against the Spurs, the most he has against any team in the NBA.
The point guard said the meeting he had with Popovich before agreeing to a contract with the Spurs was more of a conversation than Popovich giving him a sales pitch.
Now, at age 39, Paul joins a team that was the league’s youngest last season and also features one of the game’s most exciting players in reigning Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama.
Paul said he and Harrison Barnes, who was acquired by the Spurs from the Sacramento Kings in a three-way trade, were talking on their flight into San Antonio on Monday about how they can’t wait to watch Wembanyama grow on a day-to-day basis.
“I played against [Wembanyama] this season, and I tell you there’s probably no player in the league that everybody in the league talks about after the game like him,” Paul said. “Everybody has to adjust to stuff.”
Barnes, 32, signed a three-year, $54 million extension last summer with Kings, but with two years left on his deal, he was considered expendable as the team looked to acquire DeMar DeRozan.
As a part of his contract, Barnes had a 10% trade bonus that he waived in order to help facilitate the deal involving the Kings, Spurs and Chicago Bulls. On Tuesday, he explained why he turned down the extra cash, calling it “a pretty easy decision.”
“It’s funny, with the new CBA, the trade kicker became more of a play than I was expecting, but I think the opportunity just to come here and to be able play for Pop and play with this group I think is exciting,” the small forward said.
Barnes reunites with Popovich, who coached him in the 2019 FIBA World Cup with Team USA. Barnes said he remembered great team dinners under Popovich but also his ability to relate with everyone on the roster.
“He talks to every single player differently, and he knows how to connect with him,” Barnes said. “So, I think that’s why me and him kind of hit it off. He’s a straight shooter. I like that.”
Barnes and Paul said they recognize the roles they will have as the elder statesmen of the Spurs. Point guard Devonte’ Graham, who turned 29 in February, ended last season as the team’s oldest player.
The two newcomers will try to lead the young team moving forward.
But Paul also is “excited” for what he can learn.
“That’s probably been the coolest thing about my career is that, yeah, I’ve went to some teams that are younger or whatnot, but I’m constantly learning from these guys,” Paul said.
“I got a chance to play with [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] in his second year in the league, and I got a chance to learn from him. I got a chance to learn from [Devin Booker], Mikal Bridges and all those guys. So, I’m excited to share with these guys what I know and whatever they want to know, but I’m also excited to see what I can learn from them.”
via ESPN