By Jeje Gomez, Jacob Douglas, J.R. Wilco | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2024-08-13 10:44:33
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。
文班亚马最新言论透露了这位马刺球星的雄心壮志
在输掉与美国队的金牌争夺战后，维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)向媒体发表了强有力的声明。「我正在学习，我为未来几年的对手们感到担忧，」他告诉 SAEN 专栏作家迈克·芬格(Mike Finger)。当芬格问他是指 FIBA 的对手还是 NBA 的对手时，文班回答说：「所有对手。」
你认为文班在未来几年内成为世界最佳球员的可能性有多大？
雅各布·道格拉斯(Jacob Douglas): 这可能是我马刺球迷的偏见，但我认为他现在是最有可能的人选。NBA 充满了像安东尼·爱德华兹(Anthony Edwards)和卢卡·东契奇(Luka Doncic)这样的年轻球星（不知怎么的，他们都只有 25 岁）。尽管如此，文班亚马的崛起速度甚至比他们还要快，他很快就成为了联盟中的超级巨星。他的火箭式发展轨迹将很快让他超越竞争对手。
他已经成为联盟中最具影响力的防守球员，他的跳投在奥运会上看起来更好了，他在传球方面也展现出了良好的视野。他只需要积累更多经验，并花时间来增强对抗身体对抗的能力。他具备了所有条件，而且到目前为止，他的一言一行都表明他拥有一颗冠军的心。他将身高、技术和坚韧的心理素质完美结合，而这些都是 NBA 最出色球员的标志。
杰斯·戈麦斯(Jesus Gomez): 他很有可能成为最佳球员。伤病是唯一可能阻碍他职业生涯的因素。他天赋异禀，只要跳投更加稳定，低级失误减少，他就会成为联盟中 perennial 前五的球员。他能否成为公认的顶级球员，将取决于联盟中其他年轻球星的发展情况，以及目前 MVP 级别的球员衰落的速度。目前看来，到 2028 年，文班和安东尼·爱德华兹将展开双雄争霸。
J.R. 威尔科(J.R. Wilco): 这个问题中唯一让我稍作停顿的部分是「未来几年」，而我在回答这类问题时总是会谨慎一些。但我的感觉是：这不是「是否」的问题，而是「何时」的问题，这太疯狂了。他拥有所有必要的天赋，他是知识/战略/技术的「海绵」，他非常自律，无论谁想和他一起出去玩，他都会坚持自己的作息时间。如果说有谁很有可能充分发挥自己的潜力，那就是他——文班拥有世界上所有的天赋。所以我的答案是，非常有可能。
法国队在与美国队的比赛中表现出色，但最终还是输了。2028 年处于巅峰期的文班能带领他们翻过这座大山吗？
道格拉斯： 篮球是一项团队运动。文班亚马在金牌争夺战中领衔得分，但法国队没有足够的能量击败强大的美国队。2028 年，他将需要很多帮助，因为看起来美国队在未来几年也不会缺乏天赋，像爱德华兹、布克和班切罗这样的年轻球员都在等待着机会。幸运的是，法国队在联盟中也有很多年轻球员。比拉尔·库利巴利(Bilal Coulibaly)、亚历克斯·萨尔(Alex Sarr)和扎卡里·里萨谢尔(Zaccharie Risacher)都有可能成长为优秀的球员。2025 年 NBA 选秀大会的后场指挥官诺兰·特劳雷(Nolan Traore)看起来也很有潜力。一个处于巅峰期的文班，再加上一些正在成长的年轻球员，可以让法国队在洛杉矶与美国队展开势均力敌的较量。
戈麦斯： 在过去的 10 年里，法国篮球的人才储备令人难以置信。似乎有更多 NBA 水平的球员正在涌现，诺兰·特劳雷预计将成为 2024 年奥运会法国队所缺少的后卫。这将取决于里萨谢尔、萨尔、库利巴利等人的发展，但我相信，法国队和加拿大队都有可能对美国队的统治地位构成严重威胁。美国永远是国际赛场上的超级大国，但现在也有一些球队拥有自己的超级巨星和高质量的阵容深度。法国队似乎是未来最被看好的一支球队，文班是他们的领袖，所以我相信在 2028 年，我们能再次看到美法两队争夺金牌。
威尔科： 有一种观点认为，如果没有第四节库里的爆发，法国队本来有机会在 2024 年就翻过这座大山。当然，如果库里没有爆发，杜兰特或詹姆斯可能也会挺身而出，但我的观点是，即使文班还没有达到最终形态，而且球队的阵容缺乏顶级天赋，法国队也只差三分和手感火热的时刻就能将比赛拖入加时。在一场什么都可能发生的比赛中，这已经是最好的结果了。文班能带领他的国家队翻过这座大山吗？我不会怀疑这一点。
文班亚马以前也发表过类似的自信言论，但他从未被描述为傲慢自大。你认为这是为什么？
道格拉斯： 我经常觉得文班的言论游走在傲慢的边缘。他渴望接受「外星人」的绰号，这要么是营销天才，要么是一个对自己 greatness 充满信心的球员的标志。然后我又听到他谈论宇宙决定了他的命运，我想……也许他只是一个脚踏实地、相信自己的人。这很难形容，但他用一种理所当然的方式说出这些话，就好像这个问题没有其他答案一样。
戈麦斯： 他的语气很有帮助。他说话的语气很平静，但说出来的话却会让别人陷入困境。通常情况下，在你读完采访稿后才会意识到他说的话有多么辛辣。到目前为止，他也用行动证明了自己的实力。最终，外界对文班的审视将会越来越多，尤其是如果他在团队中没有取得成功的话，他自信的言论可能会反过来困扰他，但他是受过媒体训练的，并且对自己的形象有清醒的认识，所以如果他需要改变与记者交谈的方式，我也不会感到惊讶。
威尔科： 他的表达方式和语气确实非常重要（谢谢雅各布和杰斯），我认为还有更多的原因。文班如此 eloquent 地谈论到，实现他的全部天赋是他的责任，我认为任何一个通常准备好抨击自吹自擂言论的人都感到无语了，因为把文班说的话放在他所有言论的背景下，就会发现他不是在试图让所有人都相信他的伟大，而是在谈论伟大是他的目标。捶胸顿足的行为可能总是会让一些人反感，但你很难去批评一个对自己想要实现的目标如此坦诚的球员。此外，我认为勒布朗在大约 20 年前就为他铺平了道路，他当时的目标是成为「全球偶像」，而他也确实做到了。
点击查看原文：Victor Wembanyama: “I worry for the opponents in the next couple of years”
Victor Wembanyama: “I worry for the opponents in the next couple of years”
What Wembanyama’s latest quote reveals about the Spurs star.
After losing the gold medal game against Team USA, Victor Wembanyama made a strong statement to the media. “I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in the next couple of years,” he said to SAEN columnist Mike Finger. When Finger asked if he meant FIBA opponents or the NBA, Victor said “everywhere.”
How likely do you think it is for Victor to become the best player in the world in the next couple of years?
Jacob Douglas: The Spurs beat bias is showing here, but I think he’s probably the favorite now. The NBA is loaded with young stars like Anthony Edwards and Luke Doncic (still only 25 somehow.) Still, Wembanyama has risen faster than even them to become an immediate superstar in the league. His rocket trajectory will put him past the competition soon.
He’s already the most impactful defender in the league. His jump shot looked better in the Olympics. He’s seeing the floor well as a passer. All he needs to improve is more experience and time to build strength against physical defenses. The tools are all there, and everything he’s said and done thus far indicates he has the mentality of a winner. His combination of size, skill and mental fortitude are the staples of the NBA’s best.
Jesus Gomez: There’s a good chance he’ll be up there. Injuries are the only thing that can derail his career. He’s too talented and physically gifted to be anything less than a perennial top-5 player in the league once the jumper becomes more consistent and the silly turnovers stop. Whether he’ll be the consensus top dog will depend on how well the other young stars in the league develop and how quickly the MVP-caliber players currently around decline. Right now, it seems like a two-way race between Wemby and Anthony Edwards for the crown by 2028.
J.R. Wilco: It’s telling that the only part of that question that causes me to pause in the slightest is “next couple of years” — and I am ALWAYS hedging when answering this kind of question. But this is how I feel: it’s not a question of if but when, and that’s kind of nuts. He has all of the talent necessary, he’s a sponge for knowledge/strategy/skills, and he’s so incredibly dedicated that he keeps himself to his bedtime regardless of who wants to hang out with him. If there’s anyone who’s a good bet to fulfill all of their potential, it’s the guy who’s dedicated to that level — and Wemby has all the talent in the world. So my answer is, very likely.
France did a decent job against Team USA but came up short. Can Victor in his prime in 2028 get them over the hump?
Douglas: Basketball is a team sport. Wembanyama led all scorers in the gold medal game, but France didn’t have the juice to defeat a loaded Team USA. He’s going to need a lot of help in 2028 because it doesn’t seem like the U.S. is going to be lacking future talent with young players like Edwards, Booker and Banchero waiting in the wings. Luckily, France has a lot of young talent around the league, too. Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher could all develop into nice players. Nolan Traore, the floor general from the 2025 NBA Draft class looks like a stud. A prime Wemby plus some developing young players could put France in a position to play Team USA close in Los Angeles.
Gomez: In the past 10 years France’s basketball pipeline has produced a ridiculous amount of talent. There seem to be more NBA-caliber players coming, with Nolan Traore projected to be the guard the 2024 Olympic team was missing. It will depend on the development of guys like Risacher, Sarr, Coulibaly and others, but I believe it’s realistic to see both France and Canada as serious threats to Team USA’s dominance. The US is forever going to be the biggest superpower at the international level, but a few teams have superstars of their own now as well as quality depth. France seems like the one with the best future, with Wemby leading the way, so I can see another USA-France gold medal game in 2028.
Wilco: There’s an argument to make that without the 4th quarter Curry Flurry in the gold medal game, that France was in a position for Victor to get France over the hump in 2024. Sure, Durant or James might have stepped up if Curry hadn’t, but my point is that even short of his final form and with a roster that was lacking in top tier talent, France was three points and the Hot Hand moment from taking it to the wire. That’s as close as you can ask for in a game in which anything can happen. Can Wemby get his national team over the hump? I wouldn’t bet against it.
Wembanyama has made confident statements like this before but has never been described as arrogant. Why do you think that is?
Douglas: I have often thought Wemby’s quotes tip-toe the line of arrogance. His eagerness to lean into the “alien” nickname is either a stroke of marketing genius or a sign of a player assured of his greatness. Then I hear a quote of him talking about the universe dictating his destiny and think… maybe he is just a really down-to-earth guy who believes in himself. It’s hard to describe, but he delivers these statements in such a matter-of-fact way as if there truly was no other answer to the question.
Gomez: His tone helps a lot. He says things that would get others in trouble in such a calm way that often it’s not until after you read the transcript that you realize that what he said was spicy. He has also backed up his words so far. Eventually, the scrutiny on Wemby will increase, especially if he doesn’t find success at the team level, and his confident statements might come back to haunt him, but he’s media-trained and self-aware about his image, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he changes how he speaks to reporters if he needs to.
Wilco: The way he delivers his quotes and his tone are indeed very important (thanks, Jacob and Jeje) and I think there’s a bit more. Wemby speaks so eloquently about how it’s his responsibility to live up to and fully realize his talent, that I think anyone who is usually ready to torch self-aggrandizing statements is neutralized because taking something Wemby says in the context of EVERYTHING he says, reveals him to be not someone trying to convince everyone of his greatness, but a man talking about how greatness is his goal. Chest-thumping may always be off-putting to some, but it’s hard to criticize a player who’s so straight-faced about what he’s trying to achieve. Also, I think he’s helped by the fact that LeBron blazed this trail about 20 years ago with his “global icon” goal that he went out and made good on.
By Jeje Gomez, Jacob Douglas, J.R. Wilco, via Pounding The Rock