By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-10-03 10:31:08
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。
周一上午，在胜利资本训练中心举行的马刺媒体日活动中，凯尔登·约翰逊摆姿势拍照。
在媒体日上，当一位爱开玩笑的记者问凯尔登·约翰逊是否准备好迎接自己的第十年时，他很快纠正了对方的说法。
“是第六年，第六年，”约翰逊说。“你让我觉得自己老了，伙计。”
这位前锋将在 10 月 11 日迎来 25 岁生日，仍然是一名年轻球员。但这位拿约翰逊开涮的记者也并非毫无道理：这位弗吉尼亚人似乎已经在马刺效力了至少十年。
虽然只有 20 名球员在马刺效力的时间比约翰逊长，但与蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 创下的 19 个赛季的俱乐部纪录或托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker) 的 17 个赛季相比，约翰逊的效力时间仍然不算长。
但这足以让他成为球队现役效力时间最长的球员，而他也完全接受了这个角色。
“能够在这样一个团队中待这么长时间，能够留下来并不断进步，绝对是一种荣誉和幸运，”他说。“这才是最重要的。如果我能将任何知识传授给年轻球员或任何新加入的球员，我都愿意这样做。”
上赛季结束后，随着选秀大会的临近，关于约翰逊被摆上货架的猜测甚嚣尘上，但在周一的媒体日上，他一如既往地乐观向上、面带微笑、声嘶力竭地与人交谈。
对于他的队友来说，这是一个令人欣慰的景象。
“那是我朋友，”朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 在谈到这位被他称为球队“灵魂人物”的球员时说。
马刺在 2019 年首轮第 29 顺位选中了约翰逊，当时他刚打完在肯塔基大学的第一个赛季。在他职业生涯的早期，他曾与拉马库斯·阿尔德里奇 (LaMarcus Aldridge) 和德玛尔·德罗赞 (DeMar DeRozan) 等球星并肩作战并向他们学习，这两位球星教会了他很多价值观和技能，他现在渴望将这些传授给新秀们。
“我当然看得出来，KJ 是在这里待得最久的，”尚帕尼说。“他对这个赛季的态度就说明了这一点。他已经和老队员们一起打过球了，现在他也是老队员了。他有点像是在追随他们的脚步，在他的职业生涯中迈出下一步。”
早在训练营开始之前，约翰逊就树立了一个好榜样，他主动放弃了自己从中学就开始穿的 3 号球衣，让给了克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul)。约翰逊说，保罗是他成长过程中的一位榜样。马刺在 7 月份签下了这位未来的名人堂控球后卫。
“主要是出于尊重。我觉得他应该穿 3 号，”约翰逊说，他本赛季将身披 0 号球衣，这是他新秀赛季在发展联盟奥斯汀马刺队效力时穿过的号码。
上赛季，约翰逊赢得了队友和教练的尊重。他在赛季开始的前 27 场比赛以及前三个赛季中的每一场比赛中都首发出场，但在 12 月，他转变为第六人的角色。尚帕尼取代了约翰逊在首发阵容中的位置。
教练格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 做出这一调整是为了加强替补阵容，并给新秀维克多·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 和后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 更多的进攻机会。
尽管他在赛季结束后承认“这很难适应”，但约翰逊毫无怨言地接受了自己的新角色，并在 2022-23 赛季场均得到职业生涯最高的 22.0 分之后，本赛季场均得到 15.7 分。约翰逊在 2023-24 赛季作为首发出场时场均得到 16.9 分，而在作为替补出场的 42 场比赛中，这一数字略有下降，为 15 分。
“他在这方面表现出了很强的领导能力，”波波维奇在 4 月份宣布约翰逊将因脚伤缺席本赛季最后四场比赛时说。
在进入新赛季之际，约翰逊相信，作为首发和替补的双重经历将成为他履历中的一项优势。
“我担任过很多不同的角色，这正好体现了我能为比赛带来的多面性，”他说。“无论我被赋予什么样的角色，我都会做好准备。”
在训练营开始四天后，约翰逊在本赛季将扮演什么样的角色还不得而知。但无论如何，他都相信，在休赛期减掉大量体重后，他已经为一个强大的赛季做好了准备，这样他就可以在 10 月 24 日客场挑战达拉斯独行侠的赛季揭幕战中“轻装上阵”。
“我已经为任何可能出现的情况做好了准备，为我的角色做好了准备，也为我的球队争取胜利做好了准备，”他说。
约翰逊拒绝透露他减掉了多少体重，但从马刺在训练营名单上将他列为 6 英尺 5 英寸、215 磅来看，这个数字应该是 10 磅，而在上赛季结束后，马刺在名单上将他列为 225 磅。
“我觉得我现在移动起来灵活多了，”他说。“我觉得我更有爆发力了。这在很大程度上要归功于我的减肥。我为自己感到骄傲。”
约翰逊决定减肥，突显了他对球队的承诺和对未来的展望。
“我只是把它变成一种生活方式，而不是节食，也不仅仅是对我来说是暂时的，”这位经常谈到自己对 Buc-ees 烧烤和配菜的喜爱之情的球员说。“这是我打算为我和我的家人打造的一种生活方式，吃得健康，保持身材。”
约翰逊今年夏天还专注于提高防守能力。在他的职业生涯中，他在防守端的表现一直是一个弱点，但他从未停止过努力提高。
“我觉得我已经准备好防守了，”他说。“这是我今年夏天主要关注的事情。”
约翰逊在 2022 年夏天签署的续约合同还剩三年，价值 8000 万美元，本赛季他的薪水为 1900 万美元，仅次于瓦塞尔的 2930 万美元。如果他能履行完目前的合同，他将在马刺效力八个赛季。只有 10 名球员的效力时间比他长：邓肯、帕克、马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili)（16 个赛季）、大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson)（14 个赛季）、肖恩·埃利奥特 (Sean Elliott)（11 个赛季）、马特·邦纳 (Matt Bonner)（10 个赛季）、埃弗里·约翰逊 (Avery Johnson)（10 个赛季）、帕蒂·米尔斯 (Patty Mills)（10 个赛季）、乔治·格文 (George Gervin)（9 个赛季）和约翰尼·摩尔 (Johnny Moore)（9 个赛季）。
但对约翰逊来说，最重要的还是现在。
“我感觉很棒，”他说。“我已经准备好迎接新赛季了。我觉得我们将会带着必胜的信念和阵容去战斗。”
2024 年 3 月 25 日，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在比赛的上半场带球突破菲尼克斯太阳队后卫德文·布克（1 号）的防守。马刺队以 104 比 102 击败了太阳队。
周一上午，在胜利资本训练中心举行的马刺媒体日活动中，凯尔登·约翰逊出席。
2024 年 3 月 17 日，德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥 - 圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在 2024 年 3 月 17 日德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥穆迪中心举行的比赛下半场对阵布鲁克林篮网队时，在投中三分球后庆祝。
2024 年 3 月 17 日，星期日，在德克萨斯州奥斯汀举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在上半场对阵布鲁克林篮网队的比赛中得分后庆祝。（美联社照片/埃里克·盖伊）
2024 年 3 月 7 日，加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托 - 在 2024 年 3 月 7 日加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托黄金一号中心举行的比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在对阵萨克拉门托国王队的比赛中投中三分球后做出反应。致用户的注意事项：用户明确承认并同意，下载或使用本照片即表示用户同意盖蒂图片社许可协议的条款和条件。
2024 年 3 月 5 日，德克萨斯州休斯顿 - 在 2024 年 3 月 5 日德克萨斯州休斯顿丰田中心举行的比赛下半场，休斯顿火箭队的贾巴里·史密斯 (Jabari Smith Jr.)（10 号）防守圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）的投篮。致用户的注意事项：用户明确承认并同意，下载或使用本照片即表示用户同意盖蒂图片社许可协议的条款和条件。
2024 年 2 月 23 日，星期五，在洛杉矶举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克多·文班亚马（1 号）在球队上半场对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛中，在凯尔登·约翰逊投篮得分后拥抱了他。（美联社照片/马西奥·何塞·桑切斯）
2024 年 2 月 23 日，加利福尼亚州洛杉矶 - 圣安东尼奥马刺队的凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在斯台普斯中心举行的比赛下半场对阵洛杉矶湖人队的比赛中，带球突破了斯宾塞·丁翁迪（Spencer Dinwiddie，26 号）的防守。
2024 年 2 月 22 日，星期四，在加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）对阵萨克拉门托国王队的比赛下半场，对裁判的判罚做出反应。国王队以 127 比 122 获胜。（美联社照片/兰德尔·本顿）
2024 年 2 月 22 日，星期四，在加利福尼亚州萨克拉门托举行的一场 NBA 篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊（3 号）在上半场带球突破萨克拉门托国王队前锋基根·穆雷（Keegan Murray，图右）的防守。（美联社照片/兰德尔·本顿）
点击查看原文：Johnson ready for sixth season as Spurs' longest-tenured player
Johnson ready for sixth season as Spurs’ longest-tenured player
Spurs Keldon Johnson poses for pictures during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
Keldon Johnson was quick to correct a wisecracking reporter who asked him on media day if he was ready for his 10th year.
“Sixth, sixth,” Johnson said. “You make me feel old, man.”
With his 25th birthday coming Oct. 11, the forward is still a young player. But the reporter busting Johnson’s chops had a point: It does seem as though the Virginia native has been with the club for at least a decade now.
While only 20 players have logged more campaigns with the Silver & Black, Johnson’s total is still a modest amount when compared to Tim Duncan’s club-record 19 seasons or Tony Parker’s 17.
But it’s enough to make Johnson the team’s longest-tenured current player, a role he has fully embraced.
“It’s definitely an honor and a blessing to be part of an organization like this for such a long period of time, to be able to stick around and thrive,” he said. “That’s the main thing. And any knowledge I can pass on to the younger guys or any of the new guys coming in, I am willing to do.”
When last season ended, speculation was rampant as the draft approached that Johnson was on the trading block, but there he was Monday being his usual upbeat, smiling, shout-at-the-top-of-his-lungs self.
It was a comforting sight for his teammates.
“That’s my friend,” Julian Champagnie said of a player he’s called the “heart and soul” of the team.
The Spurs selected Johnson 29th overall in 2019 after his freshman season at Kentucky. Early in his career, he played with and learned from the likes of LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan, a pair of stars who taught him plenty of values and skills he’s now eager to convey to neophytes.
“I can definitely tell KJ is the one who has been here the longest,” Champagnie said. “His approach to this season shows it. He’s gotten to play with older guys and now he is one of them. He is kind of just following in their footsteps, taking that next step in his career.”
Long before the start of training camp, Johnson was setting a good example by willingly giving up the No. 3 he’s worn since he was in middle school to Chris Paul – a player he said was one of his role models growing up – after the Spurs signed the future Hall of Fame point guard in July.
“The main thing was respect. I feel like he deserved to wear number three,” said Johnson, who will sport No. 0 this season, which he last wore when he was a rookie playing for the Austin Spurs in the G League.
Johnson earned respect last season from his teammates and coaches when he moved into a sixth man role in December after starting the first 27 games of the season and 60-plus games in each of the previous three years. Champagnie replaced Johnson in the starting unit.
Coach Gregg Popovich made the move to bolster the bench and give rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama and guard Devin Vassell bigger roles on offense.
Although he admitted after the season “it was hard to adjust,” Johnson accepted his new role without complaint and finished the season averaging 15.7 points after posting a career-high 22.0 in 2022-23. Johnson averaged 16.9 points as a starter in 2023-24, a number that dropped a tad to 15 points in the 42 games he logged as a reserve.
"He showed a lot of leadership in that regard,” Popovich said in April when it was announced a nagging foot injury would end Johnson’s season with four games remaining.
As he enters this year, Johnson believes having experiences both as a starter and reserve will be viewed as a positive on his resume.
“I have had many different roles, and it just shows the versatility I can bring to the game,” he said. “Whatever role I am put in, I will be prepared.”
It’s uncertain four days into camp what role Johnson will have this season. But no matter what, he believes he’s primed for a strong year after shedding a good amount of weight in the offseason so he can “hit the ground running” when the season starts at Dallas on Oct. 24.
“I prepared myself for whatever situation I need to be put in, to be in my role and to put my team in the best situation to win,” he said.
Johnson declined to tell reporters how much weight he dropped, but the number appears to be 10 pounds after the Spurs listed him at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds on their camp roster after listing him at 225 pounds on their roster for last season’s finale.
“I feel like I move a lot better,” he said. “I feel like I am more explosive. And a lot of it does come down to the weight. I am proud of myself.”
Johnson’s decision to slim down underscored his commitment to the team and his future.
“Just making it a lifestyle, not a diet, not just something that is temporary for me,” said a player who has spoken frequently about his love for the barbecue and sides at Buc-ees. “This is something I plan on making a lifestyle for me and my family, eating the right things and being in shape.”
Johnson also focused on improving defensively this summer. His play on that end of the court has been a weak spot throughout his career, but he never stops trying to improve.
“I feel like I am ready to defend,” he said. “That has been my main thing to focus on this summer.”
Johnson has three seasons remaining on the $80-million contract extension he signed in the summer of 2022 that will pay him $19 million this season, second on the club to Vassell’s $29.3 million. If he plays through his current pact, Johnson will have eight seasons as a Spur. Only 10 players logged more: Duncan, Parker, Manu Ginobili (16), David Robinson (14), Sean Elliott (11), Matt Bonner (10), Avery Johnson (10), Patty Mills (10), George Gervin (nine) and Johnny Moore (nine).
But for Johnson, it’s all about the present.
“I feel great,” he said. “I’m ready for a new season. I feel like we are going to go out there with the mindset and the pieces to win.”
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives into Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half at Frost Bank Center on Monday, March 25, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs defeated the Suns, 104-102.
Spurs Keldon Johnson during Spurs Media Day activities Monday morning at the Victory Capital Performance Center.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 17 Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after hitting a three-point basket against the Brooklyn Nets in the second half at Moody Center on March 17, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) celebrates a score against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 07: Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after making a three-point shot against Sacramento Kings during the second half at Golden 1 Center on March 07, 2024 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 05: Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets defends a shot by Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half at Toyota Center on March 05, 2024 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) hugs Keldon Johnson after a basket during the first half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 23: Keldon Johnson #3 of the San Antonio Spurs drives past the defense of Spencer Dinwiddie #26 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on February 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) reacts to an official’s call during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. The Kings won 127-122. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) drives past Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, front right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
