By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-11-13 11:58:12
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。
2024年10月31日，犹他州盐湖城：在三角洲中心与犹他爵士队的比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)向他的球队大声喊叫。
随着时间的推移，文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)始终抱有希望。
马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)因病无限期休假，但文班亚马相信这位75岁的名人堂成员不久后就会回到场边。
“我不担心他，”文班亚马上周说。“我知道他很快就会回来。”
谈到波波维奇回归他过去28年一直担任的这份工作，似乎“很快”可能还不够快，甚至可能永远不会回来。
马刺队周三透露，波波维奇于11月2日在弗罗斯特银行中心轻微中风。此事发生在球队当晚对阵明尼苏达森林狼队的比赛前几个小时，这场比赛也是由马刺队助理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)执教的几场比赛中的第一场。
在一份更新波波维奇病情的新闻稿中，马刺队表示，波波维奇已经开始了康复计划，预计会完全康复。
球队官员表示，至于完全康复是否意味着最终重返教练岗位，他们无法确定。目前，马刺队表示波波维奇的回归时间表尚未确定。
周三主场迎战华盛顿奇才队的比赛将是波波维奇连续缺席的第七场比赛。球员们表示，他们感受到了他的缺席。
“所有教练都有自己的个性，但他可不是无缘无故地成为史上最佳教练，”文班亚马说。“他带来了特别的东西。”
控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)，这位12次入选全明星阵容的球员，目前正在马刺队度过他的第一个赛季，他也同意这一观点。
“他会是第一个告诉你不要担心他，出去打球的人，”保罗说。“但当然，我们队里的所有球员、工作人员，每个人都非常想念他，因为他就是波波。”
整个NBA也感受到了这种空缺。
“这显然是一个难以处理的局面，”萨克拉门托国王队主教练迈克·布朗(Mike Brown)说道，他是目前五位曾在圣安东尼奥在波波维奇手下工作过的NBA主教练之一。“我相信每个人都以某种方式与他保持着联系，我们只是继续祝愿他一切顺利。”
联盟中有些球员太年轻，根本不记得马刺队还有蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)、托尼·帕克(Tony Parker)或马努·吉诺比利(Manu Ginobili)的时代。但没有人不记得有波波维奇的马刺队。
在过去的29个赛季里，他已经成为了圣安东尼奥篮球的象征。
在最近一场对阵马刺队的比赛前，洛杉矶快船队主教练泰伦·卢(Ty Lue)为他称为“教父”的波波维奇祈祷。
“波波对我们的比赛和教练们意义重大，”卢说。“他为比赛所做的一切，他是我们追随和倾听的那个人。希望他早日康复。”
这位联盟历史上年龄最大的教练也是胜场最多的教练。
自从在1996-97赛季初接替被解雇的鲍勃·希尔(Bob Hill)以来，波波维奇已经取得了1393场常规赛的胜利。
根据联盟规则，约翰逊在波波维奇缺席期间代理执教取得的战绩——截至周三为3胜3负——将计入波波维奇的执教记录。
这位37岁的约翰逊并不希望长期担任这份工作。他更愿意回到波波维奇助手的岗位。
“波波对我们球队的影响，从他执教过的球员到与他共事过的工作人员，以及圣安东尼奥的社区，很难用语言来表达，”约翰逊说。“如果我试图用语言来表达，可能无法做到公正。”
目前，圣安东尼奥的篮球事业仍在继续。
约翰逊称之为“常规节目”。
然而，在像波波维奇这样重要的主角缺席的情况下，很难制作出常规节目。马刺队表示，他们会适应新的常态，同时希望旧的常态——以及他们的老教练——能够在某个时候回归。
“他的健康是第一位的，我们百分之百地支持他，”约翰逊说。“我们迫不及待地希望他回来。”
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich yells at his team during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs defeated the Rockets, 109-106, in their first home game of the season.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gives instructions to his players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts after a call by the official, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
点击查看原文：Coach Gregg Popovich suffers stroke, San Antonio Spurs announce
Coach Gregg Popovich suffers stroke, San Antonio Spurs announce
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 31: Head coach Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs yells to his team during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on October 31, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As the days went by, Victor Wembanyama clung to hope.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was out on an indefinite medical leave, but Wembanyama had faith the 75-year-old Hall of Famer would be back on the sidelines before long.
“I’m not worried about him,” Wembanyama said last week. “I know he’s going to come back soon.”
When it comes to Popovich’s return to the job he has had for the past 28 years, it appears soon might not come soon enough – or even at all.
The Spurs on Wednesday revealed Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2 at the Frost Bank Center. The episode occurred in the hours leading to the team’s game that night against Minnesota, the first of several to be coached by Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson.
In a news release updating Popovich’s condition, the Spurs said the coach has already begun a rehabilitation program and is expected to make a full recovery.
Whether that full recovery entails an eventual return to coaching, team officials could not say. For now, the Spurs say a timeline for Popovich’s return has yet to be determined.
Wednesday’s home game against Washington will be the seventh in a row Popovich has missed. Players say they have felt his absence.
“All coaches have their own personality, but he’s not the best coach of all time for nothing,” Wembanyama said. “He brings something special to the table.”
Point guard Chris Paul, a 12-time All-Star in his first season with the Spurs, agreed.
“He’d be the first person to tell you not to worry about him and to go out and hoop,” Paul said. “But of course all the guys on our team, the staff, everyone definitely misses him because he’s Pop.”
The void has been felt around the NBA as well.
“It’s obviously a tough situation to deal with,” said Sacramento coach Mike Brown, one of five current NBA head coaches to have spent time under Popovich in San Antonio. “I’m sure everybody is in touch with him one way or another, and we just continue to hope for the best.”
There are players across the league too young to fully remember the Spurs with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili on the roster. There are none who can remember the Spurs without Popovich.
Over 29 seasons, he has become the face of basketball in San Antonio.
Before a recent game against the Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers coach Ty Lue offered his “prayers up” to Popovich, who he dubbed “The Godfather.”
“Pop’s meant so much to our game and to our coaches,” Lue said. “Everything he’s done for the game, he’s the one guy we follow and we listen to. Hopefully he has a speedy recovery.”
The oldest coach in league history is also its winningest.
Since taking over for the fired Bob Hill early in the 1996-97 season, Popovich has compiled a record 1,393 regular-season victories.
By league rule, the mark Johnson has recorded as the acting coach in Popovich’s stead – 3-3 heading into Wednesday – applies to his boss’ ledger.
It is not a job the 37-year-old Johnson hopes to hold for long. He would rather go back to being Popovich’s assistant.
“Pop’s impact on our organization from the players that he’s coached and the staff that’s worked with him in the community of San Antonio – it’s hard to articulate or put into words,” Johnson said. “If I try to probably put them into words, it would not do it justice.”
For now, the business of basketball goes on in San Antonio.
“Regularly scheduled programming,” Johnson calls it.
Still, it is difficult to produce regularly scheduled programming with a main character as prominent as Popovich absent. The Spurs say they will get used to their new normal, all while hoping the old normal – and their old coach – can return at some point.
“His health is the No. 1 priority and we support him in that 100 percent,” Johnson said. “We can’t wait to have him back.”
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich yells at his team during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Frost Bank Center on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. The Spurs defeated the Rockets, 109-106, in their first home game of the season.
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich gives instructions to his players during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich reacts after a call by the official, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Egan)
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News
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