By Leonard Solms | ESPN, 2024-12-02 18:52:00
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。
扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)和维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)，可以说是NBA中最具辨识度的两位非洲裔球员，都在十一月砍下了五十多分。
此外，一些不太被关注的球员也贡献了精彩表现，例如芝加哥公牛队的阿约·多孙穆(Ayo Dosunmu)。
月度最佳非洲球员：扬尼斯·阿德托昆博（密尔沃基雄鹿）
作为目前为止联盟的得分王，拥有希腊和尼日利亚血统的字母哥带领密尔沃基雄鹿队重振旗鼓。
雄鹿队赛季开局惨淡，赢下首场比赛后遭遇六连败。然而，他们随后取得了六连胜，并在十一月底将赛季总战绩提升至10胜9负。
在11月13日以127-120加时战胜底特律活塞队的比赛中，字母哥砍下惊人的59分、14个篮板、7次助攻、2次抢断和3次盖帽。这是本赛季NBA五场50+得分比赛之一，而且可能是其中最具统治力的一场。
尽管有传言称字母哥在密尔沃基的时光可能很快会因交易而结束，但他无疑正在竭尽全力为球队带回第二枚总冠军戒指。
无论如何，ESPN的布莱恩·温德霍斯特(Brian Windhorst)三周前报道称，尽管在雄鹿队赛季开局不佳后，其他球队对字母哥很感兴趣，但他们并不打算在没有这位核心球员的情况下重建球队。
月度最佳非洲时刻：维克托·文班亚马（圣安东尼奥马刺）
在字母哥对阵活塞队砍下59分的同一天，另一位拥有非洲血统的球员也拿到了50分。文班亚马，他的父亲来自刚果民主共和国，带领圣安东尼奥马刺队战胜了华盛顿奇才队。
作为NBA历史上第四年轻的50分先生，文班是这份榜单上最年轻的中锋。在他取得这一英勇表现时，年仅20岁零314天，排在控球后卫布兰登·詹宁斯(Brandon Jennings)（20岁零52天）、前锋勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)（20岁零80天）和后卫德文·布克(Devin Booker)（20岁零145天）之后。
文班，上赛季的NBA年度最佳新秀，现在正在角逐MVP奖项。尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokić)目前是热门人选，但文班是仅有的两位有机会挑战他的非洲球员之一——另一位是字母哥。
在十一月底，马刺队的赛季战绩为10胜9负，他们还有很大的提升空间，但与文班在2023年以状元身份被选中时相比，他们作为一个团队的处境要好得多。
最进步非洲球员：阿约·多孙穆（芝加哥公牛）
拥有尼日利亚约鲁巴血统的多孙穆自上赛季以来一直在稳步进步。十一月，他在家乡球队芝加哥公牛队的比赛中充分展现了他在比赛中的显著进步。
值得注意的是，这位得分后卫在对阵犹他爵士队的比赛中得到25分、5个篮板和5次助攻。他在十一月两场战胜亚特兰大老鹰队的比赛中表现出色，一场得到19分，另一场得到20分——后者还贡献了8次助攻和3个篮板。
24岁的多孙穆在对阵奥兰多魔术队的比赛中再次砍下20+得分，得到21分、4个篮板和2次助攻。
乔尔·恩比德(Joel Embiid)的伤病和禁赛困境
通常情况下，人们会预期出生于喀麦隆的恩比德会与字母哥和文班亚马一起出现在NBA MVP排行榜的前列。
然而，他反复遭受膝伤困扰，并且还因为推搡《费城问询报》专栏作家马库斯·海耶斯(Marcus Hayes)而被禁赛三场，原因是海耶斯在一篇专栏文章中提到了他的儿子和已故的兄弟。
在有限的出场时间里，恩比德曾短暂展现出为他赢得2023年NBA MVP的出色状态。然而，由于缺乏稳定的出场时间，他一直无法真正找到最佳状态，并且在本赛季他参加的四场比赛中都未能带领球队取得胜利——即使是在以117-111输给孟菲斯灰熊队的比赛中，他得到了35分。
在非洲的ESPN频道（DStv 218和219，Starsat 248）观看NBA直播。
点击查看原文：Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama give African NBA fans a November to remember
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama give African NBA fans a November to remember
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Victor Wembanyama, arguably the two most recognisable players of African descent in the NBA, both had fifty-point games in November.
Elsewhere, there were strong performances from less expected sources, such as the Chicago Bulls’ Ayo Dosunmu.
African Player of the Month: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
The league’s leading scorer to date, Antetokounmpo - who is Greek-Nigerian - has led the Milwaukee Bucks’ revival.
The Bucks had a dismal start to the season, winning their first game but losing the next six. However, they went on a six-match winning run and ended November at 10-9 for the season overall.
In their 127-120 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on November 13, Antetokounmpo led with an astonishing 59 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. It was one of five 50-point games in the NBA this season, but probably the most dominant of the lot.
Amid rumours that Antetokounmpo’s time in Milwaukee could soon come to an end with a trade deal, he is certainly giving everything he has to bring a second ring back home.
In any case, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported three weeks ago that while there was interest in Antetokounmpo after the Bucks’ poor start to the season, they were not looking to rebuild without their prize asset.
African Moment of the Month: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
On the same day Antetokounmpo had his 59-point game against the Pistons, another player with ties to Africa got 50 too. Wembanyama, whose father is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, led the San Antonio Spurs to victory against the Washington Wizards.
The fourth-youngest player in NBA history with a 50-point game, Wemby is the youngest center on the list. At 20 years and 314 days old at the time of his heroic performance, he was behind point guard Brandon Jennings (20 years, 52 days), forward LeBron James (20 years, 80 days), and guard Devin Booker (20 years, 145 days).
Wembanyama, last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, is now in contention for the MVP award. Nikola Jokić is currently the favorite, but Wemby is one of only two African players with a realistic prospect of challenging him - the other being Antetokounmpo.
At 10-9 for the season at the end of November, the Spurs still have plenty of room for improvement but they are in a far better position as a team than they were when Wembanyama was drafted first in 2023.
Most Improved African Player: Ayo Dosunmu (Chicago Bulls)
Dosunmu, who is of Nigerian Yoruba heritage, has been steadily improving since last season. November was a month in which the significant progress in his game was on full display for his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls.
Notably, the shooting guard posted 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists against the Utah Jazz. He starred in two separate November wins over the Atlanta Hawks with 19 points in one and 20 in another - the latter coming alongside eight assists and three rebounds.
Dosunmu, 24 years old, had another 20-plus point game against the Orlando Magic with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists.
Joel Embiid’s injury & suspension struggles
Usually, one would expect that together with Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama, Cameroon-born Embiid would feature near the top of the NBA MVP rankings.
However, he has faced repeated knee issues and also a three-game suspension for shoving Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes over a column which referred to his son and late brother.
When he has played, Embiid has shown brief flashes of the form that earned him the 2023 NBA MVP crown. However, his lack of consistent minutes has prevented him from truly finding top form and he has been unable to lead his team to victory in any of the four matches he has featured in this season - even the 117-111 defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies in which he scored 35 points.
Watch the NBA live on ESPN’s channels in Africa (DStv 218 and 219, Starsat 248).
By Leonard Solms | ESPN, via ESPN