By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-09 13:38:30
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12月8日，在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的弗罗斯特银行中心，马刺队对阵新奥尔良鹈鹕队的上半场比赛中，一块标牌显示克里斯·保罗的NBA历史助攻数排名第二。
保罗最希望有一个人能到场见证这一刻。
“我都快40岁了，”这位39岁的马刺队控球后卫说，“但我爸爸仍然是我的爸爸。”
周六下午，查尔斯·保罗(Charles Paul)用一条简短的短信表情符号确认了这一点：一个篮球和一个笑脸。
联盟中被誉为“控球之神”的克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)明白其中的意义。周日在弗罗斯特银行中心的这场追逐历史的比赛将成为一次家庭盛事。
在比赛开始前，保罗的助攻数距离超越贾森·基德(Jason Kidd)升至历史第二仅差三次。在以121-116的比分险胜新奥尔良之后，他离开了球馆，如今他的助攻总数仅次于约翰·斯托克顿(John Stockton)。
“我们正在见证伟大，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道。“我们很多人都和他交过手。我们都看过他打球。能够亲身体验这一刻是一种荣幸。”
保罗以最平淡无奇的方式完成了他的里程碑式助攻。
第二节还剩7分06秒时，保罗将球传给了身高7尺3寸的中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)，后者立即命中一记25英尺的投篮。
这记助攻让保罗的助攻总数达到12,092次，超过了基德。
他以6分和10次助攻结束了当晚的比赛，将他的职业生涯总助攻数更新为12,099次。斯托克顿在2003年结束职业生涯时，总助攻数为15,806次，这是一个被认为无法超越的纪录。
赛后，保罗对刚刚被他超越的基德表达了敬意，并对永远无法超越的斯托克顿表达了钦佩。
“我已经打了很长时间了，但基德也打了很久，”保罗说。“我认为人们没有意识到，你在这个联盟打的时间越长，你就越会关注那些拥有漫长职业生涯的球员。”
保罗说，与这种长青相伴而来的是一种随着时间推移调整自己比赛的意愿和能力。
在20年的职业生涯中，保罗从在新奥尔良和洛杉矶快船队的核心球员，转变为在休斯顿、俄克拉荷马城、菲尼克斯、金州以及现在的圣安东尼奥，不同程度地扮演着其他球星的辅助角色。
“在更换球队过程中，我不得不改进我的比赛，”保罗说。“你从掌控全局到一直掌控球权。我有机会和很多伟大的球员一起打球。所以，要愿意学习，愿意调整和适应联盟的发展方向。”
保罗在效力过的第一支球队——新奥尔良鹈鹕队——面前完成他的第12,092次助攻，这或许是一种诗意的巧合。
他在2005-06赛季，作为一名20岁的新秀，完成的第一次助攻是传球给P.J. 布朗(P.J. Brown)的低位单打。
布朗现在已经55岁了。
周日，那个接保罗里程碑式助攻并得分的20岁年轻人对这个数字感到震惊。
“比我爸爸还大，”文班说道。
保罗正在马刺队度过他的第一个赛季，他周日表示，他很自豪能够参与到文班NBA旅程的初期阶段。与此同时，文班在比赛开始前就期盼着自己能够成为给保罗送出神奇助攻的那个人。
“进入比赛时，我想，‘好吧，我必须是那个人，’”文班说。
在保罗的职业生涯中，他曾为173名队友送出助攻，其中布雷克·格里芬(Blake Griffin)高居榜首。当两人在快船队一起效力时，保罗为格里芬送出了1,157次助攻。
现任新奥尔良鹈鹕队教练威利·格林(Willie Green)的名字也出现在这份名单上，排名稍靠后。格林曾是一名角色球员得分后卫，在新奥尔良和洛杉矶与保罗一起效力了三个赛季。
尽管周日的比赛失利，格林仍然很高兴能够在现场见证保罗超越基德。
“他的思维仍然像20岁一样敏捷，”格林说。“他在思考比赛。他在帮助年轻球员。自从他来到这里之后，你可以看到球队的成长。”
马刺队在赛后更衣室举行了热闹的庆祝活动，以纪念保罗在助攻榜上的晋升。为了纪念这一时刻，球队赠送给保罗一个纪念篮球，上面列出了他曾助攻过的所有球员的名字。
马刺队还送给保罗他最想要的东西：一场胜利。
保罗周日的最后一次助攻也是他最重要的一次助攻。在第四节还剩36.3秒时，保罗再次将球传给了三分线外的文班亚马，后者再次命中一记远距离三分球。
这记30英尺的投篮让马刺队以117-116领先，并最终保持住了优势。
这场胜利帮助极具竞争力的保罗更好地享受了他的个人成就。
“伙计，这感觉很酷，”保罗说。“因为我们赢了，所以感觉好多了，你懂我的意思吗？”
比赛结束后，保罗的心情自然而然地变得有些感性。作为北卡罗来纳州克莱蒙斯市西福赛斯高中的二年级学生，保罗入选了校橄榄球队。但他没有入选校篮球队。
即使他12次入选NBA全明星阵容，身高6英尺的保罗在这个巨人林立的赛场上仍然保持着一种顽强的斗志。
“在我的职业生涯中，肯定有不同的时刻，我确信我已经被放弃了，”保罗说。“被交易到这里，被交易到那里，诸如此类。”
保罗特意感谢了那些在他职业生涯的每一步都陪伴在他身边的人。
“感谢上帝赐予我的家人和支持系统，”保罗说。“每当我跌倒时，都是这些人把我扶起来。”
因此，保罗的家人周日出现在弗罗斯特银行中心的看台上，见证了这个值得用篮球和笑脸表情符号来纪念的夜晚，这再合适不过了。
Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs acknowledges the crowd after his assist surpassed Jason Kidd during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs is greeted by Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs after his record setting assist during game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs is congratulated by Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs after his assist passes Jason Kidd in assist in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs takes a moment before the start of their game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文：Chris Paul's assist total a lesson in longevity
Chris Paul’s assist total a lesson in longevity
Sign showing Chris Paul 2nd all time NBA assist during game against the the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 8, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
There was one fan Paul wanted to be there most of all.
“I’m kicking 40 in the (rear),” the Spurs’ 39-year-old point guard said, “and my daddy is still my daddy.”
The confirmation from Charles Paul came Saturday afternoon, in one short burst of text message emojis: A basketball and a smiley face.
Chris Paul, the league’s resident Point God, got the point. His chase of history at the Frost Bank Center on Sunday was going to be a family affair.
Having entered the night three assists shy of passing Jason Kidd for second on the all-time charts, Paul left the building after a wild 121-116 victory over New Orleans trailing only John Stockton.
“We are witnessing greatness,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “A lot of us have competed against him. We’ve all watched him. To be able to experience it firsthand is a privilege.”
Paul got his milestone assist in the most milquetoast manner possible.
With 7:06 remaining in the second quarter, Paul simply inbounded the ball to 7-foot-3 center Victor Wembanyama, who immediately made a 25-footer.
That gave Paul 12,092 assists, one past Kidd.
He finished the night with six points and 10 assists, updating his career total to 12,099. Stockton ended his career in 2003 with 15,806 assists, a mark considered unreachable.
After the game, Paul expressed appreciation for Kidd, who he just passed, and admiration for Stockton, who he never will.
“I done played a long time, but J-Kidd did too,” Paul said. “I don’t think people realize, the longer you play in this league, the longer you pay attention to the guys who had longevity.”
Hand in hand with that longevity, Paul said, comes a willingness and ability to adapt his game over time.
Over the course of a 20-year career, Paul went from being an alpha dog with New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers to varying degrees of a complimentary piece to other stars in Houston, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Golden State and now San Antonio.
“In changing teams, I sort of had to evolve my game,” Paul said. “You go from being the man to having the ball in your hands the whole time. I’ve had an opportunity to play with a lot of greats. So just being willing to learn to learn and adjust and adapt to the way the league’s going.”
It was perhaps poetic Paul got his 12,092nd assist against the franchise for which he recorded his first.
His first assist, as a 20-year-old rookie in 2005-06, came on a post-up pass to P.J. Brown
Brown is now 55 years old.
The 20-year-old man who scored on Paul’s landmark assist Sunday found that number astonishing.
“Older than my dad,” Wembanyama said.
Paul, who is in his first season with the Spurs, said Sunday he was proud to be part of the early stages of Wembanyama’s NBA journey. Wembanyama, meanwhile, entered the night with fingers crossed he could be the player to give Paul his magical assist.
“Coming into the game I was thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to be the one,’ ” Wembanyama said.
Paul has assisted to 173 teammates throughout his career, with Blake Griffin topping the list. Paul hit Griffin for 1,157 baskets when the pair played together with the Clippers.
Willie Green, the current New Orleans coach, is somewhere lower on that register. Once a role-playing shooting guard, Green spent three seasons with Paul in New Orleans and L.A.
Despite being on the wrong side of the final score Sunday, Green was glad to be in the building the night Paul passed Kidd.
“His mind is still working like he’s 20,” Green said. “He’s processing the game. He’s helping young guys. You can see the team’s growth since he’s gotten here.”
The Spurs paid tribute to Paul’s move up the assist chart with a raucous postgame locker room celebration. To mark the occasion, the team gifted Paul with a commemorative basketball listing every player he has assisted.
The Spurs also gifted Paul with the thing he wanted the most: A victory.
Paul’s final assist Sunday turned out to be his most important. With 36.3 seconds left in the fourth, Paul again dumped the ball to Wembanyama at the top of the arc, who again buried a deep 3-pointer.
That 30-footer put the Spurs ahead 117-116, and they held on from there.
The win helped the ultra-competitive Paul properly enjoy his personal achievement.
“Man, it was cool,” Paul said. “It was a lot better since we won, you know what I mean?”
Once the game ended, Paul was in an understandably reflective mood. As a sophomore at West Forsyth High in Clemmons, N.C., Paul made the varsity football team. He did not make the varsity basketball team.
A 6-footer in a tall man’s game, Paul carried himself like a scrappy underdog even when he was making 12 NBA All-Star teams.
“There have been different points in my career where I’m sure I’ve been written off,” Paul said. “Traded here, traded there, this and that.”
Paul made sure to thank those who have been there for him every step of his journey.
“Thank God for the family I have and the support system,” Paul said. “Those are the people who pick me up every time I’ve fallen.”
It was only fitting then, that Paul’s family was in the stands at the Frost Bank Center on Sunday, bearing witness to a basketball and smiley face emoji kind of night.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News