By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2024-12-20 05:05:16
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。
俄勒冈州波特兰市 - 12月13日：2024年12月13日，在俄勒冈州波特兰市的摩达中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)在对阵波特兰开拓者队的上半场比赛中在场边观战。
马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊周四表示，在过去七周顶替NBA历史胜场最多的教练波波维奇期间，他受益于与波波维奇的持续沟通。
自11月2日遭遇球队称之为轻度中风的疾病以来，波波维奇一直远离马刺队，但约翰逊表示，这位五届联盟冠军即使在进行康复计划期间也向他和球队提供了反馈。
约翰逊还表示，波波维奇最近与球员们进行了电话交谈。在周四晚上加时赛133-126战胜亚特兰大老鹰队之后，马刺队的战绩为14胜13负，其中自约翰逊接任以来为12胜10负。
波波维奇何时回归执教球队还没有时间表。
“他能够与球员们联系起来真是太好了，对他们来说，能够再次打开沟通渠道，听到他的声音，真的很棒，”约翰逊说。“但他的健康显然仍然是我们最优先考虑的事情。”
波波维奇周一发表了他生病以来的首次公开评论。在马刺队发布的两段声明中，他对来自“我们美好的社区、整个马刺队组织以及我们的家人和朋友”的支持表示感谢。
波波维奇还在声明中暗示，他计划重返教练席，他说这将让“一直领导我康复过程的那些才华横溢的人”松一口气，因为“他们很快就发现我很难被指导”。
与此同时，约翰逊表示，他继续借鉴自2019年担任波波维奇助教以来学到的经验。他说，他从这位名人堂成员那里得到的最好的建议就是“做你自己”。
“他真的把自己当成来自波莫纳学院-皮策学院的小教练，”约翰逊说，他指的是波波维奇在1979年至1988年期间担任这所位于洛杉矶地区的第三级别学校的教练。“所以，当他谈到这一点，以及‘管它呢，我要按照自己的方式去做’时，我们试着回想一下……这是我在经历某些事情时经常试图记住的一件事。”
保罗(Chris Paul)回忆在波特兰被驱逐出场时的震惊
克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)表示，他还记得在12月13日马刺队在波特兰118-116战胜开拓者队的比赛中，在第一节还剩1分03秒时，他因第二次技术犯规被裁判驱逐出场，当时他感到难以置信。
“哦，天哪，我很难管住自己的嘴，”当被问及周五133-126加时战胜亚特兰大老鹰队后被驱逐出场一事时，保罗说道。
这是他20年职业生涯中第七次被驱逐出场，也是他所说的第一次在第一节就被驱逐出场，这是他自那以后首次公开发表评论。保罗在回忆起与一位联盟官员的对话时摇了摇头。
2024年12月13日星期五，在俄勒冈州波特兰市，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗（3号）在上半场对阵波特兰开拓者队的NBA篮球比赛中被驱逐出场后走下球场。（美联社照片/阿曼达·洛曼）
“他们说，‘要感谢你为联盟所做的一切，以及联盟为你所做的一切，’”保罗说。“这就是联盟的那个人说的。”
这位未来的名人堂控球后卫在11秒内因质疑裁判而连续吃到两次技术犯规，最终被驱逐出场。
传统黑人大学锦标赛对保罗意义非凡
保罗在赛后接受记者采访时，身穿一件宣传克里斯·保罗家庭基金会丰田克里斯·保罗传统黑人大学经典赛的T恤。这项在康涅狄格州安卡斯维尔的莫希干太阳竞技场举行的锦标赛旨在表彰传统黑人大学。
“哦，伙计，这意味着一切，”他谈到这项于周四开始、周五结束的锦标赛时说，参赛队伍包括来自本尼迪克特学院（南卡罗来纳州）、林肯大学（宾夕法尼亚州）、温斯顿-塞勒姆州立大学（北卡罗来纳州）、肯塔基州立大学、诺福克州立大学（弗吉尼亚州）、阿拉巴马州立大学、特拉华州立大学和格兰布林州立大学的球队。
保罗的家人代表团出席了比赛。
“我的兄弟和父母在那里观看，明天我将有机会加入其中一场比赛的解说，”他说。“但对于那些传统黑人大学的球队来说，能够在这样的舞台上竞争真是太棒了。我希望我能到现场观看他们比赛，但我很感激我们能够举办这项赛事，也很期待看到他们比赛。”
Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (left) talks with Assitant coach Mitch Johnson (right) as they watch their team from the stands as they play against the Portland Trailblazers during the 2023 NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas on Sunday, July 9, 2023. Blazers defeated the Spurs, 85-80.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) drives around a pick set by teammate guard Stephon Castle, right, as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker, left, attempts to defend during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, center, drives against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, left, and guard Chris Paul (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Billy Calzada)
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) shoots a e-pointer over Atlanta Hawks forward Larry Nance Jr. (22) in overtime to seal the Spurs 133-126 victory over Atlanta in their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024 in San Antonio. San Antonio beat Atlanta 133-126 in overtime.
点击查看原文：Popovich staying in 'consistent' contact with Spurs
Popovich staying in ‘consistent’ contact with Spurs
PORTLAND, OREGON - DECEMBER 13: Acting head coach Mitch Johnson of the San Antonio Spurs watches from the sideline during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on December 13, 2024 in Portland, Oregon.
Acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said Thursday he has benefited from talking to Gregg Popovich on a consistent basis while filling in for the NBA’s all-time winningest coach the past seven weeks.
Popovich has been away from the Spurs since suffering what the team called a mild stroke Nov. 2, but Johnson said the five-time league champion has given him and the team feedback even as he goes through a rehabilitation program.
Johnson also said Popovich has had recent phone conversations with players. The Spurs are 14-13, including 12-10 since Johnson took over, after Thursday night’s 133-126 win over Atlanta in overtime.
There is no timetable for Popovich to return to coach the team.
“It’s great that he got to connect with the guys and it’s really cool for them to just open up that line of communication again obviously and hear from him,” Johnson said. “But his health is obviously still at the forefront of any priority or the utmost for us.”
Popovich on Monday issued his first public comments since he became ill. In a two paragraph statement released by the Spurs, he expressed his gratitude for the support he has received from “our wonderful community, the entire Spurs organization and our family and friends.”
Popovich also suggested in his statement that he plans to return to the bench, which he said would be a relief to the “talented individuals who have been leading my rehabilitation process” because “they’ve quickly learned that I’m less than coachable.”
Johnson, meanwhile, said he continues to lean on lessons he learned from Popovich while serving as an assistant since 2019. He said the best advice he has received from the Hall of Famer has been to “just be yourself.”
“He really fancies himself as a small-time coach from Pomona-Pitzer,” Johnson said, referring to Popovich’s stint as coach of the Division III school in the Los Angeles area from 1979-88. “So when he talks about that and ‘Screw it, I’m going to do it my way,’ we try to think back about that…That’s the one thing that I try to take away a lot of times when I’m going through certain experiences.”
Paul recalls shock of Portland ejection
Chris Paul said he remembered being incredulous when an official ejected him after he got hit with his second technical foul with 1:03 left in the first period of the Spurs’ 118-116 win over the Trail Blazers Dec. 13 in Portland.
“Ooh, boy, it’s so hard to hold my tongue,” Paul said when asked about the ejection after Friday’s 133-126 overtime win over Atlanta.
In his first public comments since he was ejected from a game for only the seventh time in his 20-year career and for what he said was the first time ever in the first quarter, Paul shook his head as he recalled a conversation he had with a league official.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) walks off the court after being ejected during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
"They was like, ‘Just be grateful for what you’ve done for the league and for what the league has done for me,’ " Paul said. “That’s what the guy from the league said.”
The future Hall of Famer point guard was ejected after he picked up the technicals in a span of 11 seconds for questioning the officiating.
HBCU tourney dear to PG’s heart
Paul arrived at his post-game session with reporters wearing a T-shirt promoting the Chris Paul Family Foundation’s Toyota Chris Paul HBCU Classic, a tournament at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., that honors historically black colleges and universities.
“Oh, man, it means everything,” he said of the tournament, which began Thursday and ends Friday and features teams from Benedict College (S.C.), Lincoln (Penn.) Winston-Salem State (N.C.), Kentucky State, Norfolk State (Va.), Alabama State, Delaware State and Grambling.
Paul is represented by a contingent of family members at the tournament.
“My brother and my parents are there watching and tomorrow I’ll get a chance to join one of the broadcasts,” he said. “But it is super dope for those HBCU teams to compete on that stage. I wish I could be there to watch 'em, but I’m grateful we’ve been able to put that on and excited to watch them guys.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News