By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-01-02 12:52:03
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)在2024年12月27日星期五于纽约举行的NBA篮球比赛下半场对阵布鲁克林篮网队的比赛中运球。（美联社照片/帕梅拉·史密斯）
丹佛——周二上半场时间所剩无几，正如2024年即将结束一样。
在新年前夜纽约时代广场午夜钟声敲响前的几个小时，维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)和克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)在1800英里外的弗罗斯特银行中心策划了一场精彩的“空接暴扣”。
在这场最终以122-86大胜洛杉矶快船队的比赛初期，保罗在一端断掉了伊维察·祖巴茨(Ivica Zubac)的球，似乎要开始一次单人快攻。
然而，由于文班亚马紧随其后，保罗决定将这个轻松得分的机会送给他的年轻队友。他将球抛向篮板，让文班亚马完成了精彩的扣篮。
“我不是想炫耀，”文班亚马说。“但我的确在尝试寻找新的方法来提升比赛水平。”
篮板后空接暴扣
投票#NBA全明星
https://t.co/ovVcT11GyM pic.twitter.com/I1scwf1fwu
— 圣安东尼奥马刺 (@ spurs) 2025年1月1日
至于这位为文班贡献了最新病毒式传播时刻的39岁前全明星球员呢？
身披银黑战袍的CP3正享受着他人生中最美好的时光。
在周二的比赛结束后，当被问及他在2024年学到了什么篮球经验时，保罗用一个词回答：“感恩。”
“去年（在金州勇士队）我处于替补席并且没有太多上场时间的情况，”保罗说。“我很幸运也很感激最终能来到这里。”
与此同时，马刺队会将保罗以一份一年1046万美元的合同加盟视为过去一年里最大的幸事之一。
保罗坚定——且大声疾呼——的“魔鬼训练”被认为是马刺队在新年前夕以17胜16负的战绩自2018-19赛季以来首次取得胜率超过50%的关键因素。
马刺队希望在2025年以背靠背对阵丹佛的艰难客场之旅开始新的一年，并以此为起点继续提升战绩，周五的比赛将在百事中心球馆打响。
“我们可能比任何其他球队都更需要他，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)说道，他在格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)于11月2日中风后接管了球队。“并非每个球队都缺少这种对声音、持续指导和教练的需求。他在这里真的很合适。”
在自己的第20个赛季，保罗在圣安东尼奥享受着单纯打球的机会。
上赛季在勇士队，这位12届全明星球员仅首发了18场比赛，在总共58次出场中场均上场时间仅为26.4分钟，创下职业生涯新低，他的职业生涯似乎走到了尽头。
在夏季寻找新机会时，保罗的首要任务是加入一支需要他在场上发挥作用的球队——而不仅仅是作为一名“教练球员”。
作为上赛季NBA最年轻的球队，并且阵容中没有一名非用不可的控卫，马刺队满足了这一条件。
“被需要的感觉总是很棒，”保罗说。“我永远不会忘记我与波波签约来这里的那天进行的谈话。这里比我想象的还要好。”
令人有些意外的是，这位NBA第二高龄的球员迄今为止一直是健康的典范（敲木头）。保罗和球队另一位30多岁的引援，32岁的哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)，是队中仅有的两名首发出战了全部33场比赛的球员。他们两人加上朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)是仅有的三名出战了全部33场比赛的球员。
保罗对本赛季马刺队的贡献远不止他场均9.4分、全队最高的8.3次助攻和1.5次抢断。
“他做任何事都全力以赴，这真是不可思议，”文班亚马说。“他从不只是为了上场而上场。他真的在努力赢球，努力寻找解决方案。”
马刺队在圣诞节两天后战胜布鲁克林的比赛就证明了这一点。
比赛中，保罗在一次挡拆配合中将球传到了杰里米·索汉(Jeremy Sochan)应该出现但却没有出现的位置，从而出现了一次失误。
当球队回到防守端时，保罗在场上对着索汉大声训斥。这种，呃，积极的强化起了作用。
不久之后，索汉和保罗进行了类似的挡拆配合，并找到了正确的位置，获得了一次轻松的扣篮机会。
“这是一种非常独特的东西，一种你在所有坚持不懈的伟大球员身上都能找到的特质，”文班亚马说。“他们来这里不仅仅是为了在这里。他真的很有目标。”
与此同时，保罗在马刺队庆祝了一些职业生涯后期的里程碑。
12月8日，他在联盟历史助攻榜上超越了贾森·基德(Jason Kidd)，升至第二位。他现在有12167次助攻。
保罗将带着在历史抢断榜上超越基德的目标进入2025年的赛程，他还需要21次抢断。
在周二战胜快船队的比赛中，保罗完成了职业生涯的第8000个进球，使他成为NBA历史上第五位达成8000个进球和8000次助攻的球员。这份榜单上的其他球员包括：勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)、奥斯卡·罗伯特森(Oscar Robertson)、拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克(Russell Westbrook)和加里·佩顿(Gary Payton)。
在效力联盟二十年后，不断将自己的名字刻入NBA史册让保罗常常感到怀旧。
“今天队里的一个年轻小伙子问我，我是否想过事情会变成这样，”保罗说。“绝对没有。”
事实上，保罗在2005年进入NBA时并没有预料到自己会成为一名注定要进入名人堂的“流浪者”。
作为一名20岁的新秀，保罗很天真地认为他会把整个职业生涯都奉献给选中他的新奥尔良球队。
然而，保罗已经为包括马刺在内的七支球队效力过。
“当你进入联盟时，你认为你会在一支球队效力，”保罗说。“然后你去了下一支球队，你认为你会在那里结束职业生涯。”
“我不知道我会经历这样的旅程，但我不会为了任何事情而改变它。”
保罗的旅程中有一部分是马刺队绝对不会放弃的：他的最新一站。
他们很高兴他在圣安东尼奥，帮助文班亚马展现他的才华。
“我们看到了他最好的状态，”约翰逊说。“希望我们能够在培养和赋能他方面发挥作用。对我来说，能够近距离亲眼看到这一切真是太好了。”
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 27: Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs high fives Victor Wembanyama #1 during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 27, 2024 in New York City.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 31: Chris Paul #3 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to save the ball from going out of bounds against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half at Frost Bank Center on December 31, 2024 in San Antonio, Texas.
点击查看原文：For San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul is having the time of his life
For San Antonio Spurs, Chris Paul is having the time of his life
San Antonio Spurs’ Chris Paul dribbles during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
DENVER – Time was running out in the first half Tuesday, just as time was running out on 2024.
A few hours before midnight struck in New York’s Times Square on New Year’s Eve, Victor Wembanyama and Chris Paul orchestrated a vicious ball drop of their own 1,800 miles away inside the Frost Bank Center.
Early in what became a runaway 122-86 over the Los Angeles Clippers, Paul stripped Ivica Zubac at one end to begin what appeared to be a one-man fast break.
With Wembanyama trailing, however, Paul decided to gift his younger teammate the easy bucket. He lobbed the ball off the backboard, allowing Wembanyama the highlight-reel slam.
“I don’t try to show off,” Wembanyama said. “But it is true I try to find new ways to improve the game.”
OFF THE BACKBOARD
Vote #NBAAllStar— San Antonio Spurs (@ spurs) January 1, 2025
As for the 39-year-old former All-Star who provided Wembanyama with his latest gone-viral moment?
CP3 is having the time of his life in silver and black.
Asked after Tuesday’s game what basketball lesson he learned in 2024, Paul answered in one word: “Gratitude.”
“I was in a situation last year (at Golden State) where I was coming off the bench and not really playing that much,” Paul said. “I was blessed and fortunate to end up here.”
The Spurs, meanwhile, will count the arrival of Paul on a one-year, $10.46 million contract as one of their great blessings of the previous calendar year.
Paul’s steadfast – and vociferous – drill sergeantry been credited was a driving factor in the Spurs heading into New Year’s Day with a winning record (17-16) for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
It is a mark the Spurs will hope to pad as they begin 2025 with a tough road-home back-to-back against Denver which begins Friday at Ball Arena.
“We probably needed him more than any other team,” said Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson, who took over the team after Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke Nov. 2. “Not every team may have that void of that demand for the voice and constant tutelage and coaching he does. It’s been a really good fit here.”
In his 20th season, Paul has enjoyed the chance in San Antonio simply to play.
His career seemed on its last legs last season with the Warriors, when the 12-time All-Star started only 18 games and averaged a career-low 26.4 minutes in 58 total appearances.
As he searched for a new opportunity in the summertime, Paul’s priority was to join a team that needed him on the floor – and not only as a coach-in-uniform.
As the youngest team in the NBA a season ago, and without a must-play point guard already on the roster, the Spurs filled that bill.
“It’s always great to be wanted,” Paul said. “I’ll never forget my conversation with Pop the day that I signed to come here. It’s been better than I could have ever imagined.”
In something of an upset, the NBA’s second-oldest player has been the paragon of health so far (knock on wood). Paul and the team’s other 30-something import, the 32-year-old Harrison Barnes, have been the only players on the roster to start all 33 games. Those two plus Julian Champagnie are the only players to have appeared in all 33.
Paul’s contributions to this season’s Spurs squad go beyond the 9.4 points and team-leading 8.3 assists and 1.5 steals he averages.
“It’s just incredible how he doesn’t just do things halfway,” Wembanyama said. “He’s never just on the court to be on the court. He’s actually trying to win, trying to find solutions.”
An example of this came during the Spurs’ victory at Brooklyn two days after Christmas.
At one point, Paul committed a turnover throwing a pick-and-roll pass to a spot where Jeremy Sochan was supposed to be but wasn’t.
Paul barked at Sochan up and down the court as the team returned to the defensive end. The, uh, positive reinforcement worked.
Not long after, Sochan found himself in a similar pick-and-roll with Paul, and found the right spot to be rewarded with an easy dunk.
“It’s a really unique thing, a trait you find in all the greats that stick around,” Wembanyama said. “They’re not here just to be here. He’s really purposeful.”
In the meantime, Paul has celebrated some late-career milestones with the Spurs.
On Dec. 8, he passed Jason Kidd for second on the league’s all-time assist list. He now has 12,167.
Paul will enter the 2025 portion of the schedule needing 21 steals to surpass Kidd on that all-time list as well.
In Tuesday’s win over the Clippers, Paul made his 8,000th career field goal, making him the fifth player in NBA annals to record 8,000 baskets and 8,000 assists. The others on that list: LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Russell Westbrook and Gary Payton.
The constant carving of his name into NBA annals after two decades has made Paul often nostalgic.
“One of the young fellas (on the team) asked me today, did I think it would go like this,” Paul said. “Absolutely not.”
Indeed, Paul did not enter the NBA in 2005 expecting to be a Hall of Fame-bound journeyman.
Naïve as he was as a 20-year-old rookie, Paul figured he would spend his entire career with the New Orleans franchise that drafted him.
Instead, Paul has played for seven teams including the Spurs.
“When you get to the league, you think you’re going to play with one team,” Paul said. “Then you go on to the next team and you think you’re going to finish it with them.
“I had no clue I would go on the journey I’ve been on, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
There is one part of Paul’s journey the Spurs certainly would not trade: His latest stop.
They are glad he is in San Antonio, helping Wembanyama show off.
“We’ve seen the best version of him,” Johnson said. “Hopefully we’ve had a part in nurturing that and empowering that from him. It’s been nice for me to see it up close and in person.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News