By MateoMayorga | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-01-17 23:08:28
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。
为什么文班会成为下一个联盟门面，如果他现在还不是的话。
NBA 正处于一个过渡时期，因为它没有一个清晰的联盟门面。勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James)在他职业生涯的大部分时间里都拥有这份荣誉，尽管他广受欢迎，但年龄太大，已无法再成为联盟的象征。不过，一些有力的候选人已经崭露头角。
尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokić)是世界上最好的球员，但他除了比赛之外，并没有占据新闻头条。他是一位划时代的人物，但就像蒂姆·邓肯(Tim Duncan)一样，篮球是他的主要关注点，因此缺乏外在的魅力。
扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)，目前全明星投票的领先者，足够优秀，但他告诉华盛顿邮报他不想成为NBA的门面。他说：“我只想打球。如果这让我成为联盟的门面，那很好。但这不是我的重点。”
卢卡·东契奇(Luka Dončić)是球队的V12引擎，他的履历足以证明他是NBA的门面。他将在2月28日年满26岁。他是一个喜欢炫技的球员，并且能打出电子游戏般的数据，这对他很有帮助。
然而，这就是为什么维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)迟早会成为联盟门面的原因。甚至在他到来之前，他就已经是自高中时期的勒布朗·詹姆斯以来最受瞩目的新秀。文班的热度超过了魔术师约翰逊(Magic Johnson)，当时的球探们不断打电话给他，让他夜不能寐，因为他们都希望他选择他们的大学。虽然文班没有像16岁的卢·阿尔辛多(Lew Alcindor)那样参加埃德·沙利文秀，但在选秀之夜前，他在巴黎最喜欢的咖啡馆里接受了《早安美国》的采访。
到目前为止，他的一切都符合预期。当他打球时，人们很难将目光从他身上移开，因为作为一个7英尺3英寸（据称）的独角兽，他每晚都会做出一些令公众眼花缭乱的事情。有时他会像后卫一样运球过半场，然后拔起投出一记远距离三分。有时，他会进入防守狂潮，送出一连串的盖帽。
他还可以随时创造历史。例如，12月21日在波特兰，他成为NBA历史上第六位至少得到30分和10次盖帽的球员。其他做到这一点的球员只有卡里姆·阿卜杜勒-贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)、阿提斯·吉尔摩(Artis Gilmore)、德怀特·霍华德(Dwight Howard)、哈基姆·奥拉朱旺(Hakeem Olajuwon)和大卫·罗宾逊(David Robinson)。
别忘了，他是新秀赛季NBA中观看次数第三多的球员，而他对阵凯尔特人队的扣篮是观看次数第二多的比赛，达到了2.47亿次。2023-24赛季，法国的马刺队联盟通行证的收视率上升了177%。最近，他是五年来NBA收视率最高的圣诞大战中的一个重要人物。
当ESPN的蒂姆·邦坦普斯(Tim Bontemps)问他关于成为下一个联盟门面的问题时，他说：“当然。这是我多年来一直在努力的事情，因为被贴上联盟门面的标签，主要不在于篮球本身，还在于你在所有人面前的形象。”
文班，凭借他的魅力和优雅，已经赢得了圣安东尼奥以外许多球迷的喜爱。在纽约华盛顿广场公园与陌生人下棋，在洛杉矶野火摧毁了雷迪克(Redick)孩子们的家后帮助他们重建纪念品收藏，以及在比赛后将自己的装备送给年轻球迷，都证明了他场外是一位超级巨星。作为一个狂热的读者，这让他成为孩子们一个格外酷的榜样。
文班正在迅速超越联盟中的精英球员。21岁的他目前是年度最佳防守球员的有力候选人，并且在最有价值球员的争夺中排名第四。
他是一位多产的盖帽手和三级得分威胁，拥有娴熟的控球和传球技巧。在某个时刻，他可以场均拿到三双，谁知道他的数据统计加上盖帽会有多疯狂呢？请记住，他是NBA中唯一一个场均至少得到24分、10个篮板和3个三分球的球员。
在文班更进一步之前，他必须在季后赛中占据主导地位。如果马刺队在本赛季取得突破，而他像1986年的哈基姆·奥拉朱旺一样大爆发，那就足以让他加冕。需要明确的是，这并不意味着他需要带领马刺队进入总决赛，但如果防守球员在他被三人包夹时祈祷他投丢，他就达到了那个水平。
文班远未达到他的巅峰，但他并不需要达到巅峰才能成为这个联盟的主人。前防守大师乔金·诺阿(Joakim Noah)最近表示：“给他两到三年时间。这家伙将会统治联盟。”
点击查看原文：Why Victor Wembanyama will be the next face of the league
Why Victor Wembanyama will be the next face of the league
Why Wemby is next up, if he isn’t already there.
The NBA is going through a transitioning period as it has no clear face of the shield. LeBron James held that honor for most of his career and, despite his universal popularity, is too old to be the emblem. But worthy candidates have emerged.
Nikola Jokić is the best player in the world, but he doesn’t dominate headlines with anything other than his play. He’s a generational figure, but much like Tim Duncan, basketball is his main focus, so there’s not enough exterior flair.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, currently the leading vote-getter in All-Star voting, is good enough, but he told the Washington Post he doesn’t want to be the face of the NBA. He said, “I just want to hoop. If that makes me the face of the league, great. But that’s not my focus.”
Luka Dončić is a V12 engine for his squad with the résumé to justify being the face of the NBA. He will be 26 on Feb. 28. It helps that he’s a showboat who puts up video game numbers, too.
Yet, here’s why it will be Victor Wembanyama sooner rather than later. Even before he arrived, he was the most hyped prospect since LeBron James when he was in high school. Wemby’s hype exceeded the craze for Magic Johnson, whose recruiters kept calling and would not let him sleep at night because they wanted him to pick their university. And while Wemby didn’t do the Ed Sullivan Show at 16 like Lew Alcindor, but he was interviewed for Good Morning America in his favorite Paris cafe before draft night.
He has lived up to everything so far. It’s difficult to take eyes off of him when he plays because, as a 7‘3” (allegedly) unicorn, he’ll do something every night that dazzles the public. Sometimes it’s when he dribbles up-court and pulls up for a deep trey like a guard. At other moments, it’s when he goes on a defensive binge with a handful of blocks.
He can also make history on any given night. For example, Dec. 21 at Portland, becoming the sixth player all-time to register at least 30 points and 10 blocks. The only others who have done that are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Artis Gilmore, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson.
Don’t forget he was the third-most viewed player in the NBA in his rookie year, and his dunk against the Celtics was the second-most viewed play with 247 million hits. Spurs league pass viewership in France rose 177 percent in 2023-24. And recently, he was a figure in the NBA’s most-watched Christmas Day games in five years.
When ESPN’s Tim Bontemps asked him about being the next face of the league, he said, “Of course. And it’s something I’ve been working on for years because being labeled as one of the faces of the league is not primarily basketball, but also your image in front of everyone.”
Wembanyama, being charming and classy, has endeared himself to many fans outside of San Antonio. Playing chess with strangers in Washington Square Park in New York, helping the Redick children restart their memorabilia collection after their home was destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires, and giving his gear to young fans after games proves the mega star he is off the court. And being an avid reader makes him an extra cool role model for kids.
Wembanyama is rapidly surpassing the league’s elite players in impact. He is currently a viable candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award and a distant fourth for the Most Valuable Player crown at age 21.
He is a prolific shot blocker and three-level scoring threat with sick handles and passing skills. At some point, he could average a triple-double, and who knows how crazy his stat line can get with the blocks? Keep in mind, he is the only player in the NBA averaging at least 24 points, 10 rebounds and three 3-point makes per game.
Before Wembanyama can ascend further, he must dominate the playoffs. If the Spurs break through this season, and he goes on a tear like 1986 Hakeem Olajuwon, it would be enough to anoint him. To be clear, that doesn’t mean he needs to power the Spurs on a finals run, but if the defense is praying he misses when triple-covered, he’ll be on that level.
Wembanyama is far from his peak, but he doesn’t need to be there for it to be his league. Former defensive master Joakim Noah recently weighed in, saying, “Give him two or three years. This guy is going to be running the league.”
By MateoMayorga, via Pounding The Rock