By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-01-26 12:54:01
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。
1月25日，周六，在巴黎举行的2025年巴黎奥运会NBA篮球比赛中，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在对阵印第安纳步行者队的比赛后向球迷致意。(美联社照片/Thibault Camus)
巴黎——周六深夜，维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)与其他马刺队球员一起登上了雅高体育馆(Accor Arena)地下的一辆巴士，前往戴高乐机场。此前，他称在巴黎度过了一段“无价”的一周。
马刺队在他家乡的两场比赛中，一场大胜，一场惨败，最终与印第安纳步行者队战成1比1。文班亚马离开巴黎时，希望这只是暂时的告别。
马刺队未来是否会在巴黎进行比赛，将由NBA决定。文班亚马已经准备好开始游说了。
“决定权不在我，”文班亚马说。“但法国公众的热情，足以影响NBA，甚至比我更有力量，迫使他们让马刺队回来。”
与此同时，文班亚马和马刺队最终在周日早上的某个时间抵达圣安东尼奥，饱受时差之苦，甚至搞不清今天是星期几。
他们回到了美国，在充分休息之后，他们将重新回到更加传统的NBA赛程的磨练中。
“当我们回去的时候，需要进行调整，”控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)在球队离开法国之前说道。“想到我们刚刚在巴黎度过了一周，这感觉太疯狂了。”
对保罗来说，巴黎之旅的某些部分让他感到迷失。
他和他的妻子雅达(Jada)有一天早上4点醒来，在iPad上观看他们的一个孩子打篮球比赛。然后，保罗有时会瞥一眼他的手机，想起还有其他NBA球队在正常的NBA城市进行正常的NBA比赛。
身在巴黎，感觉就像处于一种暂停动画的状态。时间并没有停止，但感觉就是这样。
“查看NBA应用程序，看到家乡的生活还在继续，这感觉很疯狂，”保罗说。
马刺队将于周四重新回到这种生活中，届时他们将在弗罗斯特银行中心迎战洛杉矶快船队。
在此之前，球员和工作人员有时间来恢复和反思这次旋风般的海外之旅，这次旅程的结果是140-110的胜利和136-98的失利。
对文班亚马来说，这是一次毕生难忘的旅行，他第一次与他的NBA队友分享了他的祖国。
“这意味着一切，”他说。
文班亚马让他的法国球迷激动不已，在这两场座无虚席的比赛中，他一共得到50分、23个篮板和6次盖帽。
这次旅行不仅仅是篮球，还包括团队聚餐和游览巴黎的众多旅游景点。
对于代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)来说，团队在球场外共度的时光，是这次法国工作假期最重要的纪念品。
“团队成员在一起度过时光是件好事，尤其是对一支年轻的球队来说，”约翰逊说。“我相信，当你们在球场外变得更亲近时，你会在球场上看到这种反映。这是这次旅行为我们带来的成果。”
接下来的赛季还在等待着他们。
马刺队(20胜23负)从巴黎回来时，胜率低于50%，与他们上周离开美国时一样。
在竞争激烈的西部联盟中，他们排名第12位，仍然有机会进入附加赛，但2月份的赛程很快就到了，届时他们只有一场在弗罗斯特银行中心的比赛。
要想继续保持竞争力，马刺队需要拿出比本赛季迄今为止更好的篮球表现。
“这支球队很有潜力，”老将前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)说。“很多球员都很年轻，正处于职业生涯的初期，也正处于他们将要成长为的样子的初期。我们已经断断续续地展现了这一点。如果我们能在接下来的赛季中保持这种努力，我们就会处于一个良好的状态。”
当被问及他希望球队回到美国后看到什么时，约翰逊选择了“稳定性”这个词。
“我们只是想打好篮球，”约翰逊说。“我们输掉了一些我们觉得不应该输的比赛。我们打出了一些非常好的比赛，但在短时间内彻底崩溃，这可能让我们输掉了一些比赛。
“我认为我们只是想在48分钟内打出更稳定的时间段，如果我们能做到这一点，我们就能达到我们自己可以接受的水平。”
随着马刺队准备重新开始他们的赛程，队中最年长的球员已经明确表示，年轻不是表现不佳的借口。
“每个人都想说，‘这是一支年轻的球队，’”39岁的保罗说。“我们现在已经打了43场比赛了。赛季已经过半了。我们必须不断学习，不断赢球。”
这个过程将从本周在圣安东尼奥的训练场开始。
忘记巴黎？马刺队会努力尝试，即使他们并不一定想要这样做。
如果文班亚马和其他马刺队球员能够如愿以偿，那么球队在法国首都的第一次常规赛就不会是最后一次。
“无论他们让我们在哪里比赛，我们都会在那里比赛，”约翰逊说。“如果他们想办法让马刺队回到巴黎，我也不会感到惊讶。”
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) waves to fans as he leaves the court following a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) claps following a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) shoots in front of San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Former NBA players Tony Parker, left, and Manu Ginobili talk during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) goes up for a rebound in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) shoots over San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) drives on San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the first half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) react after a pacers basket during the second half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) shoots over Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) and forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the second half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) drives on Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the second half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
San Antonio Spurs guard Tre Jones (33) shoots between Indiana Pacers center Thomas Bryant, left, and forward Aaron Nesmith (23) during the second half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) and Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) get tangled up as they go for a loose ball during the second half of a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
点击查看原文：Spurs, Victor Wembanyama leave Paris hoping it's au revoir for now
Spurs, Victor Wembanyama leave Paris hoping it’s au revoir for now
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) greets fans following a Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers in Paris, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
PARIS – Late Saturday night, Victor Wembanyama boarded a bus in the bowels of Accor Arena with the rest of the Spurs, headed to Charles De Gaulle Airport following what he called a “priceless” weeklong stint in Paris.
With the Spurs having split a pair of lopsided decisions against Indiana in his home city, Wembanyama left town hoping this was just au revoir for now.
Future games for the Spurs in Paris are up to the discretion of the NBA. Wembanyama is already prepared to start lobbying.
“It’s not my role to make this kind of decision,” Wembanyama said. “But the French public, with all its fervor, has the power to influence the NBA more than me, to force them to bring the Spurs back.”
Meanwhile, Wembanyama and the Spurs eventually arrived in San Antonio jetlagged and wondering what day it was sometime Sunday morning.
They are back in the United States and, after an appropriate amount of rest, back to the grind of the more traditional part of the NBA schedule.
“It’s going to be an adjustment when we get back,” point guard Chris Paul said before the team departed France. “It will be crazy to think we just did a week in Paris.”
For Paul, parts of the Paris trip were disorienting.
He and his wife Jada awoke at 4 a.m. one morning to watch one of their kids play a basketball game on their iPad. Then there the times Paul would glance at his phone and be reminded there were other NBA teams playing normal NBA games in normal NBA cities.
Being in Paris, it seemed, was almost like being in a state of suspended animation. Time did not stand still, but it kind of felt that way.
“It’s crazy to check the NBA app and see that life is still going on back home,” Paul said.
The Spurs will rejoin that life Thursday, when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Frost Bank Center.
Until then, players and staffers have time to recover and reflect on the whirlwind trip abroad that resulted in a 140-110 victory and a 136-98 loss against Indiana.
It was the trip of a lifetime for Wembanyama, who got to share his home country with his NBA teammates for the first time.
“It meant everything,” he said.
Wembanyama thrilled his French fans, totaling 50 points, 23 rebounds and six blocks across the pair of sold-out contests.
The trip went beyond basketball, with team dinners and excursions to a myriad of Parisian tourist spots.
To acting coach Mitch Johnson, the abundance of off-the-court time spent together is the most important souvenir the team could bring back from its working French vacation.
“The team spending time together can be a positive thing, especially for a younger team,” Johnson said. “When you can grow closer off the court, you will see a reflection of it at times on the court, I do believe. That’s something this trip has been able to produce for us.”
The rest of the season awaits.
The Spurs (20-23) returned from Paris three games under .500, same as they were when they left the United States last week.
They are in 12th place of a jam-packed Western Conference, still within striking distance of a play-in berth but fast approaching a February slate that will feature only one game at the Frost Bank Center.
Staying in the race will take an even better brand of basketball than the Spurs have played so far this season.
“This team has a lot of potential,” veteran forward Harrison Barnes said. “A lot of guys are young, at the beginning of their careers and the beginning of who they are going to grow into. We showed it in spurts. If we can stretch that effort for the rest of the season, we’ll be in good shape.”
Asked what he hopes to see from the team as it returns to U.S. soil, Johnson settled on the word “consistency.”
“We’re just trying to play good basketball,” Johnson said. “We have lost some games we feel like we shouldn’t have. We have played some really good stretches of basketball and absolutely collapsed in a short amount of time and probably cost us some games.
“I think we’re just trying to put together more consistent minutes and stretches of the 48, and if we do that we will be in a place that will be acceptable by our standards.”
As the Spurs gear up to resume their schedule, the team’s oldest player has made it clear youth will not be an acceptable excuse for falling short.
“Everyone wants to say, ‘It’s a young team,’ ” the 39-year-old Paul said. “We’re (43) games into the season now. The season is halfway gone. We’ve got to keep learning and keep winning.”
That process will begin with a return to the practice floor in San Antonio this week.
Forget Paris? The Spurs will try, even if they don’t necessarily want to.
If Wembanyama and other Spurs get their way, the team’s first regular-season games in the French capital will not be their last.
“Where ever they have us play is where we’ll play,” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they found a way to get the Spurs back to Paris.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News