By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-15 16:00:07
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋维克托·文班亚马在2025年2月7日星期五于北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市举行的NBA篮球比赛上半场对阵夏洛特黄蜂队时讲话。
旧金山——维克托·文班亚马希望在所有事情上都做到最好。
从他和队友在比赛前玩的小游戏，到他们曾经举办的绘画比赛，看谁能画出最好的郊狼，再到他参加的每一场篮球比赛，这位21岁的法国人都全力以赴争取胜利。
“我想这可能不是我学来的，”当被问及他那强烈的竞争天性的起源时，文班亚马说道。“我想这可能是天生的。但当然，在我们家庭的体育文化中，这绝对是受到鼓励的。但我不知道。我只是觉得自己很幸运，有这种意志来忠于自己。”
无论它来自哪里，有一点是肯定的：前田径运动员费利克斯·文班亚马(Félix Wembanyama)和前职业篮球运动员埃洛迪·德·福特罗(Elodie de Fautereau)的儿子，强烈渴望在任何他参加的比赛中取得胜利。
这包括他即将于周日晚上在 Chase Center 举行的首次 NBA 全明星赛。
周六，在接受记者采访时，文班亚马重申了他希望以一种严肃、高度竞争的方式来对待首届全明星迷你锦标赛。
“这就是目标，”他说。“目标肯定不是放松。”
至少有一位文班亚马的全明星同僚赞赏这位7英尺3英寸的中锋的态度。
“这对篮球来说是件好事，”纽约尼克斯队后卫杰伦·布伦森说道。在过去的11个月里，他与文班亚马有过两次令人难忘的对决，最近一次是在圣诞节。
“像他这样的人在比赛的各个方面都如此具有竞争力、如此专注和如此有动力，这对篮球来说是件好事，无论他身在何处，”布伦森补充道。“可能是季前赛，可能是全明星赛，他都会有同样的心态。这就是我们所看到的。而且显然，他在球场上所做的事情对于他这个身高的人来说简直是不可思议的。
“但他太不可思议了。看看他的工作方式，他的准备。我想我最欣赏的是这一点。我欣赏努力工作的人，以及为做到最好而付出一切的人。”
每天都在文班亚马身边的马刺队成员也提出了类似的评论。
“他是个老灵魂，他很老派，”前马刺队球星前锋，现任电视评论员肖恩·埃利奥特说道。
埃利奥特对文班亚马的描述得到了他带到全明星周末的强硬态度的支持。
“我没有兴趣交朋友或尝试做任何事情，”几周前，当被问及他对在旧金山有什么期待时，文班亚马说道。“我来这里是为了工作。”
这种态度与文班亚马在他新秀赛季结束时所阐述的职业精神相符。
“每一天，我都尝试超越自己，取得更多成就，创造新纪录，赢得更多比赛，”文班亚马用法语句道。“但第二天，我总是告诉自己做得还不够，要更加努力地推动自己。所以，我的第一印象不是我超出了预期，而是我应该做得更多。”
十五个月后，文班亚马继续践行这些原则——即使是在全明星周末，近年来，他的许多同僚都在走过场，只想在壮观的扣篮或三分球方面超越彼此。
文班亚马发誓要做得不一样。他说，获胜是他的首要任务，他承诺会尽一切努力实现这个目标。
“我希望如果结果像最近的其他比赛一样，节奏缓慢，只是随便玩玩，我可以通过成为一个疯狂的人，扑向球，在每一次进攻中努力拼搏来形成对比，”他说。“我肯定会尝试带来这种能量。”
早在12月，文班亚马就暗示他计划在一场禁止防守且得分高得离谱的比赛中努力打球——去年的最终比分是 211-186——这是常态。
为了解决这个问题，NBA 提出了今年新的赛制：一个四队锦标赛，比赛达到 40 分。
“我个人想知道如何将竞争力重新带回全明星赛，”几天前在波士顿时，文班亚马说道。“不过，当我踏上球场时，我肯定会充满竞争力。但我不认为有什么能胜过老派的东部对西部赛制。”
那些从文班亚马加入马刺队的第一天起就关注他的人，对他计划全力以赴并不感到惊讶。
“他很有魄力，并且在他自己的世界里非常自在，”20世纪90年代两次入选马刺队全明星的埃利奥特说道。
“他不必出去给其他人留下深刻印象。这是非常令人钦佩的事情。他不在乎别人怎么想。他会出去尝试表现。他真的很专业……我认为他一点也不在乎在全明星赛上交朋友。”
从这个意义上说，文班亚马确实是“独一无二的”，马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊说道。
“我甚至不知道这是不是老派，”约翰逊说。“他在很多方面都是独一无二的，在他的竞争力和他的方法，以及他对一些我认为很多人会认为是小事情的事情的思考方式上。一切都非常有目的性，经过深思熟虑和处理。”
虽然马刺队最不希望看到的是文班亚马在旧金山受伤，但他的队友们赞赏他想要真正防守和努力拼搏的愿望。他们对他将在海湾地区展示他们每天看到的同样充满强度的比赛表情并不感到惊讶。
“是的，百分之百，他总是充满斗志，”杰里米·索汉说道。“如果你想建立一种获胜的文化，你需要这种能量，尤其是来自你球队中的顶级球员。他们需要具有竞争力，并为其他人树立标准。”
新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔表示，文班亚马想要在全明星赛中努力打球的愿望对他来说并不意外，因为这反映了他从文班亚马的训练中所看到的方法。卡斯尔还在周五晚上的新秀挑战赛迷你锦标赛中带领他的球队获得冠军后，也将参加全明星锦标赛。
“我觉得他就是这样的人，”卡斯尔说道。“我每天都在他身边。从外往里看可能会让人大开眼界，但对我来说，这很正常。”
华盛顿奇才队后卫比拉尔·库利巴利，自青少年时代就与文班亚马是朋友，并且在2024年巴黎奥运会上与文班亚马一起为法国队赢得银牌，他说努力打球才能给他的伙伴带来快乐。
“那是他享受乐趣的方式，”库利巴利说道。“他一直想成为最好的。他一直都是这样的。”
埃利奥特说道：“他想成为有史以来最好的球员，我们都听到他在新闻发布会上说这样的话。但你可以从他的风度、他的行为方式、他的性格，以及他有多么好胜、多么有动力中看出这一点。”
他多么老派——即使是在全明星赛中也是如此。
“在篮球方面，如果我们赢了，如果我们表现出色，如果我们以正确的方式打球，我总是会感到快乐，”文班亚马说道。“所以，我尝试以非常重要的态度来对待这场比赛。”
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington.
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, right, drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama looks to shoot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Washington Wizards, Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
点击查看原文：Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: All-Star Game no time to 'chill'
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama: All-Star Game no time to ‘chill’
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama talks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, Feb. 7, 2025.
SAN FRANCISCO –Victor Wembanyama wants to be the best at everything.
From the trivia games he and his teammates play before games to the drawing contest they once held to see who could sketch the best Coyote to every basketball game he’s ever suited up for, the 21-year-old Frenchman always plays to win.
“I guess maybe it’s not something I learned,” Wembanyama said when asked about the origins of his fiercely competitive nature. “I guess it’s maybe innate. But it was definitely encouraged in our family’s culture around sport, of course. But I don’t know. I just feel lucky to have that will to stay true to myself.”
Wherever it comes from, this much is certain: The son of Félix Wembanyama, a former track-and-field competitor, and Elodie de Fautereau, a former professional basketball player, has a strong desire to come out on top in any competition he enters.
That includes his first NBA All-Star Game, which is set for Sunday night at Chase Center.
Speaking to reporters Saturday, Wembanyama reiterated his desire to bring a serious, highly competitive approach to the inaugural All-Star mini-tournament.
“It’s the goal,” he said. “The goal is not to chill, for sure.”
At least one of Wembanyama’s All-Star peers applauded the 7-foot-3 center’s attitude.
“It’s great for basketball,” said New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who has had two memorable duels with Wembanyama in the past 11 months, with the latest coming last Christmas Day.
“It is great for a person like him to be so competitive and so focused and so driven in all aspects of the game, no matter where he is,” Brunson added. "It could be preseason, it could be in the All-Star Game, he’s going to have that same mindset. That’s what we’ve seen. And obviously the things he does on the court are just abnormal for someone his height.
“But he is ridiculous. To see how he works, his preparation. I think I admire that the most. I admire hard workers and people who put everything into being the best they can be.”
Members of the Spurs family who are around Wembanyama daily offered similar comments.
“He’s an old soul, he’s old school,” Sean Elliott, the former Spurs star forward turned TV analyst said.
Elliott’s characterization of Wembanayama is supported by the hard-nosed attitude he brought with him to All-Star Weekend.
“I don’t have any interest in making friends or trying to do anything,” Wembanyama said a couple of weeks ago when asked what he was looking forward to in San Francisco. “I’m here to work.”
It’s an attitude in keeping with the professional ethos Wembanyama spelled out at the end of his rookie season.
“Every day, I try to surpass myself, to achieve more, to set new records, to win more games,” Wembanyama said in French. “But the next day, I always tell myself that I haven’t done enough, to push myself even harder. So, my first impression is not that I exceeded expectations, but rather that I should have done more.”
Fifteen months later, Wembanyama continues to practice those principles – even at All-Star Weekend, where so many of his peers have gone through the motions in recent years while looking only to top each other in terms of spectacular dunks or 3-point bombs.
Wembanyama has vowed to do things differently. Winning, he said, is his first priority and he’s promised to do whatever it takes to achieve that goal.
“I hope if it turns out to be like every other recent game, slow and just playing around, and I can bring that contrast (by being) a single guy who goes crazy, dives on the ball, hustles on every play,” he said. “I’m definitely going to try to bring that energy.”
As far back as December, Wembanyama suggested he planned to play hard in a setting where defense is forbidden and ridiculously high-scoring games – the final score last year was 211-186 - the norm.
To counter that, the NBA came up with this year’s new format: A four-team tournament with games up to 40 points.
“I’m personally wondering how to put competitiveness back into the All-Star Game,” Wembanyama said in Boston a few days ago. “When I set foot on that court, though, I’m going to be competitive, for sure. But I don’t think nothing beats the the old school East vs West format.”
Those who have followed Wembanyama from his first day with the Spurs aren’t surprised he plans to go all out.
“He’s got that edge and he’s very comfortable in his own skin,” said Elliott, a two-time All-Star for the Spurs in the 1990s.
“He doesn’t have to go out and impress anybody else out there. That’s something that’s very admirable in that. He doesn’t care what people think. He’s going to go out there and try to perform. He’s just really professional. … I don’t think he cares one bit about making any friends at the All-Star Game.”
In that sense, Wembanyama is truly “unique,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said.
“I don’t even know if it’s old school,” Johnson said. “He is just one of a kind in a lot of ways, in his competitiveness and his approach and just how thoughtful he is on some things that I think a lot of people would deem minor. Everything is very intentional and very thought through and processed.”
While the last thing the Spurs want to see is Wembanyama suffering an injury in San Francisco, his teammates applauded his desire to actually play defense and hustle. They are are not surprised he is going to sport the same intense game face in the Bay Area they see daily.
“Yeah, a hundred percent, he always has an edge to him,” Jeremy Sochan said. “If you want to build a winning culture, you need that type of energy, especially from your top guys on the team. They need to be competitive and set a standard for everyone else.”
Rookie Stephon Castle said Wemanyama’s desire to play hard in the All-Star game wasn’t a surprise to him because it mirrors the approach he sees from Wembanyama in practice. Castle will also participate in the All-Star tournament after he led his team to a championship in the Rising Stars mini-tournament Friday night.
“I feel like that’s just the kind of person he is,” Castle said. “I am around it every day. It might be eye-opening from the outside looking in, but for me, that’s pretty normal.”
Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly, who has been friends with Wembanyama since their pre-teen days and were teammates on France’s silver medal-winning team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, said playing hard is what brings his pal joy.
“That’s his way to have fun,” Coulibaly said. “He has always wanted to be the best. He’s always been like that.”
Said Elliott, “He wants to be the best player to ever play and we all hear him say things like that in the press conferences. But you can see by his demeanor, the way he acts, the way he is, how competitive he is, how very driven he is.”
How very old school he is - even when it comes to the All-Star Game.
“In basketball, I’m always going to have fun if we win, if we perform and if we played the right way," Wembanyama said. "So, I’m trying to approach this game with much importance.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News