By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-24 12:56:42
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。
新奥尔良——当NBA去年夏天公布2024-25赛季的赛程时，马刺队的球员们都圈出了1月份在巴黎进行的两场比赛的日期。
控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)当然很兴奋能去光之城，但他也很高兴得知马刺队将在2月份在美国的一座充满法国风情的城市连续打两场比赛。
“这座城市对我来说是难以置信的特别，”39岁的保罗在谈到新奥尔良时说，“永远都会是。”
保罗在NBA的前六个赛季都是在新奥尔良黄蜂队度过的——在2012-13赛季之后，他们将队名改为了鹈鹕队——在维克森林大学度过全美最佳大学二年级赛季后，他们在2005年NBA选秀中以第四顺位选中了他。
卡特里娜飓风迫使黄蜂队在几个月后搬迁到俄克拉荷马城，但在2007年春天，他们在那待了两个赛季后回到了“大快活”，保罗一直效力于此，直到2011年6月被交易到洛杉矶快船队。
“这里一直像我的第二个家，”来自北卡罗来纳州温斯顿-塞勒姆的保罗说。“我记得圣徒队在2010年2月赢得超级碗后，我拄着拐杖在运河街上，因为我刚做了膝盖手术。这座城市里有很多令人难以置信的回忆。”
保罗回忆起在黄蜂队的那些日子，先是在俄克拉荷马城，后来在新奥尔良，那是一段在几位渴望分享知识的退伍老将帮助下取得巨大成长的时期。
“我经常听到很多人谈论老将的重要性，而我有一些令人难以置信的老将，”他说。
保罗特别提到了P.J. 布朗(P.J. Brown)、斯皮迪·克拉克斯顿(Speedy Claxton)、泰森·钱德勒(Tyson Chandler)、鲍比·杰克逊(Bobby Jackson)和詹内罗·帕戈(Jannero Pargo)，他们都是他在黄蜂队的导师。
“我仍然经常和这些人交谈，”保罗说。“老将很重要。他们教你守时，他们教你如何成为一名职业球员，他们教你每天都要准时出现。”
现在，保罗正在将这些经验传授给他的年轻马刺队队友，包括新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)。
“斯蒂芬可能厌倦了我整天和他说话，”保罗说。
事实并非如此。卡斯尔欣然接受了保罗的指导。
“从小看篮球长大，你总是在看克里斯·保罗，”卡斯尔说。“他是NBA历史上最好的控球后卫之一。知道他现在是我的队友，这是一种很棒的感觉。”
保罗希望退伍老将帮助新秀的悠久传统在他退役后继续下去——无论那一天何时到来。
“如果联盟抛弃了它的老将，那么每个人都会有麻烦，”保罗说。“如果每个人都只是想做什么就做什么，那就会是个问题。老将们了解外表，他们了解联盟中发生的一切。”
从在黄蜂队的第一天起，保罗就展现出了球队老将们所欣赏的领导才能。他在新奥尔良的生涯还包括四次入选全明星，两次成为NBA的助攻王，两次成为联盟的抢断王，三次进入季后赛，包括在2008年西部半决赛中以七场比赛输给马刺队的那场令人难忘的比赛，他在比赛中场均得到23.7分、10.7次助攻、4.4个篮板和2.6次抢断。
“克里斯从一开始就具备了领导素质，”前黄蜂队球员德斯蒙德·梅森(Desmond Mason)在2021年告诉Slam Online。“他一直是一个直言不讳的人，但也因为球队中有老将而受到尊重。他能看到球场上的一切，他远远超出了他的年龄。”
马刺队周日晚上以114-96输给了鹈鹕队。 在周二晚上两队在新奥尔良的下一场比赛之间有一天的休息时间，保罗计划好好享受这座城市。
“我有很多家人和一大群人要来，所以我很兴奋，”他说。
巴锡的膝盖问题仍在继续
马刺队原本指望替补中锋查尔斯·巴锡(Charles Bassey)在他周五晚上对阵活塞队的比赛中复出后，能为他们提供一些篮板球方面的帮助，此前他因左膝内侧副韧带扭伤缺席了六场比赛。
但他在周日晚上又回到了替补席上，因为他因左膝酸痛而被排除在下半场的比赛之外。马刺队在以114-96输给新奥尔良的比赛中浪费了17分的领先优势。
周一，马刺队宣布巴锡将因左膝急性慢性骨挫伤而缺席周二与鹈鹕队的重赛。
“对于这个孩子来说，我感到非常沮丧，”马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)在谈到巴锡时说，巴锡在2023年12月参加一场发展联盟比赛时左膝前交叉韧带撕裂，错过了上个赛季的大部分比赛。“他付出了很多努力。再说一次，没有人会同情你，你要用你得到的那手牌去打牌。但他真的很努力。希望这只是短期的，他很快就会回来。”
巴锡在上半场打了六分钟，得到四分、三个篮板、两次助攻和一次抢断。
New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul attempts to drive around San Antonio Spurs point guard George Hill in the second half. San Antonio defeated New Orleans 109-95 despite 15 points and 7 assists from Paul.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) tries to make a move against New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) posts up San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul, right, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.
点击查看原文：New Orleans 'unbelievably special' place for Paul
New Orleans ‘unbelievably special’ place for Paul
NEW ORLEANS – When the NBA released its 2024-25 schedule last summer, the Spurs players circled the dates for their two games in January in Paris.
Point guard Chris Paul was excited to go to the City of Light, of course, but he was also happy to learn the Spurs would play two games in a row in February in a U.S. city with plenty of French flavor.
“That city is unbelievably special to me,” Paul, 39, said of New Orleans. “Always will be.”
Paul spent his first six seasons in the NBA playing for the New Orleans Hornets – they changed their name to Pelicans following the 2012-13 season - after they selected him fourth overall in the 2005 NBA Draft after his All-American sophomore season at Wake Forest.
Hurricane Katrina forced the Hornets just months later to relocate to Oklahoma City, but they returned after two seasons in spring 2007 to the Big Easy, where Paul played until he got traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in June 2011.
“This has always been like a second home to me,” said Paul, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C. “I remember being on Canal Street after the Saints won the Super Bowl (in February 2010) on crutches because I just had knee surgery. A lot of unbelievable memories here in this city.”
Paul recalls those days with the Hornets, first in Oklahoma City and then later in New Orleans, as a period of great growth aided by several veterans eager to share their knowledge.
“I hear a lot of guys talk all the time about the importance of vets, and I had some unbelievable vets,” he said.
Paul singled out P.J. Brown, Speedy Claxton, Tyson Chandler, Bobby Jackson and Jannero Pargo as among his mentors with the Hornets.
“These are guys I still talk to on the regular,” Paul said. “Vets are important. They teach you about being on time. They teach you about being a pro. They teach you about showing up every day.”
Now, Paul is imparting those lessons to his young Spurs teammates, including rookie Stephon Castle.
“Steph probably gets tired of me talking to him all day long,” Paul said.
Not so. Castle has eagerly accepted Paul’s guidance.
“Growing up watching basketball, you’re always watching Chris Paul,” Castle said. “He’s one of the best point guards to ever play in the NBA. Just to know he’s one of my teammates now, it’s a great feeling.”
Paul hopes the long tradition of veterans helping rookies continues long after he retires – whenever that day comes.
“If the league gets away from its vets, then everybody is going to be in trouble,” Paul said. “If everybody just shows up doing whatever they want to do, then it is going to be a problem. Vets understand appearances, they understand everything that goes on in the league.”
From day one with the Hornets, Paul showed leadership qualities the veterans on the team appreciated. His stint in New Orleans also included four All-Star berths, two seasons as the NBA’s assist leader, two seasons as the league’s steals leader and three trips to the playoffs, including a memorable seven-game loss to the Spurs in the 2008 Western Conference semifinals in which he averaged 23.7 points, 10.7 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals.
“Chris had that leadership quality from the jump,” former Hornet Desmond Mason told Slam Online in 2021. “He was always a guy that was vocal but also had respect because he had veterans on the team. He could see everything on the court, he was so beyond his years.”
The Spurs lost to the Pelicans 114-96 Sunday night. With a day off between the teams’ next game in New Orleans on Tuesday night, Paul planned to enjoy the city.
“I got a bunch of my family and a whole crew of people coming, so I’m excited,” he said.
Bassey’s knee problems continue
The Spurs were counting on backup big man Charles Bassey to give them some rebounding help after he returned Friday night against Detroit following a six-game absence due to an MCL sprain in his left knee.
But there he was back on the bench Sunday night after he was ruled out for the second half due to a sore left knee. The Spurs blew a 17-point lead in dropping a 114-96 decision to New Orleans.
On Monday, the Spurs ruled Bassey out for Tuesday’s rematch with the Pelicans due to an acute-on-chronic bone bruise in his left knee.
“Pretty frustrated for the kid,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said of Bassey, who missed most of last season after tearing the ACL in his left knee while playing in a G League game in December 2023. “He’s put in a lot of work. Again, no one feels sorry for you and you play with the hand you’re dealt. But he’s worked really hard. Hopefully, it will be a short-term thing and he’s back soon.”
Bassey finished the first half with four points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in six minutes.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News