By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-02-28 13:11:11
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。
孟菲斯，田纳西州 – 在圣安东尼奥马刺队周三于休斯顿的比赛和周六于孟菲斯的比赛之间，球队多出了一天的休息时间，因此球队的包机装载完毕，前往了一个最近对其导航系统来说不太熟悉的目的地。
家。
对于前萨克拉门托国王队后卫德阿隆·福克斯(De’Aaron Fox)来说，他就像在马刺队漫长的客场之旅早期，在机场礼品店购买的某种纪念品一样被得到，这意味着他终于能第二次见到他在圣安东尼奥的新家了。
如果一切按计划进行，这次甚至会有家具。毕竟，星期四——终于——是搬家日。
“在那里经历这些事，并不是世界上最糟糕的事情，”福克斯说道。
福克斯没有太多时间铺开欢迎垫，并在他新家的厨房里挂上“生活，欢笑，爱”的标语。
周五下午，马刺队重新登上飞机前往孟菲斯，在那里，他们那令人厌恶的客场之旅将在周六结束，而一个月前，这里也是旅程的起点。
自从马刺队上次踏足比尔街以来，已经发生了很大的变化。
首先，全明星中锋维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)参加了2月3日的那次旅行。但他此后因右肩深静脉血栓被宣布赛季报销。
与此同时，福克斯当时正在俄克拉荷马城，在一场国王队输给雷霆队的比赛中得到20分。他作为三方交易的一部分被交易到马刺队，这立即让他的生活发生了变化。
这位曾入选全明星的后卫已经随萨克拉门托连续在外奔波了13个晚上，他将在马刺队为期一个月的客场之旅的第二个晚上加入球队。
“当交易发生时，我看了圣安东尼奥的赛程，然后说，‘我的天哪’，”福克斯说。“你会度过难关的。这又不是说我们住的不是好酒店。”
当27岁的福克斯于2月5日在亚特兰大与马刺队会合时，他发现球队仍然深陷西部季后赛附加赛的争夺之中。
本赛季最后三分之一的关键本应是福克斯逐渐适应文班亚马，为一段旨在带领马刺队走向未来的合作关系奠定基础。
马刺队在福克斯的首秀中获胜，战绩提升到22胜26负。此后，他们输掉了九场比赛中的七场，还失去了本赛季最好的球员。
又一个赛季，马刺队赛季最后六周最有趣的部分将是尽可能地提高他们在NBA选秀抽签中的概率。
当然，福克斯会反驳这一点。他相信，即使在文班亚马缺阵的情况下，他仍然可以朝着适应新球队的方向前进。
“作为一个团队，明年很多球员仍然会有合同在身，”福克斯说。“我们仍然需要弄清楚如何一起打球。”
对于马刺队来说，这是一个充满过渡和动荡的赛季。
除了失去文班亚马和得到福克斯之外，马刺队在11月初还遭受了一次打击，当时主教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)在遭受中风后不得不离开球队。
代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)出色地指导了球队，但波波维奇的短期未来一直笼罩在更衣室里，直到本周，这位名人堂教练才通知球员们，他本赛季不会重返教练席。
“想到我们今年作为一个团队所经历的境况和局面，真是令人难以置信，”控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)说。“但是你知道，当你的家庭中发生一些事情时，不知何故它会让你更紧密地联系在一起。我认为这件事也会这样。”
1月4日，在丹佛取得了一场令人震惊的胜利后，马刺队的战绩为18胜16负。冲击季后赛附加赛，或者——大胆梦想一下——完全获得季后赛资格，并非遥不可及。
时光飞逝近两个月，马刺队周六抵达孟菲斯——面对一支在过去17次交锋中击败了他们16次的灰熊队——只希望不要被打得太惨。
他们带着四连败进入周六的比赛，在奥斯汀输给了底特律，在休斯顿惨败，夹在输给新奥尔良的两场失利之间，在这两场比赛中，马刺队分别挥霍了17分和19分的领先优势。
约翰逊希望在休斯顿和孟菲斯之间花一个晚上在自己的床上休息，可能会帮助球员们在某种程度上得到调整。
“我们会喘口气，我们不会退缩，”约翰逊说。“我们必须回到工作中。”
对于福克斯来说，这意味着大约有36个小时的时间来享受他在圣安东尼奥的新家。
在二月份的交易之后，福克斯来到圣安东尼奥进行体检，并参观了球队的总部和训练设施。
他利用在镇上的第一天与他的妻子——前莉斯·考德威尔(Recee Caldwell)，她在圣安东尼奥长大，并在约翰逊高中打过一段时间——以及他的岳父一起寻找房子。
福克斯一家当场选定了一处住所。
“事情发生得很快，”福克斯说。
自从马刺队上次访问孟菲斯以来，他们也可以这样说。就像福克斯本人一样，球队只能希望尽快适应他们的新常态。
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) talks to San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during a second quarter timeout against the Detroit Pistons at Moody Center on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025, in Austin, Texas. The Spurs fell to the Pistons 125-110.
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) attempts a layup in front of New Orleans Pelicans center Karlo Matkovic (17) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) is fouled by San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game at Toyota Center, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Houston.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Bruce Brown (00) is defended by San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) attempts a shot as New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) brings the ball up court against New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III (25) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins (24) tries to get past San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
点击查看原文：Rodeo trip comes full circle for San Antonio Spurs
Rodeo trip comes full circle for San Antonio Spurs
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With an extra day off between the Spurs’ game Wednesday in Houston and Saturday in Memphis, the team’s charter plane loaded up and headed for a destination lately unfamiliar to its navigational systems.
Home.
For former Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, acquired like some sort of souvenir at the airport gift shop early in the Spurs’ interminable rodeo trip, that meant finally getting to see his new house in San Antonio for the second time.
If all went to plan, this time it would even be furnished. After all, Thursday – at last – was move-in day.
“It’s not the worst thing in the world to be there for that,” Fox said.
Fox wouldn’t have much time to lay out the welcome mat and hang “Live, Laugh, Love” sign in the kitchen of his new digs.
Come Friday afternoon, the Spurs were back on a plane headed for Memphis, where their godforsaken rodeo trip will end Saturday in the same place it began nearly a month ago.
Much has changed since the Spurs’ last set foot on Beale Street.
For starters, All-Star center Victor Wembanyama was on the plane for that Feb. 3 trip. He has since been ruled out for the season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
Fox, meanwhile, was in Oklahoma City, having scored 20 points in a Kings loss to the Thunder. He was traded to Spurs as part of a three-team team that immediately thrust his life into flux.
Having already been on the road for 13 consecutive nights with Sacramento, the one-time All-Star guard was set to join the Spurs on the second night of their month-long rodeo trip.
“When it happened, I looked at San Antonio’s schedule and said, ‘Oh my God,’ ” Fox said. “You get through it. It’s not like we’re not staying at nice hotels.”
When the 27-year-old Fox met up with the Spurs on Feb. 5 in Atlanta, where he found a team still very much in the throes of the Western Conference play-in race.
The crux of the final third of the season was supposed to be Fox gaining a level of comfort with Wembanyama, setting the foundation for a partnership meant to carry the Spurs into the future.
The Spurs won in Fox’s debut to improve to 22-26. Since then, they have lost seven of nine games plus their best player for the season.
For yet another campaign, the most interesting part of the final six weeks of the Spurs’ season will be about maximizing their odds in the NBA draft lottery.
Fox, of course, would dispute that. He believes he can still take steps toward acclimating himself with his new team even with Wembanyama sidelined.
“As a team, a lot of guys are still going to be under contract next year too,” Fox said. “We still have to figure out how to play with each other.”
It has been a season of transition and turmoil for the Spurs.
In addition to losing Wembanyama and gaining Fox, the Spurs took a blow in early November when coach Gregg Popovich had to leave the team after suffering a stroke.
Acting coach Mitch Johnson performed admirably guiding the team since, but uncertainty surrounding Popovich’s short-term future hung over the locker room until this week, when the Hall of Fame coach informed players he would not be returning to the bench this season.
“It’s wild to think of the circumstances and the situations we’ve been through as a team this year,” point guard Chris Paul said. “But you know when situations happen in your family and stuff like that, somehow some way it brings you closer. And I think this will do that too.”
On Jan. 4, after a stunning upset victory in Denver, the Spurs stood at 18-16. A run at the play-in or – dare to dream – a full-blown playoff berth was not out of the question.
Flash forward nearly two months, and the Spurs arrive in Memphis on Saturday – to face a Grizzlies team that has beaten them 16 of the past 17 meetings – hoping only not to be embarrassed.
They enter Saturday’s game on a four-game losing streak, with blowout losses against Detroit in Austin and at Houston, sandwiched around two defeats at lowly New Orleans in which the Spurs blew leads of 17 and 19 points.
Johnson hoped spending one night in their own beds in between Houston and Memphis might help players reset somewhat.
“We’ll catch our breath and we’re not going to flinch,” Johnson said. “We have to get back to work.”
For Fox, that meant about 36 hours to enjoy his new home in San Antonio.
The day after the February trade, Fox came to San Antonio for a physical and tour of the team’s headquarters and practice facility.
He used his first day in town to house hunt with his wife – the former Recee Caldwell, who grew up in San Antonio and played a spell at Johnson High – and his father-in-law.
The Foxes picked out a place on the spot.
“Things happened quickly,” Fox said.
The Spurs can say the same since their last visit to Memphis. Like Fox himself, the team can only hope to get accustomed to its new normal soon.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News