By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-03-15 14:46:56
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。
2025年3月14日，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)（3号）在圣安东尼奥的霜冻银行中心对阵夏洛特黄蜂队的暂停期间，与他的队友后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔（5号）和前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利(Sandro Mamukelashvili)（54号）交谈。马刺队以145-134输给了黄蜂队。
时间一分一秒地过去。压力山大。
对于路易斯·卡布雷拉二世(Luis Cabrera Jr.)——全职汽车修理工，兼职马刺队前锋桑德罗·马穆克拉什维利的同谋——这简直就是汽车界的生死时刻，堪比在终场哨响前投出的制胜罚球。
在周三战胜达拉斯的比赛后，马穆克拉什维利策划了一个在网上疯传的恶作剧，他偷偷地卸掉了斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)汽车的轮子，现在卡布雷拉必须重新装上它们。
而且卡斯尔还就在旁边看着。迫不及待地想回家。
“哪怕是那十分钟，我都感觉像是过了两个小时，”卡布雷拉说。“他就坐在那里盯着我们。”
对于马穆克拉什维利和一众参与恶作剧的马刺队老将来说，最后那令人尴尬的时刻绝对是值得的。
当卡斯尔到达霜冻银行中心的球员停车场，发现自己的 Supra 没了轮子时，脸上的表情简直是无价之宝。
“我当时都懵了，”卡斯尔说。
马刺队把斯蒂芬·卡斯尔的车轮卸掉了
(via devin_vassell/IG) pic.twitter.com/VT2HT2QFP6— Bleacher Report (@ BleacherReport) March 13, 2025
鉴于卡斯尔在一些新秀任务上有所懈怠——这些任务通常包括一些琐事，比如给训练带甜甜圈和帮老将们提包——马穆克拉什维利策划了这个恶作剧，想给这位20岁的后卫上一堂 NBA 课。
“他有一些新秀（义务）做得不太好，我整年都在跟他说，‘兄弟，你得去做，不然我就把你的轮子卸了，’”效力联盟第四年的马穆克拉什维利说。“然后他会说，‘我会卸你的轮子。’ 基本上就是一场来回的口头游戏，我说他一句，他回我一句。”
终于准备好行动时，马穆克拉什维利联系了包括克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)、哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)和凯尔登·约翰逊(Keldon Johnson)在内的几位球队元老，获得了他们同意捉弄卡斯尔的许可。
球队安保人员也参与了这次恶作剧。
一旦得到批准，马穆克拉什维利就联系了位于城市西北部的 United Collision Car Care 的老板卡布雷拉，寻求帮助执行该计划。
“他很荣幸能参与其中，”马穆克拉什维利说。
为了实施这个计划所做的准备工作，简直就像电影《十一罗汉》里的情节一样。 这既是一项团队合作，也是一项内部行动。
马穆克拉什维利在周三的中场休息时从更衣室里偷走了卡斯尔的车钥匙，然后就等着。
大家一致认为，只有当马刺队赢得比赛时，这个计划才能继续进行。 如果马刺队在三个晚上内第二次输给失落的独行侠队，那就没心情开玩笑了。
当马刺队在下半场保持着舒适的领先优势时，马穆克拉什维利示意坐在替补席后面的女友，让她告诉卡布雷拉和他的一个员工开始对这项精心策划的行动进行最后的润色。
卡布雷拉驾驶着他的卡车驶下坡道，进入车库，安保人员向他示意停好位置，多亏了马穆克拉什维利，安保人员已经掌握了他的车牌号码。
可以肯定的是：如果整个 NBA 生涯都不顺利，马穆克拉什维利或许可以在间谍领域有所作为。
“他真的把事情安排得井井有条，”卡布雷拉说。“他让每个安保人员都知道这件事。”
在马刺队以 126-116 获胜的终场哨声响起后，球员们兴奋地等待着卡斯尔穿好衣服，走向他那辆无法启动的汽车。
当几乎所有队友都咯咯笑着陪他走下通往车库的走廊时，他感觉到有些不对劲。
当后卫德文·瓦塞尔(Devin Vassell)在他的 Instagram 账户上发布了卡斯尔对这一重大揭秘的反应视频时，这个恶作剧才公之于众。
“我想他知道这件事要发生了，我认为他接受得还不错，”马穆克拉什维利说。“当然，他有点沮丧，但我认为归根结底这都是爱。”
马刺队代理教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)将周三的恶作剧归结为孩子们还是孩子。
“我很高兴他们把轮胎装回去了，”约翰逊说。
捉弄新秀是 NBA 历史悠久的传统。 卸掉轮子是一种常见的选择。 用爆米花将球员的汽车从车顶到地板垫塞满是另一个经典之作。
卡斯尔至少很感激马穆克拉什维利没有选择后一种方式。
“那气味会一直留在车里，”卡斯尔说。
对于卡斯尔来说，情况绝对可能更糟。
老将中锋俾斯麦·比永博(Bismack Biyombo)回忆起他之前效力过的一支 NBA 球队中，有一位不愿透露姓名的菜鸟，他的轮子被卸掉了。 那个恶作剧的策划者最初计划将恶作剧提升到另一个层次。
“他们本来打算把轮子用联邦快递寄到某个地方，然后只给他运单号，让他自己去找，”比永博说。
在那件事中，比较冷静的人占了上风。 就像对卡斯尔所做的那样，球队老将们只是把轮子装回了新秀的车上，比永博说。
比永博说，作为 2011-12 赛季夏洛特的一名新秀，他确保谨言慎行，以避免类似的命运。
“一位老将可能凌晨 3 点打电话来，然后就是，‘我起来了，你需要什么？’” 比永博说。
马刺队希望卡斯尔也能明白这一点。 结果还未可知。
卡斯尔说他最终能够对这个恶作剧一笑置之。 这要归功于卡布雷拉。
“他们大约在五分钟内把轮子装回去了，”卡斯尔说。“所以我对此不太生气。”
尽管受到了大约十二个魔鬼的怂恿，卡布雷拉还是能够重新装上卡斯尔的轮子。
“这太搞笑了，因为每个人都说，‘别装上去。让他打 Uber 回家，’”卡布雷拉说。“我说，‘哦，不。 我是季票持有者。 我不会被禁止进入马刺队的。’”
卡斯尔明确表示，他并不怨恨卡布雷拉在这次玩笑中所扮演的角色。 但对马穆克拉什维利来说，可能是另一回事了。
“我在镜头前说，我不安全了，”马穆克拉什维利说。“过去两天我一直在藏我的钥匙。……我可能会确保在接下来的几场比赛中我会小心提防，直到他冷静下来。”
这可能是马穆克拉什维利的一个明智之举。
当被问及他是否有报复队友的计划时，卡斯尔眼中闪过一丝狡黠。
“我可能会，”他说。“但我不会在这里透露。”
撰稿人 Tom Orsborn 对本报道做出了贡献
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点击查看原文：Inside the Spurs prank that left Stephon Castle speechless
Inside the Spurs prank that left Stephon Castle speechless
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) talks with his teammates guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during a timeout against the Charlotte Hornets at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, on Friday, March 14, 2025. The Spurs fell to the Hornets 145-134.
Time was ticking. The pressure was on.
For Luis Cabrera Jr. – full-time auto mechanic, part-time accomplice of Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili – this was the white-knuckle automotive equivalent of a go-ahead free throw with no time on the clock.
Having covertly removed the wheels from Stephon Castle’s car as part of a gone-viral prank orchestrated by Mamukelashvili following Wednesday’s victory over Dallas, Cabrera now had to reinstall them.
With Castle watching. And ready to go home.
“Even that 10 minutes felt like two hours,” Cabrera said. “He’s just sitting there staring at us.”
For Mamukelashvili and a host of Spurs veterans behind the mischief, that final moment of awkwardness was well worth the trouble.
The look on Castle’s face as he arrived at the players’ garage at the Frost Bank Center to find his Supra wheel-less was priceless.
“I was shook,” Castle said.
Spurs took the wheels off Stephon Castle’s car
(via devin_vassell/IG) pic.twitter.com/VT2HT2QFP6— Bleacher Report (@ BleacherReport) March 13, 2025
With Castle deemed slacking on some of his rookie duties – which typically include minor errands such as bringing donuts to practice and toting veterans’ bags – Mamukelashvili hatched the plot to teach the 20-year-old guard a bit of an NBA lesson.
"He had a few rookie (obligations) he was kind of struggling with and I was telling him throughout the whole year, ‘Yo, bro, you got to do it because I’m going to take your wheels off,’ " said Mamukelashvili, a fourth-year player. “And he was like, ‘I’ll take your wheels off.’ It was basically a back-and-forth game where I would tell him something, he would tell me something.”
At last prepared to make a move, Mamukelashvili contacted a council of team elder statesmen, including Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson, to get the OK to prank Castle.
Team security was also in on the gag.
Once he got the go-ahead, Mamukelashvili reached out to Cabrera, owner of United Collision Car Care on the city’s northwest side, for help executing the plan.
“He was honored to do it,” Mamukelashvili said.
The planning that went into pulling off the caper was like something out of an Ocean’s 11 movie. It was both a team effort and an inside job.
Mamukelashvili pilfered Castle’s car keys from the locker room at halftime Wednesday, then waited.
It was decided the scheme could only move forward if the Spurs won the game. There would be no place for chuckles if the Spurs lost to downtrodden Mavericks for the second time in three nights.
With the Spurs sporting a comfortable lead in the second half, Mamukelashvili signaled to his girlfriend seated behind the bench to tell Cabrera and one of his employees to put in motion the finishing touches on the elaborate operation.
Cabrera drove his truck down the ramp and into the garage, waved into position by security officers who – thanks to Mamukelashvili – already had his license plate number.
This much is certain: If the whole NBA thing doesn’t work out, Mamukelashvili might have a future in espionage.
“He literally coordinated the crap out of it," Cabrera said. “He had every security guard aware of it.”
Once the final horn sounded on a 126-116 Spurs victory, players giddily waited for Castle to dress and head for his inoperable car.
He sensed something was afoot when almost every teammate accompanied him down the hall toward the garage giggling.
The prank went public when guard Devin Vassell posted video of Castle’s reaction to the big reveal on his Instagram account.
“I guess he knew it was coming and I think he took it pretty well,” Mamukelashvili said. "Of course, he was a little upset, but I think it’s all love at the end of the day.”
Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson chalked up Wednesday’s escapade to kids being kids.
“I’m just glad they got the tires back on,” Johnson said.
The leg-pulling of rookies is a time-honored NBA tradition. Wheel removal is one go-to option. Filling a player’s car rooftop-to-floormat with popcorn is another oldie but goodie.
Castle was at least grateful Mamukelashivili did not choose the latter route.
“The smell would still be in there,” Castle said.
It definitely could have been worse for Castle.
Veteran big man Bismack Biyombo recalls an undisclosed rookie at one of his previous NBA stops who had his wheels removed. The orchestrators of that heist had initially planned to take that prank to another level.
“The were going to FedEx the wheels somewhere and just give him the tracking number to find it,” Biyombo said.
Cooler heads prevailed in that case. As with Castle, the team veterans simply had the wheels put back on the rookie’s car for him, Biyombo said.
As a rookie with Charlotte in 2011-12, Biyombo said he made sure to mind his manners to avoid a similar fate.
“A vet could call at 3 a.m., and it was, ‘I’m up, what do you need?’ ” Biyombo said.
The Spurs are hoping Castle gets the same message. The jury is still out.
Castle said he was able to laugh about the prank eventually. Give Cabrera credit for that.
“They put the wheels back in about five minutes,” Castle said. “So I wasn’t too mad about it."
Cabrera was able to reinstall Castle’s wheels despite about a dozen devils on his shoulder.
“It was hilarious because everybody was like, ‘Don’t put 'em on. Make him take an Uber home,’ “ Cabrera said “I’m like, ‘Oh, no. I’m a season-ticket holder. I am not getting banned from the Spurs. ‘ ”
Castle made clear he holds no ill will toward Cabrera for his role in the joke. It could be another story when it comes to Mamukelashivili.
“I say it in front of the cameras, I’m not safe,” Mamukelashvili said. "I’ve been hiding my keys for the past two days. … I’m probably going to make sure I’m watching my back for the next couple of games until he cools off a little bit.”
That might be a wise move on Mamukelashvili’s part.
Asked if he had plans for retaliation against his teammate, Castle got a glint in his eye.
“I might,” he said. “But I’m not going to expose that here.”
Staff writer Tom Orsborn contributed to this report
By Jeff McDonald, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News