By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-04-14 14:49:06
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4月13日，星期日，在圣安东尼奥的霜冻银行中心，圣安东尼奥马刺队代理主教练米奇·约翰逊在赛季最后一场对阵多伦多猛龙队的比赛前与记者交谈。
周日赛季收官战的中场休息时，马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊(Mitch Johnson)走进更衣室，球队落后20分，他脸上带着失望的神情，就像一个十几岁的孩子刚撞毁了家里的轿车一样。
“我对他们感到失望，但我更多的是为他们感到失望，”约翰逊说。“我不认为他们在上半场的表现代表了他们整个赛季的水准。”
在球队历史上最动荡的赛季之一还剩下两节比赛之际，约翰逊不打算让他的球员们轻易地开始暑假。
马刺队在下半场对约翰逊的劝说做出了回应，在霜冻银行中心以125-118击败多伦多，为34胜48负的赛季画上句号，并让俱乐部一头扎进充满疑问的休赛期。
其中最主要的问题是：秋天球队重新集结时，谁将担任主教练？
约翰逊，一位38岁的助理教练，在11月被临时扶正，当时，赛季开始仅仅五场比赛，名人堂教练格雷格·波波维奇(Gregg Popovich)突发轻微中风，导致他缺席了剩余的比赛。
在2月份他最后一次公开书面声明中，76岁的波波维奇表示，他希望下赛季能重返教练席。
波波维奇的健康状况何时或是否允许他这样做，仍然不确定。在那之前，马刺队的主教练席位仍然处于必要的悬而未决的状态。
“据我所知，情况和全年一样，”约翰逊说。“波普的健康是首要任务。一切都会在适当的时候发生。”
当谈到谁将在维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)至关重要的第三个NBA赛季执教球队时，马刺队很快会发现自己面临四种可能的结果之一。
也许波波维奇会及时康复，从而带领球队参加训练营。如果他没有康复，约翰逊可能会继续担任球队的代理教练，同时波波维奇继续努力康复。
也许波波维奇会决定退休，在这种情况下，马刺队可能会将这份工作永久性地交给约翰逊。
或者，球队的掌权者可能会在组织之外寻找波波维奇的继任者，或许可以从孟菲斯的泰勒·詹金斯或丹佛的迈克尔·马龙等经验丰富（但最近被解雇）的候选人开始。
当被问及他是否会将自己视为代理主教练直到另行通知时，约翰逊摇了摇头。
“我不这样看，仅仅因为我们没有任何比赛，”约翰逊说，他是马刺队自2016年以来的工作人员。“我们有一个休赛期计划，我们作为一个团队来做，而且我们一直作为一个团队来做。我们的工作是让这些家伙尽可能变得优秀，并在明年之前尽可能多地提高。”
值得注意的是，文班亚马——在很多方面，他是马刺队教练情况的最重要的发言人——他说他会支持球队的任何决定。
“我信任球队，”文班亚马说。“我信任波普会尽他所能回来。我也信任米奇会成长为那个角色。我认为我们掌握在好的手中。”
波波维奇是在11月2日下午中风的，几个小时后，马刺队将在主场迎战明尼苏达。约翰逊在那天晚上接过了缰绳，不知道他的晋升是暂时的还是长期的。球员们也处于同样的境地。
“他们告诉我们他会执教那场比赛，”后卫朱利安·尚帕尼(Julian Champagnie)说。“没有人真正提前告诉我们这将是整个赛季。”
约翰逊很快赢得了更衣室里球员们的信任和尊重。但是，失去波波维奇，这位NBA执教时间最长的主教练，并不是马刺队这个赛季唯一的障碍。
就在2月份首次入选全明星后不久，文班亚马被诊断出右肩有血栓，这让他缺席了剩余的二年级赛季。他只参加了46场比赛。
一月份还有一次愉快但艰苦的巴黎之旅，进行了两场比赛。在南加州野火期间，他们在洛杉矶度过了一段烟雾缭绕的时光，这导致他们对阵湖人队的一场比赛不得不重新安排。
“在我进入联盟的13年里，这是我经历过的最独特的赛季，”前锋哈里森·巴恩斯(Harrison Barnes)说。“米奇在稳定大局、保持一致和团结球队方面做得非常出色。”
当约翰逊接替波波维奇时，马刺队的战绩是2胜3负。在剩下的比赛中，他们的战绩是32胜45负，这是俱乐部自2021-22赛季以来首次取得30胜的赛季。
约翰逊在困难情况下所做的工作并没有被马刺队以外的同行们忽视。
“我是他的球迷，”金州勇士队教练史蒂夫·科尔说。“他踏入了一个相当困难的位置，并在伤病真正严重打击之前让球队打出了很高的水平。”
约翰逊和马刺队会有时间考虑接下来会发生什么。目前，他计划花几周时间喘口气，并在经历了一个他从未预料到的旋风般的赛季后与家人重新联系。
“这真是一次非凡的经历，”约翰逊说。“这次经历对于很多原因来说都是独一无二的，它将永远伴随着我。我对此非常感激。”
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson talks to reporters before the last game of the season against the Toronto Raptors at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, April 13, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
San Antonio Spurs interim head coach Mitch Johnson reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson shouts to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs listens to acting head coach Mitch Johnson. San Antonio Spurs v Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, March 21,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
点击查看原文：What's next for Spurs' Mitch Johnson?
What’s next for Spurs’ Mitch Johnson?
San Antonio Spurs acting head coach Mitch Johnson talks to reporters before the last game of the season against the Toronto Raptors at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Sunday, April 13, 2025.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson walked into locker room at halftime of Sunday’s season finale, his team behind by 20 points, bearing the look of a let-down dad whose teenager had just wrecked the family sedan.
“I was disappointed in them, but I was more disappointed for them,” Johnson said. “I don’t think they represented themselves in the first half the way they have basically the whole season.”
With two quarters remaining in one of the most topsy-turvy seasons in franchise history, Johnson was not about to let his players go gently into summer vacation.
The Spurs responded to Johnson’s cajoling in the second half, rallying for a 125-118 victory over Toronto at the Frost Bank Center to cap a 34-48 campaign and send the club headlong into an offseason rife with questions to answer.
Chief among them: Who will be the head coach when the team reconvenes in the fall?
Johnson, a 38-year-old assistant, was dropped into the role in November when, five games into the season, Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke that would cause him to miss the rest of it.
In his last written public statement in February, the 76-year-old Popovich indicated he hopes to work his way back to the bench next season.
When or if Popovich’s health will allow him to do so remains uncertain. Until then, the Spurs’ head coaching seat remains in a necessary state of limbo.
“From my knowledge it stands where it’s stood all year,” Johnson said. “Pop’s health is the priority. Things will happen at the appropriate time.”
When it comes to the issue of who will coach the team in Victor Wembanyama’s critical third NBA season, the Spurs will soon find themselves facing one of four outcomes.
Perhaps Popovich will recover in time to lead the team in training camp. If he does not, Johnson could remain in his role as the club’s acting coach on a day-to-day basis while Popovich continues to work his way back.
Perhaps Popovich will decide to retire, in which case the Spurs could give the gig to Johnson on a full-time basis.
Or the team’s powers-that-be might search outside the organization for Popovich’s replacement, perhaps starting with proven (but recently fired) candidates in Memphis’ Taylor Jenkins or Denver’s Michael Malone.
Asked if he will consider himself the acting head coach until further notice, Johnson shook his head.
“I don’t look at it like that just because we don’t have any games,” said Johnson, a member of the Spurs’ staff since 2016. “We have an offseason regimen that we do as a group and we’ve always done as a group. And our job will be to get these guys as good as we can and improve as much as they can until next year.”
Notably, Wembanyama – in many ways the most important voice when it comes to the Spurs’ coaching situation – says he will be onboard with whatever the team decides.
“I trust the organization,” Wembanyama said. “I trust Pop to do all he can to come back. And I also trust Mitch to grow into that role. I think we are in good hands.”
Popovich suffered his stroke on the afternoon of Nov. 2, hours before the Spurs were to tip off a home game against Minnesota. Johnson took the reins that night not knowing whether his promotion would be a temporary or long-term change. Players were in the same boat.
“All they told us he was going to be coaching that game,” guard Julian Champagnie said. “No one really gave us the heads up it was going to be all season.”
Johnson quickly grew to gain the trust and respect of the players in the locker room. But, the loss of Popovich, the NBA’s longest tenured head coach, was not the only obstacle in the Spurs’ season.
Just after making his first All-Star appearance in February, Wembanyama was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder that cost him the remainder of his sophomore campaign. He appeared in only 46 contests.
There was an enjoyable but grueling trip to Paris for a pair of games in January. There was a smoky stay in Los Angeles during the Southern California wildfires that required one of their games against the Lakers to be rescheduled.
“In my 13 years in the league, it’s been the most unique season I’ve been a part of,” forward Harrison Barnes said. “Mitch has done a great job of steadying the ship and being consistent and holding this together.”
The Spurs were 2-3 when Johnson took over for Popovich. They went 32-45 the rest of the way, posting the club’s first 30-win season since 2021-22.
The job Johnson has done during difficult circumstances has not gone unnoticed by peers outside the Spurs’ organization.
“I’m a fan,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “He stepped into a pretty difficult spot and really had the team playing at a high level before the injuries really hit hard.”
There will be time for Johnson and the Spurs to consider what comes next. For now, he plans to take a few weeks to catch his breath and reconnect with family after a whirlwind season he never saw coming.
“It’s been a heck of an experience,” Johnson said. “The experience has been one of one for a ton of reasons that will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful for that.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News