By Mike Finger, Columnist | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-04-22 16:18:09
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。
洛杉矶快船队前锋卡怀·伦纳德在丹佛举行的NBA季后赛首轮第二场比赛下半场结束时做出反应，比赛时间为2025年4月21日星期一。(美联社图片/David Zalubowski)
在电视屏幕上，卡怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)看起来老了很多。
不是在周一晚上的比赛中，当他移动、飞跃、并以我们八年前记忆中的那种令人敬畏的冷酷统治比赛时。而是之后，当场边记者走近，镜头拉近时。
他的眼神显得更加沉重。他的面容显得更加疲惫。
是时间改变了他？还是时间改变了我们所有人？
伦纳德在最糟糕的时候才26岁，当时他背叛了一支球队，一座城市也背叛了他。现在他快34岁了。在这期间，他赢得了第二个总冠军，把两个孩子抚养长大，看着一大堆穿着便装的NBA比赛。
经过这一切，伦纳德仍然可以完全掌控一场季后赛，就像他周一在丹佛为快船队所做的那样。
但经过这一切，再问“如果当初”已经毫无意义了。无论如何，他在圣安东尼奥的结局注定不会好。无论如何，大家分开变老对每个人都更好。
让伦纳德在NBA标准下显得老态龙钟的，并不是他的年龄。他比勒布朗·詹姆斯年轻，比斯蒂芬·库里年轻，比凯文·杜兰特年轻，比吉米·巴特勒年轻，也比达米安·利拉德年轻。
但年轻球迷更了解所有这些人，因为年轻球迷确实亲眼目睹了他们的辉煌。伦纳德上次打完一个季后赛系列赛是什么时候？2021年？
2021年，奇才、爵士和开拓者是季后赛球队。2021年，本·西蒙斯、肯巴·沃克和博班·马扬诺维奇是季后赛首发。2021年，库珀·弗拉格，这位今年夏天选秀大会上预定的状元，才刚满14岁。
自那时以来，已经过去了篮球界的永恒，伦纳德在此期间的每个赛季都因为各种疾病而缺席部分或大部分比赛，让快船别无选择，只能勉强维持。
当然，洛杉矶是伦纳德一直想去的地方。当他在2017-18赛季与马刺的关系首次出现裂痕时，他就想去那里，当圣安东尼奥在第二年夏天将他交易到多伦多时，他也想去那里，在他带领猛龙队夺得NBA总冠军后，他仍然想去那里。
马刺队与他续签合同并不能改变这一点，当然也不会让他更健康。如果伦纳德留下，马刺队可能会再打一次季后赛，然后他们会从那以后每个四月都在想他是否能够参加一系列第一轮或第二轮的比赛。
马刺队几年前做出的急需的、可能早就该做的球队重建？那件事也不会发生，这意味着维克托·文班亚马和斯蒂芬·卡斯尔也不会来到这里。
当然，这期间会有一些美好的时光。当然，格雷格·波波维奇很乐意有机会再和伦纳德以及他那不听使唤的膝盖赌几次。
当然，失去他很痛苦。如果你需要一个提醒，你所要做的就是打开你周一晚上的电视。在与掘金队的首轮系列赛第二场比赛中，伦纳德表明，当他处于最佳状态时，他比这项运动历史上绝大多数球员都出色。
在快船队105-102获胜的每一个关键时刻，伦纳德的伟大都是不可否认的。当他不断到达他的位置，即使掘金队知道他要做什么时，他的伟大也是不可否认的。当他用一记21英尺的跳投锁定胜局，为他19投15中、拿下39分的辉煌之夜画上句号时，他的伟大是不可否认的。当他在得分间隙骚扰贾马尔·穆雷、尼古拉·约基奇和克里斯蒂安·布劳恩，并且拒绝让他们逃脱哪怕一步慢步或不完美的传球时，他的伟大也是不可否认的。
伦纳德是不可思议的。八年前如此，周一也是如此。
但是，当场边记者走近，镜头拉近沉重的眼神和疲惫的面容时，这更加深刻地表明了时间已经过去了多久。
以及自“如果当初”的答案甚至不再重要以来，已经过去了多久。
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard steals a pass by Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, collects a loose ball as Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard defends in the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) gets his arm stuck while trying to defend Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in San Antonio. The Clippers beat the Spurs 128-116.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) passes the ball as he drives past San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in San Antonio. The Clippers beat the Spurs 128-116.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives on San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in San Antonio. The Clippers beat the Spurs 128-116.
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots over San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half of their NBA game at the Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025 in San Antonio. The Clippers beat the Spurs 128-116.
LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives around San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Antonio, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
点击查看原文：Finger: Why the Spurs shouldn't wonder what if about Kawhi Leonard
Finger: Why the Spurs shouldn’t wonder what if about Kawhi Leonard
Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard reacts as time runs out in the second half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series against the Denver Nuggets Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
On the TV screen, Kawhi Leonard looked so much older.
Not during the game itself Monday night, when he moved and soared and dominated with the same awe-inspiring ruthlessness we remember from eight years ago. But afterward, when the sideline reporter approached and the camera zoomed in.
His eyes looked heavier. His face looked wearier.
Had time done this to him? Or had time done this to us all?
Leonard was 26 during the worst of it, when he turned on a franchise and a city turned on him. He’s almost 34 now. In the gap between, he won a second championship and raised two kids into grade-schoolers and watched a whole bunch of NBA games while wearing street clothes.
After all of that, Leonard still can take complete control of a playoff game, just like he did for the Clippers in Denver on Monday.
But after all of that, there is no sense in asking “what if?” anymore. One way or another, things were destined to end badly for him in San Antonio. And one way or another, it was better for everyone to grow old apart.
It’s not Leonard’s age that makes him seem old by NBA standards. He’s younger than LeBron James, younger than Steph Curry, younger than Kevin Durant, younger than Jimmy Butler, and younger than Damian Lillard.
But young fans know more about all of those guys, because young fans actually have seen them excel. When was the last time Leonard finished a playoff series, 2021?
In 2021, the Wizards and Jazz and Trail Blazers were playoff teams. In 2021, Ben Simmons and Kemba Walker and Boban Marjanovic were playoff starters. In 2021, Cooper Flagg, the presumptive top pick in this summer’s draft, had just turned 14 years old.
It’s been a hoops eternity since then, with Leonard sidelined by various ailments for part or most of every season in the interim, giving the Clippers no choice but to tread water through it all.
Los Angeles, of course, is where Leonard always wanted to be. It’s where he wanted to be when the cracks in his relationship with the Spurs first started forming in the 2017-18 season, and it’s where he wanted to be when San Antonio dealt him to Toronto the following summer, and it’s where he wanted to be after he led the Raptors to an NBA title.
The Spurs signing him to another contract extension wouldn’t have changed that, and it certainly wouldn’t have made him healthier. Had Leonard stayed, the Spurs might have gotten one more postseason run out of it, and then they’d have spent every April since wondering if he’d be able to suit up for a series of first- or second-round exits.
The much-needed, probably overdue franchise reset that the Spurs committed to a few years ago? That wouldn’t have happened yet, which means Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle wouldn’t be here, either.
Sure, there would have been some good times in between. Sure, Gregg Popovich would have loved the chance to have rolled the dice with Leonard and his balky knee a few more times.
Sure, losing him hurt. And if you needed a reminder of why, all you had to do was turn on your TV on Monday night. In Game 2 of a first-round series against the Nuggets, Leonard showed that when he’s at his best, he’s better than all but a handful of players in the history of the sport.
In every key moment of the Clippers’ 105-102 victory, Leonard’s greatness was undeniable. It was undeniable when he kept getting to his spots even when Denver knew what he was going to do. It was undeniable when he iced the game with a 21-foot jumper that put the finishing touch on a brilliant 15-for-19, 39-point night. It was undeniable when he spent his time between baskets harassing Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic and and Christian Braun and refusing to let them get away with a single slow step or less-than-perfect pass.
Leonard is incredible. That was evident eight years ago, just as it was on Monday.
But as the sideline reporter approached and the camera zoomed in on heavy eyes and a weary face, it drove home how much time had passed.
And how long it’s been since the answer to “what if?” even mattered.
By Mike Finger, Columnist, via San Antonio Express-News