By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-06-28 15:13:25
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6月28日，星期六，圣安东尼奥马刺队新秀卡特·布莱恩特在圣安东尼奥胜利资本表现中心举行的马刺队2025年选秀新秀介绍会上，向坐在他身旁的阳光小屋听障儿童学校的学生们打手语。
2025年马刺队新秀新闻发布会上， 卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 看到七名来自阳光小屋听障儿童学校的学生坐在他身前的地板上，感到如鱼得水。
布莱恩特的姥姥姥爷， 迈克·“道克”·托雷斯 (Mike “Doc” Torres) 和 雪莉·弗里德 (Shelly Freed) 都是听障人士。他的母亲 萨布丽娜·托雷斯 (Sabrina Torres) 是一名手语翻译，而他的父亲 迪安·布莱恩特 (D’Cean Bryant) 曾在加利福尼亚州里弗赛德市的加利福尼亚听障学校执教女子篮球队，布莱恩特就是在那里长大的。
布莱恩特身高6英尺7英寸（约2米01），是一名锋线球员，在亚利桑那大学度过大一赛季后，被马刺队在第14顺位选中。他从小就学会了手语。颇具预见性的是，“球”是他学会的第一个手语词汇。
19岁的布莱恩特说：“和我的姥姥姥爷一起长大，很有趣，因为很长一段时间我都以为世界上有一半的人口是听障人士。我就是这样长大的。我从未将其视为一种残疾，也从未视为一种限制性或艰难的生活方式。对我来说，那是很自然、很美好的事，是一种超能力。”
听障当然没有妨碍他的姥姥姥爷过上充实的生活。
托雷斯在20世纪80年代中期在加劳德大学表现出色，曾是1985年洛杉矶听障奥运会美国金牌队的成员，并在波多黎各打了14个赛季的职业联赛，现已入选美国听障篮球名人堂。
弗里德是加利福尼亚听障学校的长期教育工作者和行政人员。
布莱恩特说：“我为自己是听障社区的一员感到非常自豪。我为我的姥姥姥爷是听障人士感到非常自豪。我爱其中每一个细节，所以我认为我们正在做这些伟大的事情，并继续教育和给予（听障儿童）人生成功的最佳机会，这非常美好。”
“听障社区对我来说意味着一切。”
马刺队管理合伙人 彼得·J·霍尔特 (Peter J. Holt) 及其家人在了解到布莱恩特与听障社区的渊源后，邀请了3至11岁的阳光小屋学生参加此次媒体活动。阳光小屋执行董事 米丽娅姆·埃利桑多 (Miriam Elizondo) 表示，霍尔特一家与 约翰·H·怀特 (John H. White Sr.) 和 德拉·图莱塔·莱特·怀特 (Dela Tuleta Wright White) 夫妇有联系，这对夫妇在1947年发现他们的第一个孩子图莱塔患有严重听力障碍后，便创立了阳光小屋。
埃利桑多谈到阳光小屋的学生们能与布莱恩特亲近时说：“对于孩子们来说，看到社区中那些接触过听障文化、有听障家庭成员的积极榜样，这非常重要。”
埃利桑多补充道：“他们很少能在NBA中看到像卡特这样了解他们世界、了解他们所面临的一些挑战、但也了解他们能力的个体。我们的孩子什么都能做。所以，就像卡特的姥爷作为一名听障篮球运动员入选了名人堂一样，我们的孩子也能做到。”
“这只是一个让他们看到自己潜能的绝佳机会。”
除了与听障社区的联系，布莱恩特也为自己的拉丁裔血统感到自豪。
当被问及在西班牙裔人口众多的城市打球对他意味着什么时，布莱恩特说：“这意味着一切。对我来说，我只是想尽我所能地代表一切，无论是拉丁裔社区、听障社区、加利福尼亚州里弗赛德市，还是非洲裔美国人社区，无论情况如何。我每天都为自己而骄傲，并自豪地在全国范围内代表我自己、我的社区和我的文化。”
肖恩·埃利奥特欢迎亚利桑那野猫队校友
除了总经理 布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 之外，当马刺队在第14顺位进行选择时，球队中也许最兴奋的莫过于前球星兼电视评论员 肖恩·埃利奥特 (Sean Elliott) ，他很高兴看到布莱恩特入选。
作为野猫队队史最伟大的球员，埃利奥特乐于有机会记录这位亚利桑那校友在NBA的成就。
埃利奥特说：“我很高兴，至少可以说是非常满意。” 他曾在1988年和1989年两次入选野猫队的全美最佳阵容一阵，随后在NBA征战了12个赛季，其中包括作为马刺球员两次入选全明星，并帮助“银黑军团”在1999年赢得了队史首个总冠军。
谈到布莱恩特时，埃利奥特说：“他只是一个拥有巨大潜力的好年轻人。他显然身体条件出色，投篮也很好。但我认为他的防守和无球跑动方式更让我印象深刻。”
“当然，他是野猫队出身，这意味着他接受了良好的指导。他得到了很好的执教，他将为比赛做好准备。”
埃利奥特表示，布莱恩特和马刺队在榜眼签选中的 迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 都是“素质极高的球员”，这要归功于他们的父母。
埃利奥特说：“他们都来自伟大的家庭。他们是无私的球员。他们都懂得如何打球。如果你看他们打球，会发现他们篮球智商很高，这正是我们所需要的。他们将非常适合我们球队。”
San Antonio Spurs’ first-round draft pick Carter Bryant answers questions in front of children from Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children at a news conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 rookies at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ Carter Bryant greet fans as he enters the court during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant answers questions during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant answers questions during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant receives his jersey from general manager Brian Wright during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant receives his jersey from general manager Brian Wright during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft picks Dyan Harper, left, and Carter Bryant work with kids from various organizations across San Antonio in a basketball clinic following a press conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant works with kids from various organizations across San Antonio in a basketball clinic following a press conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant works with kids from various organizations across San Antonio in a basketball clinic following a press conference to introduce the Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Spurs fans attend an outdoor player introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft picks Carter Bryant, left, and Dylan Harper onstage during an outdoor fan introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Former Spur Sean Elliott, from left, interviews the Spurs’ first round draft picks Carter Bryant and Dylan Harper during an outdoor fan introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Dylan Harper greets fans as he comes outside for a fan player introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Carter Bryant greets fans as he comes outside for a fan player introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The Spurs Coyote greets fans at the outdoor introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
The Spurs Coyote plays to the crowd at the outdoor fan introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Rafael Cruz holds his one-year-old daughter, Loa Cruz, above his head while waiting for the outdoor fan introduction of the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Dylan Harper receives his jersey from general manager Brian Wright during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Dylan Harper reacts to a question asking if he knows any Spanish during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Dylan Harper answers questions during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ first round draft pick Dylan Harper answers questions during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper, front, and Carter Bryant greet fans as they enter the court during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs’ Dylan Harper, front, and Carter Bryant greet fans as they enter the court during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
点击查看原文：Spurs rookie Carter Bryant champions deaf community in introduction
Spurs rookie Carter Bryant champions deaf community in introduction
San Antonio Spurs’ Carter Bryant signs to members of the Sunshine Cottage school for Deaf Children sitting next to him during a press conference to introduce the San Antonio Spurs’ 2025 Draft picks at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Saturday, June 28, 2025.
Carter Bryant felt right at home with seven students from Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children sitting on the floor in front of him Saturday at a news conference for the Spurs’ 2025 draftees.
Bryant’s maternal grandparents, Mike “Doc” Torres and Shelly Freed, are deaf. His mother, Sabrina Torres, is a sign language interpreter and his father, D’Cean Bryant, once coached the girls team at the California School for the Deaf in Riverside, Calif., where his son grew up.
Bryant, a 6-foot-7 wing drafted 14th overall by the Spurs after his freshman season at Arizona, learned to sign as a toddler. Prophetically, “ball” was the first word he signed.
“Growing up with my grandparents, it was funny because for the longest time I just thought half of the population were deaf,” said Bryant, 19. “That’s just how I grew up. I never saw it as a disability. I never saw it as something restricting or a hard way of life. It was natural. It was beautiful to me. It was a superpower.”
Being deaf certainly hasn’t prevented his grandparents from living full lives.
Torres is a member of the USA Deaf Basketball Hall of Fame after starring at Gallaudet University in the mid-1980s, playing on the gold medal-winning 1985 USA team at the Los Angeles Deaf Olympics and toiling professionally in Puerto Rico for 14 seasons.
Freed is a longtime educator and administrator at the California School for the Deaf.
“I was so proud of being a part of the deaf community,” Bryant said. "I was so proud that my grandparents were deaf. I just loved every single piece of it, so I think it’s beautiful we’re doing great things and continuing to educate and give (deaf children) the best opportunity to be successful in life.
“The deaf community means everything to me.”
Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt and his family invited the Sunshine Cottage students, ages 3 to 11, to the media event after learning of Bryant’s ties to the deaf community. The Holts have connections to John H. White Sr. and Dela Tuleta Wright White, the couple that founded Sunshine Cottage in 1947 after they discovered their first child, Tuleta, was born with profound hearing loss, Sunshine Cottage executive director Miriam Elizondo said.
“It’s really important for the kids to see positive figures in the community who have been around the deaf culture, who have family members who are deaf,” Elizondo said of the Sunshine Cottage students getting to be around Bryant.
“They don’t really get to see a lot of individuals like Carter in the NBA who know their world, who knows some of their challenges, but also knows their capabilities,” Elizondo added. "Our kids can do anything. And so just like Carter’s grandfather is in the Hall of Fame as a deaf basketball player, our kids can do that as well.
“It’s just a great opportunity for them to see what their capabilities are.”
In addition to his ties to the deaf community, Bryant is proud of his Latino heritage.
Asked what it means for him to be playing in a city with a huge Hispanic population, Bryant said, “It means everything. For me, I’m just trying to represent everything as well as I can, whether that’s a Latino community, the deaf community, Riverside, California, whatever the case may be, along with the African-American community as well. I’m just proud to be myself every day and just represent myself and my community and my culture at a national level.”
Sean Elliott welcomes fellow Arizona Wildcat
Outside of general manager Brian Wright, perhaps the most excited member of the Spurs organization to see Bryant available when the club was on the clock at No. 14 was former star player-turned-TV analyst Sean Elliott.
As the greatest player in Wildcats history, Elliott welcomes the chance to chronicle the NBA exploits of a fellow Arizona alumnus.
“I was happy, pleased to say the least,” said Elliott, who was a two-time consensus first-team All-American for the Wildcats in 1988 and 1989 before enjoying a 12-year NBA career that included playing in two All-Star Games as a Spur and helping the Silver & Black win its first championship in 1999.
“He’s just a good young man who has a world of potential,” Elliott said of Bryant. "He obviously has great size, shoots it really well. But I think I’m more impressed with his defense and the way he moves without the basketball.
“And of course, he’s a Wildcat, so that means he’s got great tutelage. He’s been coached very well and he’s going to be ready to play.”
Elliott said it’s a tribute to their parents that Bryant and Dylan Harper, who the Spurs selected No. 2 overall, are “high quality guys.”
“They come from great families,” Elliott said. “They’re unselfish players. They both know how to play. If you watch them play, they have high basketball IQ, and that’s exactly what we need. They’re going to fit in extremely well for us.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News