By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-07-12 06:05:11
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫琼斯-加西亚在2025年7月10日星期四对阵费城76人队的比赛第二节，于内华达州拉斯维加斯的托马斯&马克中心投进一记三分球。
拉斯维加斯——大卫·琼斯-加西亚 (David Jones-Garcia) 将他已故的父亲描述为“只是一个普通的工薪族，一个来自我们社区的奋斗者”。
“他什么都会一点，”琼斯-加西亚谈到他的同名父亲时说。
“什么都会”包括在多米尼加共和国的圣多明各将儿子带入篮球世界。
“他以前只是在社区里打着玩，”23岁的琼斯-加西亚说。“我6岁的时候，他第一次带我去了球场。我投了球，从那时起，篮球就成了我的全部。”
受父亲记忆的激励，这位身高6英尺5英寸（约1.96米）、体重210磅（约95公斤）的前锋正在马刺队夏季联赛的试训中全力以赴，争取一份双向合同。
“他是一名现象级球员，”马刺夏季联赛主教练迈克·诺伊斯 (Mike Noyes) 说，“他属于NBA的赛场。”
在圣多明各长大期间，琼斯-加西亚在踏上篮球生涯时得到了父亲持续的支持。
“他教我打球，”琼斯-加西亚说。“他把我带到了这个阶段。他以前带我去参加每一次锦标赛。当我入选（多米尼加）国家队时，他带我去参加每一次训练。他确保我吃得好，状态好，不缺任何东西。”
他的父亲大卫·阿波利纳尔·琼斯 (David Apolinar Jones) 于2023年2月3日因心脏病去世，当时他的儿子作为大三学生正在纽约的圣约翰大学打大学联赛。
为了纪念他的父亲，琼斯-加西亚在右小臂内侧纹上了两处纹身，分别是“大卫”和“El Varon”（意为“男子汉”），以及他父亲的出生和去世日期。
2025年7月6日星期日，在旧金山举行的加州经典赛第二节比赛中，金州勇士队的克里斯·马农 (Chris Manon) 对阵圣安东尼奥马刺队的琼斯-加西亚和哈里森·英格拉姆 (Harrison Ingram)，争抢一个地板球。(斯科特·斯特拉赞特/《旧金山纪事报》经美联社)
“他去世后，我立刻就纹了，”琼斯-加西亚说，他表示自己最近在名字中加入了“加西亚”，以纪念母亲的家族血统。
毫无疑问，“男子汉”会为儿子自今夏早些时候以训练营合同加入马刺以来的表现感到骄傲。
在旧金山的三场加州经典赛中，琼斯-加西亚场均贡献22.7分，投篮命中率51.2%，三分球5.6次出手命中率高达47.1%，罚球命中率84.2%，因此刚刚入选了加州经典赛最佳阵容。周四，在马刺队拉斯维加斯夏季联赛揭幕战111-70大胜费城的比赛中，琼斯-加西亚12投9中，三分球5投4中，砍下24分。
“大卫的表现非常出色，”诺伊斯说。“我们一直在强调他的效率问题，而我要告诉你，过去两场比赛他的效率简直爆表（投篮26中18，命中率69.2%；三分10中7，命中率70%）。”
马刺队拥有三个双向合同名额，供那些将在母队和发展联盟奥斯汀马刺队之间效力的球员使用。上个月，他们向二年级职业球员哈里森·英格拉姆和赖利·米尼克斯 (Riley Minix) 提供了双向资质报价，这使得他们成为受限制自由球员，并赋予马刺队匹配任何外部报价的权利。
鉴于他在夏季联赛中的表现，琼斯-加西亚是第三个双向合同名额的有力竞争者。他于周六再次登场，对阵达拉斯独行侠队，这是马刺队在拉斯维加斯至少五场比赛中的第二场。
“我只是在经历一个过程，每天都尽力而为，”当被问及是否认为自己已经赢得了一份双向合同时，琼斯-加西亚说道。
“无论夏季结束时发生什么，就让它发生吧，”他补充说。“一切都在上帝的掌握之中。”
无论与马刺队的最终结果如何，琼斯-加西亚表示，他非常感谢从教练组学到的经验。
“他们一直在帮助我成为一名更好的球员，帮助我成为一名乐于传球的球员，”他说。“这样做你就能在场上立足，胜任很多不同的位置。教练组帮了我很多，所以我只是想打出正确的比赛方式，帮助我们赢得尽可能多的比赛。”
琼斯-加西亚至今的篮球之路，经历过许多北美城市的足迹。
在2018年FIBA U17世界杯上代表多米尼加共和国表现出色后，琼斯-加西亚在西弗吉尼亚州的蒂斯谷基督教学校打高中篮球。他的大学生涯曾效力于德保罗大学，在那里，他作为大二学生在2021-22赛季创造了校史上的首个三双，场均得到14.5分和7.4个篮板；在圣约翰大学，他于2022-23赛季场均13.2分和6.8个篮板；并在孟菲斯大学，于2023-24赛季在前NBA球星“便士”哈达威 (Penny Hardaway) 教练手下场均贡献21.8分和7.6个篮板。
“便士教练帮了我很多，帮助我发展了我的比赛，”琼斯-加西亚说。“他当年打球的风格和我们这个级别的打法有些相似，所以那对我帮助很大。”
在2024年选秀大会上落选后，琼斯-加西亚曾在费城和犹他队短暂效力，签下过双向合同。他出现在马刺队夏季联赛的关注名单上，是因为上赛季他代表发展联盟墨西哥城首领队出战29场比赛，场均得到24.7分。
“那是一段很棒的经历，”他谈到在墨西哥城打球时说。“我是西班牙裔，我的母语是西班牙语，所以在那边感觉很棒。海拔有点高，我得适应一下。但那很好。球迷很棒，人很好，教练组很棒，球队也很棒。”
现在他希望追随那些过去和现在效力于NBA的球员的脚步，他们要么来自多米尼加共和国，要么与多米尼加有联系。这份名单包括查理·维拉纽瓦 (Charlie Villanueva)、艾尔·霍福德 (Al Horford)、卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)、克里斯·杜阿尔特 (Chris Duarte) 和莱斯特·奎诺内斯 (Lester Quinones)。
“能成为那个小团体的一员，真是一种福气，”琼斯-加西亚说。“能达到这个水平的人不多，所以我很荣幸能成为其中一员。”
也很庆幸有一位将他引上这条道路的父亲。
Golden State Warriors’ LJ Cryer and San Antonio Spurs’ David Jones-Garcia look at a loose ball in 1st quarter during California Classic game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, July 6, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs guard David Jones-Garcia dribbles up the floor during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Thursday, July 10, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones-Garcia during the The California Classic for the San Antonio Spurs versus the Miami Heat at the Chase Center in San Fransisco, California on July 5, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones-Garcia during the The California Classic for the San Antonio Spurs versus the Miami Heat at the Chase Center in San Fransisco, California on July 5, 2025.
San Antonio Spurs forward David Jones-Garcia during the The California Classic for the San Antonio Spurs versus the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center in San Fransisco, California on July 8, 2025.
点击查看原文：Inspired by late father, David Jones-Garcia makes strong bid for deal
Inspired by late father, David Jones-Garcia makes strong bid for deal
San Antonio Spurs guard David Jones-Garcia shoots a three pointer during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Thursday, July 10, 2025.
LAS VEGAS – David Jones-Garcia describes his late father as “just a regular worker, a hustler from the neighborhood we are from.”
“He could do a little bit of everything,” Jones-Garcia said of his namesake.
“Everything” included introducing his son to basketball in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“He used to play in the neighborhood just for fun,” Jones-Garcia, 23, said. “When I was 6 years old, he took me to a court for the first time. I shot the ball, and ever since then, basketball has been my thing.”
Inspired by his dad’s memory, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward is making the most of a Summer League audition with the Spurs for a two-way contract.
“He is a phenomenal player,” Spurs Summer League coach Mike Noyes said. “He belongs on an NBA court.”
Growing up in Santo Domingo, Jones-Garcia received constant support from his father as he embarked on his basketball career.
“He taught me the game,” Jones-Garcia said. “He put me on the path to get to this stage. He used to take me to every tournament. When I was with the (Dominican) national team, he took me to every practice. He made sure that I ate, that I was good, that I didn’t need nothing.”
David Apolinar Jones died of a heart ailment on Feb. 3, 2023 while his son was playing college ball as a junior at St. John’s in New York.
To honor his father, Jones-Garcia got a pair of tattoos on the inside of his right forearm emblazoned with “David” and “El Varon,” which translates in English to “The Man,” and the dates of his birth and death.
Golden State Warriors’ Chris Manon battles for a loose ball against San Antonio Spurs’ David Jones-Garcia and Harrison Ingram in the second quarter during California Classic basketball game in San Francisco, Sunday, July 6, 2025. (Scott Strazzante/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
“I got it as soon as he passed away,” said Jones-Garcia, who said he recently added Garcia to his name to honor his maternal lineage.
Undoubtedly, “El Varon” would be proud of the way his son has played since he joined the Spurs earlier this summer on a training camp contract.
Fresh off making the All-California Classic team after averaging 22.7 points on 51.2% shooting from the floor, 47.1% efficiency on 5.6 attempts from 3-point range and 84.2% shooting from the free throw line over three games in San Francisco, Jones-Garcia scored 24 points on 9 of 12 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range in the Spurs’ 111-70 rout of Philadelphia on Thursday in their Las Vegas Summer League opener.
“David’s been terrific,” Noyes said. “We’re on him about efficiency, and I tell you what, the last two games his efficiency has been through the roof (69.2% from the field on 18 of 26 and 70% from distance on 7 of 10).”
The Spurs have three two-way contract slots for players who will split time between the big club and the G League Austin Spurs. Last month, they tendered two-way qualifying offers to second-year pros Harrison Ingram and Riley Minix, which made them reserved free agents and gave the Spurs the right to match any outside offers.
Given the way he’s played in Summer League, Jones-Garcia is a strong candidate for the third two-way slot. He was back on the court Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks, the second of at least five games the Spurs will play in Vegas.
“I’m just going through a process, taking it day by day,” Jones-Garcia said when asked if he thought he has earned a two-way deal.
“Whatever happens at the end of the summer, it happens,” he added. “I’m in God’s hands.”
No matter how things turn out with the Spurs, Jones-Garcia said he’s grateful for the lessons he’s learned from the coaching staff.
“They have been helping me become a better player, helping me become a willing passer,” he said. “You can play on the floor, play a lot of different positions doing that. The staff has helped me a lot, so I’m just trying to play the right way and help us win as many games as we can.”
Jones-Garcia’s journey to this point includes stops through a lot of North American cities.
After a strong performance for the Dominican Republic in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 World Cup, Jones-Garcia played prep ball for Teays Valley Christian School in West Virginia. His college career included stops at DePaul, where he recorded the first triple-double in program history and averaged 14.5 points and 7.4 rebounds as a sophomore in 2021-22; St. John’s, where he averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds in 2022-23; and Memphis, where he averaged 21.8 points and 7.6 rebounds in 2023-24 under coach Penny Hardaway, the former NBA star.
“Coach Penny helped me a lot, helped develop my game,” Jones-Garcia said. “He kind of played the same style as we play at this level, so that helped me a lot.”
After going undrafted in 2024, Jones-Garcia has had short stints with Philadelphia and Utah on two-way deals. He popped up on the Spurs’ Summer League radar after averaging 24.7 points per game last season over 29 games with the G League Mexico City Capitanes.
“It was a great experience,” he said of playing in Mexico City. “I’m Spanish and my first language is Spanish, so it felt good to be out there. The altitude is a little crazy, something I had to get used to. But it was good. Great fans, great people, great coaching staff, great organization.”
Now he hopes to follow in the footsteps of NBA players past and present who either hailed from the Dominican Republic or who have Dominican ties, a list that includes Charlie Villanueva, Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns, Chris Duarte and Lester Quinones.
“It’s just a blessing to be part of that little group,” Jones-Garcia said. “Not a lot of people make it to this level, so I feel blessed to be part of that.”
And blessed to have had a father who set him on the path.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff writer, via San Antonio Express-News