By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-09-29 15:22:23
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。
维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 于 2025 年 9 月 29 日在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的 Victory Capital 表演中心，为圣安东尼奥马刺队媒体日拍摄宣传照。文班亚马已获得球队医疗团队的许可，可以出战即将到来的赛季。
在过去的几个月里，维克托·文班亚马成了一位名副其实的环球旅行家，一个身穿耐克装备的“巨人版麦哲伦”。
这一周，他身在中国，与少林僧人一同学习冥想与功夫。下一周，他又出现在哥斯达黎加，与当地学童一起踢足球。
他还曾前往休斯顿的美国国家航空航天局（NASA）总部进行实况考察，与《哈利·波特》系列中闻名的演员丹尼尔·雷德克里夫 (Daniel Radcliffe) 会面，甚至还体验了一把新奇的经历——为卡通剧集《飞出个未来》的某一集献声。
如果有人说文班亚马夏天的一部分时间是在金星上度假，他的马刺队友们估计都会信以为真。
“他无处不在，”前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 说道。
但事实证明，文班亚马几乎去遍了所有地方，唯独错过了他最渴望身处之地。
“我现在感觉必须打球了，”文班亚马在周一的马刺媒体日上说道。
这简短的一句话，对马刺队来说无异于天籁之音。
在因深静脉血栓的诊断导致其第二个NBA赛季戛然而止的七个月后，文班亚马健康、快乐地回到了圣安东尼奥，参加马刺队的训练营——并准备好完成他休赛期待办清单上的最后一项任务。
马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 表示，他预计文班亚马将不受任何医疗限制地参加训练营。
约翰逊认为，尽管文班亚马长期阔别赛场，但他恢复状态应该不需要太长时间。
“他的状态一直很好，”约翰逊说。“显然已经过去了一段时间，他渴望回归球场已经很久了。我认为他很兴奋，已经准备好重返赛场。”
今年七月，这位全明星中锋已获得 NBA 和马刺队的许可，可以恢复篮球活动。
经历了人生中最长的篮球“休赛期”后，21岁的文班亚马一直在球队的训练馆里通过一系列非正式训练和公开训练赛来逐渐提升状态。
训练营的首次合练，将标志着文班亚马在重返 NBA 赛场的漫长征途上迈出了下一步。
对于马刺队和联盟其他 29 支球队来说，训练营的第一天总是充满了新鲜感与希望。
马刺队正在磨合一位新教练（某种意义上是的）——约翰逊在五月份正式从名人堂成员格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 手中接过教鞭后，即将迎来他执教的第一个 NBA 训练营。
维克托·文班亚马于 2025 年 9 月 29 日在德克萨斯州圣安东尼奥的 Victory Capital 表演中心，在圣安东尼奥马刺队媒体日上接受记者采访。文班亚马已获得球队医疗团队的许可，可以出战即将到来的赛季。
俱乐部有两位新的乐透秀需要融入球队——榜眼秀迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 和 14 号秀卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant)，不过哈珀因拇指手术后的康复将缺席整个训练营。
还有几位需要欢迎的资深老将面孔：大个子卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 和凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk)，以及神射手林迪·沃特斯三世 (Lindy Waters III)。
人们也乐观地期待着卫冕年度最佳新秀斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 能在他的二年级赛季再次取得飞跃。
同样，马刺队也盼望着全明星后卫德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 从伤病名单中回归，他目前正在从右腿筋拉伤中恢复。不过福克斯周一表示，他认为自己无法在 10 月 22 日于达拉斯举行的常规赛揭幕战前复出。
然而，如果没有文班亚马，上述的一切都无从谈起。
听他的队友们说，这位法国人其实在训练馆紧闭的大门后，早已完成了他的回归。
“我认为他早就回来了，远在公开训练赛之前，”前锋杰里米·索汉 (Jeremy Sochan) 说。“你可以看到他训练有多刻苦，斗志有多昂扬。他已经准备好了。”
显然，文班亚马在休赛期所做的事情之一，就是长个子。本赛季，马刺队将文班亚马的身高登记为 7 英尺 4 英寸，而他前两个赛季的数据是 7 英尺 3 英寸。
官方球员名单还显示，文班亚马的体重为 240 磅，比他的新秀赛季重了 30 磅。他在休赛期的一部分时间里，通过饮食和针对性的训练方案来增肌。
“我仍然吃得很多，”文班亚马说，“但我认为我短期内还胖不到肥胖的程度。”
上赛季，文班亚马在 46 场比赛中场均贡献 24.3 分、11 个篮板和冠绝联盟的 3.8 次盖帽。当时的他正朝着个人首座 NBA 年度最佳防守球员奖杯和可能获得的 NBA 最佳阵容荣誉稳步迈进，但右肩的血凝块却让他赛季报销。
马刺队最终以 34 胜 48 负的战绩结束赛季，比前一年多赢了 12 场比赛，但在缺少文班亚马的情况下，他们连续第六个赛季无缘季后赛。
“我想，不能上场比赛对他来说一定很难熬，”巴恩斯说。“特别是总会让人忍不住去想，如果他能延续当时的上升轨迹，那个赛季的结局会是怎样。”
文班亚马承认，最初因赛季报销的诊断而感到沮丧。
在他计划到访的全球所有地方中，无数的病房和诊室从未出现在他的行程单上。
“这当然是一种创伤，”文班亚马说。“但从长远来看，我认为这会是有益的。它让你领悟到一些其他任何经历都无法让你明白的道理。”
文班亚马学到的其中一课是，即便只有 21 岁，人生也像一份非保障合同。
这也是他选择在今年夏天尽情地体验生活的原因之一。当然，文班亚马在游历中领悟到的一切，并非都能直接转化到篮球场上。
当被问及在中国学到的功夫招式能否用在球场上时，文班亚马笑着说：“嗯，能用。但只能用一次。”
等到周二早上，文班亚马将回到马刺队的训练场上，开启他重返工作岗位的第一个正式日子。
在全球所有地方中，这里是他唯一想待的地方。
“我需要打篮球，”文班亚马说，“我太想念它了。”
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs speaks to the media at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 29, 2025 in San Antonio.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama speaks to reporters during the NBA basketball team’s media day in San Antonio, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs poses for media at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 29, 2025 in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama poses for promotional photos during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
Victor Wembanyama speaks to journalists during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs poses for photographs at San Antonio Spurs Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center on September 29, 2025 in San Antonio.
Victor Wembanyama poses for promotional photos during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
Victor Wembanyama, 1, and US player De’Aaron Fox, 4, pose for promotional photos during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
Victor Wembanyama poses for promotional photos during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
点击查看原文：Well-traveled Wembanyama: 'I feel like I need to play basketball now.'
Well-traveled Wembanyama: ‘I feel like I need to play basketball now.’
Victor Wembanyama poses for promotional photos during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
For the past several months, Victor Wembanyama has been a literal globetrotter, an overgrown Magellan in Nike gear.
One week he is in China, studying meditation and kung fu with Shaolin monks. Another he is in Costa Rica, kicking a soccer ball around with schoolchildren.
There was the fact-finding trip to NASA headquarters in Houston. The visit with actor Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter fame. The new experience of lending his voice to an episode of the cartoon series “Futurama.”
Had it been revealed Wembanyama spent part of his summer vacationing on Venus, his Spurs teammates would have believed it.
“He was everywhere,” forward Harrison Barnes said.
It turns out Wembanyama was everywhere except for the place he wanted to be most.
“I feel like I need to play basketball now,” Wembanyama said Monday during the Spurs’ media day.
Those eight words hit like music to the Spurs’ ears.
Seven months after a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis deep-sixed his second NBA season, Wembanyama returned to San Antonio for the start of Spurs training camp healthy, happy – and ready to check one more item off his offseason to-do list.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said he expects Wembanyama to participate in training camp without medical restrictions.
Johnson did not think it would take long for Wembanyama to regain his form, despite his extended absence from the court.
“He’s been in a really good place,” Johnson said. “It’s obviously been some time and he was in angst for a long time to get back. I think he’s excited and just ready to get back on the court.”
In July, the All-Star center was cleared by the NBA and the Spurs to resume basketball activities.
After the longest basketball layoff of his life, the 21-year-old Wembanyama has been ramping up with a series of informal workouts and open gyms at the team’s practice facility.
The first practice of camp will mark the next step in Wembanyama’s long-awaited return to the NBA floor.
For the Spurs and 29 other teams across the NBA, the first day of training camp percolates with newness and hope.
The Spurs are breaking in a new coach (sort of) with Johnson set to guide his first NBA training camp after formally taking over from Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich in May.
Victor Wembanyama speaks to reporters during the San Antonio Spurs media day at the Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 29, 2025. Wembanyama has been cleared by the team’s medical staff to play for the upcoming season.
The club has two new lottery draft choices to assimilate in No.2 overall selection Dylan Harper and No. 14 pick Carter Bryant, though Harper is out for the duration of camp while recovering from thumb surgery.
There are new veteran faces to welcome in big men Luke Kornet and Kelly Olynyk and sharpshooter Lindy Waters III.
There is optimism that reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle might take another leap forward in his sophomore season.
The Spurs are likewise looking forward to getting All-Star guard De’Aaron Fox back from the injured list as he nurses a right hamstring strain, though Fox said Monday he does not think that will come before the Oct. 22 regular-season opener at Dallas.
None of the above matters, however, without Wembanyama.
To hear his teammates tell it, the Frenchman has already made his comeback behind the closed doors of the practice gym.
“I think he’s been back, way before open gym,” forward Jeremy Sochan said. “You see how hard he works and how motivated he is. He’s ready.”
Among the things Wembanyama did over the offseason, apparently, was grow. The Spurs will list Wembanyama at 7-foot-4 this season, after pegging him at 7-3 his first two campaign.
The official roster sheet also shows Wembanyama at 240 pounds, a gain of 30 from his rookie season. He spent part of his offseason working to build muscle through diet and a targeted training regimen.
“I’m still eating a lot,” Wembanyama said, “but obviously I don’t think I’ll be obese anytime soon.”
Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and a league-high 3.8 blocks in 46 games last season. He was well on his way to his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophy and a possible All-NBA nod when a blood clot in his right shoulder shut him down.
The Spurs finished 34-48, a 12-win improvement from the season prior, but without Wembanyama missed the playoffs for the sixth straight season.
“I think it was tough for him not being out there,” Barnes said. “Especially because there’s always the what-might-have-been of how would the season have ended if he would have continued on the trajectory he was on.”
Wembanyama admits to being initially dejected by his season-ending diagnosis.
Of all the places in the world Wembanyama planned on visiting, the inside of so many hospital rooms and doctors’ offices were never on the itinerary.
“Of course it was traumatic,” Wembanyama said. “But in the long run I think it’s going to be beneficial. It makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made you understand.”
One of those lessons Wembanyama learned was that, even at age 21, life comes on a non-guaranteed contract.
It is one of the reasons he chose to live his to the fullest this summer. Not everything Wembanyama gleaned in his wanderings will directly translate to basketball, of course.
Asked if the kung fu moves he picked up in China can be used on the court, Wembanyama smiled and said, “I mean, I can. But just once.”
Come Tuesday morning, Wembanyama will be back on the Spurs’ practice floor for his first official day back at work.
Of every spot on the globe, it’s the only place he wants to be.
“I need to play basketball,” Wembanyama said. “I’ve missed it.”
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News