By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-09 10:07:53
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。
圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇（左）与迈阿密热火队主教练埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉（右）在2015年2月6日于圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA比赛下半场，就一次判罚与裁判比尔·斯普纳（中）进行沟通。当两队在2013年和2014年连续两年于NBA总决赛交手时，这两位教练建立了深厚的友谊。（美联社照片/埃里克·盖伊）
在2013年和2014年与马刺队连续两年于总决赛交锋后，迈阿密热火队对格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 怀有崇高的敬意。
对于执教多年的主帅埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra) 来说尤其如此。他表示，在这位NBA历史胜场数最多的教练因中风六个月后于今年五月宣布退休后，他才终于慢慢接受自己不会再在场边与波波维奇对决的现实。
“去年，你总期待着他会回来，”斯波尔斯特拉说道。他指的是上赛季热火与马刺的两场比赛期间，他对波波维奇的期待与希望，当时马刺由代理主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 执教。
将于11月1日年满55岁的斯波尔斯特拉称76岁的波波维奇是“联盟中我们许多人的杰出榜样”，他“在最高水平上竞争，非常像（热火队总裁）帕特·莱利 (Pat Riley) 所做到的那样”，并且是一位“充满风度与尊严”的教练。
“他做事的方式赢得了所有人的尊重，即使是作为他的对手，”斯波尔斯特拉在周三晚于迈阿密以107-112不敌马刺的赛前说道。
“能够连续两年在总决赛中与他们交手，是一段非常美妙的经历。而且我认为，最终两支球队各赢得一次总冠军（热火在2013年，马刺在2014年），这是最恰当的结局。我知道他现在仍然以篮球运营总裁的身份参与球队事务，这很棒，很高兴看到这一点。”
随着波波维奇的退休，斯波尔斯特拉以在迈阿密执教17个赛季的履历，成为现役执教同一球队时间最长的NBA教练，比金州勇士队史蒂夫·科尔 (Steve Kerr) 的11个赛季还多6年。斯波尔斯特拉和科尔是目前仅有的两位执教同一支球队达到或超过十年的NBA教练。
波波维奇从NBA教练岗位退休时，是联盟历史常规赛胜场数（1390场）和总胜场数（1560场）的纪录保持者。他也是联盟历史上最年长的教练。
奥利尼克接近迎来马刺首秀
约翰逊表示，凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk) 正“越来越接近”上演他的季前赛首秀，不过这位教练也明确表示，他并不担心这位征战联盟第13个赛季的前锋/中锋能否在10月22日马刺客场对阵达拉斯的常规赛揭幕战之前获得任何上场时间。
现年34岁的奥利尼克自4月8日代表新奥尔良鹈鹕队对阵布鲁克林篮网队并出场22分钟以来，便再未参加过任何比赛。他因左脚跟腱炎错过了上赛季的最后三场比赛，并于四月底接受了左脚跟微创手术和超声引导下的肌腱清创术。
“他的恢复进展顺利，但我绝对不需要通过比赛来考察他，”约翰逊说。“我看过他大概15年的比赛录像了，而且他在训练中的状态已经足够好，所以我很放心。”
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra signals to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
点击查看原文：Heat's Erik Spoelstra salutes Gregg Popovich's 'class and dignity'
Heat’s Erik Spoelstra salutes Gregg Popovich’s ‘class and dignity’
San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, left, and Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, right, confer with official Bill Spooner, center, about a call during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 6, 2015, in San Antonio. The two coaches built a bond when their teams faced each other in back-to-back NBA Finals in 2013 and 2014. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
The Miami Heat exited their back-to-back Finals showdowns with the Spurs in 2013 and 2014 with a great deal of respect for Gregg Popovich.
That was especially true of longtime coach Erik Spoelstra, who said it’s finally sinking in that he won’t face Popovich on the sidelines again after the NBA’s all-time winningest coach retired from coaching in May six months after he suffered a stroke.
“Last year, you’re expecting him to come back,” Spoelstra said, referring to his expectations — and hope — for Popovich during the two games the Heat played against the Spurs last year with Mitch Johnson serving as acting coach.
Spoelstra, who will turn 55 on Nov. 1, called Popovich, 76, a “great role model for so many of us in the league” who competed at the “highest level, very similar to what (Heat president) Pat (Riley) did” and someone who did it with “class and dignity.”
“He did it in a way that earned the respect of everybody, even when you competed against him,” Spoelstra said of Popovich before the Heat lost 112-107 to the Spurs on Wednesday night in Miami.
“It was such an amazing experience to be able to face them two years in a row in the Finals. And I think it was fitting that each organization was able to come away with a championship (the Heat in 2013, the Spurs in 2014). I know he’s still involved with the organization (as president of basketball operations), which is great. Great to see.”
With Popovich retired, Spoelstra is the longest tenured active NBA coach with 17 seasons to his credit in Miami, six more than Steve Kerr’s 11 at Golden State. Spoelstra and Kerr are the only current NBA coaches who have coached their teams for a decade or longer.
Popovich retired from NBA coaching as the league’s all-time leader in regular season wins (1,390) and overall victories (1,560). He was also the oldest coach in league history.
Olynyk ‘trending’ Spurs debut
Johnson said Kelly Olynyk is “getting closer” to making his preseason debut, although the coach made it clear he isn’t losing any sleep over whether the 13th-year forward/center will get any time on the court before the Spurs open the regular season at Dallas on Oct. 22.
Olynyk, 34, hasn’t seen any game action since April 8 when he logged 22 minutes for New Orleans in a game against Brooklyn. He missed the final three games last season due to left Achilles tendinosis before undergoing minimally invasive surgery on his left heel and ultrasound-guided tendon debridement in late April.
“He is trending the right way, but I definitely don’t need to see him,” Johnson said. “He’s got about 15 years of tape I’ve seen, and he’s looked good enough in practice that I’m all right.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News