By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-10-21 15:03:44
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7月12日，拉斯维加斯。在一场NBA夏季联赛的比赛下半场，达拉斯独行侠队的库珀·弗拉格（32号）遭到圣安东尼奥马刺队卡特·布莱恩特（11号）的犯规。
达拉斯电 — 库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 已经身穿达拉斯独行侠队服打了四场季前赛，在NBA级别的赛场上累计出战86分钟。
而在正式比赛中，他的出场时间为零。
尽管这位联盟状元秀的职业比赛录像依旧寥寥无几，但马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 已经清楚地意识到，在周三于美航中心球馆打响的赛季揭幕战中，他的球队将要面对的是怎样的挑战。
“我看过的已经够了，”约翰逊说道。
当联盟官方选择将马刺队与独行侠队的赛季揭幕战进行全美直播时，他们显然对此早有盘算。
周三的比赛不仅是弗拉格——这位被誉为联盟“下一个划时代巨星”的杜克天才——的NBA生涯正式首秀，同时，另一位划时代的状元秀也将上演王者归来。
马刺队的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 将迎来他自二月份因血栓诊断而赛季报销以来的首场常规赛，那次伤病终结了他本有望入选NBA最佳阵容的出色赛季。
除了文班亚马和弗拉格，周三揭幕战的阵容中还将出现另外两位曾经的状元秀——独行侠队的安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 和凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving)。不过，后者因三月份遭遇的左膝前十字韧带撕裂仍在恢复中，将缺席本场比赛。
远不止于此。
过去两届NBA年度最佳新秀得主——文班亚马和马刺队的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)——将会在美航中心的球场上同场竞技，此外还有本年度该奖项的季前赛大热门（弗拉格）。
为这场揭幕战再添一把火的是，比赛中还将有NBA榜眼秀、马刺队后卫迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 的身影。
“我们是来打硬仗的，”马刺队前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 说道。“作为一个团队，我们有自己的期望，他们也有他们的期望，所以这应该会是一场非常精彩的对决。”
欢迎来到NBA新赛季。请将你的期待值直接拉满。
这将是马刺队和文班亚马连续第三个赛季在揭幕战中对阵独行侠，而此前的两次交手均由达拉斯取胜。
2024年10月24日，周四，德克萨斯州达拉斯。在一场NBA篮球比赛的上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队的维克托·文班亚马（右）对位达拉斯独行侠队的德雷克·莱夫利二世（左）进行突破。（美联社图片/阿尔伯特·佩纳）
“在这个联盟里，有些比赛之所以能获得更高的关注度，背后有很多原因，”约翰逊说道，这将是他在被正式任命为格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 的继任者后，首次执教赛季揭幕战。“而这些原因通常都是合乎逻辑的。”
弗拉格无疑就是其中之一。
作为一名大一新生便全票当选全美年度最佳球员，身高6英尺9英寸的弗拉格被誉为是自……嗯，文班亚马之后，进入NBA的最令人瞠目结舌的新星。
两年前，文班亚马同样是在对阵独行侠的比赛中完成了自己的NBA首秀，在那场马刺以119-126告负的比赛中，他得到15分，但也出现了5次犯规和5次失误。
在其他情况下，面对像弗拉格这样一位万众瞩目的球员，文班亚马或许会为这场对决而摩拳擦掌。
但自2月12日以来就没有打过一场常规赛，此时的文班亚马恐怕是急切渴望重返赛场，哪怕对手只是一群G联赛球员。
“在缺席了这么长时间之后，能在揭幕战复出，”文班亚马说，“没有比这更棒的了。”
尽管周三整个NBA的目光都将聚焦在文班亚马身上，但仍会有一些视线被弗拉格吸引。年仅18岁、身高6英尺9英寸的弗拉格在独行侠的季前赛中，凭借其位置上的多样性和防守端的威慑力给人留下了深刻印象。
由于欧文因伤缺阵，弗拉格在揭幕战中可能会获得大量出任控球后卫的时间。
“他的新秀赛季将与大多数人截然不同，因为尽管外界对他期望很高，但我们这支球队可以让他不必背负那么大的压力，”戴维斯说道，他本人在2012年于新奥尔良也曾经历过备受审视的NBA首秀。“（他可以）做他自己。我认为他非常出色。他完成了我们要求的一切，甚至做得更多。”
尽管是NBA赛场的新面孔，但马刺队中有好几人都对弗拉格相当熟悉。
2024年7月，约翰逊曾在拉斯维加斯协助史蒂夫·科尔 (Steve Kerr) 及其教练组，帮助美国男篮国家队备战巴黎奥运会。
当时年仅17岁、高中毕业仅两个月的弗拉格，受邀加入一支陪练队，与这支最终的奥运冠军之师进行对抗性训练。
那天，弗拉格所在的球队输了——只输了一分。
“那是我第一次现场看他打球，”约翰逊说。“他毫无畏惧。”
今年三月，在NCAA锦标赛的“甜蜜十六强”阶段，马刺队新秀卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 在亚利桑那大学的唯一一季大学联赛，正是终结于弗拉格和他的杜克“蓝魔队”之手。
仿佛是命运的安排，布莱恩特现在有机会在自己的NBA生涯开端再次与他对阵。
“他是个狠角色，伙计，”布莱恩特说。“所有人都看在眼里，所有人都知道他的能耐。”
文班亚马表示，他至今还没怎么研究过弗拉格，但看过他的比赛集锦。
这位马刺球星说，他尤其欣赏弗拉格在场上展现出的激情。
“我一直很喜欢那种拼劲，”文班亚马说道。“在这个年轻球员以‘漫不经心’为酷的时代，能带着如此高的强度去打球，我认为这需要一种谦逊。”
周三晚上的比赛结束后，马刺队将会有更多关于弗拉格的比赛录像可供仔细研究。
他们只能希望，那不会是一部恐怖片。
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs tries to secure his own rebound against Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks in the first half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DALLAS, TEXAS - OCTOBER 24: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is defended by Dereck Lively II #2 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter of the game at American Airlines Center on October 24, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.
点击查看原文：Spurs, Victor Wembanyama open season vs. Mavericks, phenom Cooper
Spurs, Victor Wembanyama open season vs. Mavericks, phenom Cooper
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is fouled by Carter Bryant #11 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second half of a 2025 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DALLAS — Cooper Flagg has played four preseason games in a Dallas Mavericks uniform, totaling 86 minutes of court time at the NBA level.
He has logged zero minutes in games that count.
Even with professional game film of the league’s No. 1 overall draft pick still hard to come by, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson has a foreboding sense of what his team is up against in Wednesday’s season opener at American Airlines Center.
“I’ve seen enough,” Johnson said.
Somebody at the league office knew what they were doing when they opted to put the Spurs and Mavericks on national television as both teams begin their seasons.
Not only will Wednesday’s game mark the official NBA debut of Flagg, the gifted Duke phenom anointed as the league’s next Next Big Thing, it will come as another generational former No. 1 draft pick makes his triumphant return to the court.
The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama will be playing his first regular-season game since a blood clot diagnosis put the kibosh on what was shaping up to be an All-NBA season in February.
In addition to Wembanyama and Flagg, the rosters for Wednesday’s opener will feature two other once-upon-a-time top draft choices in the Mavericks’ Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. The latter is out while recovering from a left ACL tear suffered in March.
That’s not all.
The past two NBA Rookie of the Year honorees — Wembanyama and the Spurs’ Stephon Castle — will be on the floor at the American Airlines Center, as well as the preseason favorite to claim this year’s award (Flagg).
As if the opener needed any more juice, the game will also feature the NBA’s second overall pick in Spurs guard Dylan Harper.
“We’re coming to play,” Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said. “We have our own expectations as a team and they have their own expectations, so it should be a really good one.”
Welcome to the new NBA season. Set your hype meter to stun.
This will be the third consecutive season the Spurs and Wembanyama will tip off the season against the Mavericks, with Dallas winning the previous two openers.
San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, right, drives against Dallas Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. (AP Photo/Albert Pena)
“There’s a lot of reasons in this league why games at times get a higher sense of visibility,” said Johnson, who will coaching in his first season opener since being formally named the Spurs’ successor to Gregg Popovich. “There’s usually logical reasons for it.”
Flagg is certainly one of them.
A consensus national player of the year as a freshman, the 6-foot-9 Flagg has been billed as the most jaw-dropping prospect to come into the NBA since, well, Wembanyama.
Two years ago, Wembanyama made his NBA debut against the Mavericks, scoring 15 points while also committing five fouls and five turnovers in the Spurs’ 126-119 defeat.
Under other circumstances, Wembanyama would be champing at the bit for the matchup with a player as hyped as Flagg.
Having not appeared in a regular-season game since Feb. 12, Wembanyama would be eager to play against a squad of G-Leaguers at this point.
“I think opening night after not playing so long,” Wembanyama said, “it doesn’t get any better than that.”
Though the eyes of the NBA will be on Wembanyama on Wednesday, a few might wander to Flagg. At age 18, the 6-foot-9 Flagg impressed during Dallas’ preseason with his positional versatility and defensive presence.
With Irving sidelined, Flagg could see plenty of minutes playing point guard in the opener.
“His rookie season is going to be a lot different than most because even though he has expectations on him, we have a team where we don’t have to put that much pressure on him,” said Davis, who in 2012 faced a much-scrutinized NBA debut of his own in New Orleans. “(He can) be himself. I think he’s great. He’s been doing everything we’ve asked and more.”
Though new on the NBA scene, Flagg is familiar to several of the Spurs.
In July 2024, Johnson was in Las Vegas to help Steve Kerr and his staff prepare Team USA for the Paris Olympics.
Flagg, then 17 and a mere two months removed from his high school graduation, was invited to play with a select team scrimmaging against the eventual Olympic champions.
Flagg’s team lost that day — by a point.
“It was my first time seeing him play in person,” Johnson said. “And he was fearless.”
Spurs rookie Carter Bryant had his lone college season at Arizona ended by Flagg and the Blue Devils in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA tournament in March.
In a twist of fate, Bryant now has the opportunity to begin his NBA career against him.
“He’s a hell of a player, man,” Bryant said. “Everybody sees it. Everybody knows what he’s capable of.”
Wembanyama said he hasn’t studied Flagg much so far, but has seen his highlights.
The Spurs star said he especially enjoys the passion Flagg brings to the floor.
“I have always loved the intensity,” Wembanyama said. “I think it takes some humility to play with such intensity in an era where for young players it’s cool to be nonchalant.”
By the end of the night Wednesday, the Spurs will have more game tape of Flagg to pore over.
They can only hope it isn’t a horror film.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News