By Stephen-Michael | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-11-11 00:22:40
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。
今年五月，当米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 作为圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练亮相时，他并没有试图掌控全场。他倾听着，表达着感谢，脸上带着微笑，甚至流下了一两滴眼泪。然后，轮到他发言时，他说：“我将尝试用我自己的方式来做。”
对于一支以延续性著称、格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 的声音指引了更衣室近三十年的球队而言，这样的基调恰如其分。约翰逊没有承诺彻底革新，也没有承诺在他的首个完整赛季就夺取总冠军。他承诺的是辛勤工作，而在2025-26赛季的头几周里，这份辛勤的付出正在奏效。
去年十一月，当波波维奇在不幸中风后宣布从教练岗位上退休时，圣安东尼奥的反应似乎是既充满感激，又夹杂着焦虑。毕竟，要取代一支球队的门面人物绝非易事。38岁的约翰逊已在波波维奇身边辅佐多年——他是一位稳健的助理教练，以注重细节、值得信赖且与球员关系密切而闻名。尽管如此，从助教到主教练的跨越仍是一项艰巨的任务。
当时并没有出现一致拥护约翰逊的呼声。相反，人们私下里议论的名字是像弗兰克·沃格尔 (Frank Vogel) 或迈克·布登霍尔泽 (Mike Budenholzer) 这样的人。任命宣布后，球迷们担心球队会经历像2胜7负开局这样的成长阵痛，或是陷入停滞、遭遇身份认同危机。然而，我们所见证的，却是一种与过去神似的光景——并非体现在战术或轮换上，而是体现在球队的精神之中。马刺队重新开始防守，他们彼此沟通，拼抢每一个地板球和篮板，而最重要的是，他们正在赢球。
从马刺队赛季揭幕战对阵达拉斯独行侠开始，约翰逊的执教烙印就清晰可见。球员们对此早已心知肚明，但球迷们则是通过一段在网上疯传的视频片段亲眼目睹了这一点——即便约翰逊本人或许并不希望如此。
“一个回合一个回合地打。在半场阵地战中摧毁他们。打出速度。快速退防。周而复始。要严于律己，去喜欢、去拥抱那些枯燥乏味的事情，”在马刺队已经领先20分的一次暂停中，约翰逊如此激励着他的队员。
这正是波波维奇的执教箴言，通过约翰逊的方式传达出来。马刺队前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 表示，这一理念已经成为他们球队特质的基石。“米奇一直以来传达的一个重要且持续的信息是，不要因为犯规而降低你的侵略性，”巴恩斯在最近一次赛后接受记者采访时说道。“我们人手充足，我认为这是我们球队的一大优势，我们拥有足够的阵容深度。”
这位老将前锋接着说，这种心态是马刺队取得强势开局的核心。约翰逊已经实施了一套强调身体对抗、立足于每一回合的体系，而在九场比赛过后，这套体系正发挥着作用。“球员们可能会陷入犯规麻烦甚至被罚下，这都是过程的一部分，但不要为了避免犯规而在场上有所保留，”巴恩斯补充道。
这份信任已经转化为流畅的团队篮球。如今，圣安东尼奥的进攻运转极具凝聚力，而一度在重建期间成为软肋的防守，也重新找回了灵魂。霜冻银行中心球馆内洋溢着一种兴奋的氛围。赛前的感觉似乎更热烈了一些，观众席也更座无虚席了。目前还没有人谈论季后赛，但一些更重要的事情正在发生：希望。
约翰逊的球队正在重新点燃球迷群体的热情，在过去六年中，这个群体已经见证了太多的挣扎与艰难时刻。这里没有花哨的噱头或技巧，只有篮球最纯粹的样子。这正是球迷记忆中那支马刺队。约翰逊带队取得7胜2负的开局之所以如此与众不同，不仅仅在于战绩本身，更在于它提醒着人们：马刺的文化从未改变。约翰逊没有试图用一支超级球队去压制对手，他正在让这支年轻、天赋异禀的阵容回归基本功：一个回合一个回合地打，立足于防守和球的转移。
波波维奇为何选择约翰逊作为他的继任者，答案正变得愈发清晰。他是连接两个时代的桥梁，他精通“波波维奇语录”，同时又不畏惧将其转译给新一代的球员。而球员们也做出了回应。他们打得更自由，拼得更凶。与此同时，他们还享受着篮球的乐趣，这或许才是所有课程中最重要的一课。
在米奇·约翰逊的带领下，马刺队在赛季初取得的成功在目前这个阶段并不能保证任何事情。NBA的赛季是漫长的，未来会有连败，会有伤病，也会有被现实敲醒的时刻。但不可否认的是，球队的氛围已经焕然一新。在一个痴迷于“赢在当下”的时代，约翰逊正在教导他的队伍保持耐心。
他的执教方式，像一个深知这份工作分量与责任的人。他沉稳、脚踏实地，最重要的是，他很真实。对于一座习惯于赢得总冠军的城市来说，真实，是一项必备的品质。而这，也恰恰是球队所需要的——即便当时并没有人公开谈论这一点。
“我将尝试用我自己的方式来做。”
九场比赛过后，这听起来像一种哲学，而它，很可能是一个经久不衰新篇章的开端。
点击查看原文：How Mitch Johnson has rekindled Spurs basketball
How Mitch Johnson has rekindled Spurs basketball
When Mitch Johnson was introduced as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs back in May, he didn’t command the room. He listened. He was thankful. He smiled. He even shed a tear or two. Then, when it was his turn to say a few words he said, “I will attempt to do it my way.”
For a franchise that has been defined by continuity, where Gregg Popovich’s voice has guided the locker room for nearly three decades, the tone was fitting. Johnson was not promising reinvention or a championship in his first full season. He was promising hard work, and through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 season, the hard work has been working.
When Popovich announced his retirement from coaching following a stroke suffered last November, San Antonio’s reaction seemed equal parts gratitude and anxiety. After all, it’s not easy to replace the face of a franchise. Johnson, 38, had been at Popovich’s side for years – a steady assistant known for his attention to detail, trustworthiness, and connection with players. Still, the leap from assistant to head coach is a tall task.
There was no unanimous clamor for Johnson. Instead, there was a murmuring of names like Frank Vogel or Mike Budenholzer. Following the announcement, fans feared growing pains like a 2-7 start, or a stalled team with an identity crisis. Instead, we have witnessed something that resembles the past, not in the sets or rotations, but in the spirit of the team. The Spurs are defending again, they are communicating, they are fighting for every loose ball and rebound, and most importantly, they are winning.
Johnson’s fingerprints were visible from the beginning of the Spurs’ season opener against the Dallas Mavericks. The players already knew it, but fans saw it first-hand in a clip that went viral – even if Johnson wished it hadn’t.
“Possession by possession. Dismantle them in the half-court. Play fast. Get back. Do it again. Be disciplined to be disciplined, to like and embrace the boring—the mundane,” Johnson exhorted his team during a timeout as the Spurs were already up 20 points.
It’s Popovich’s mantra filtered through Johnson’s delivery. Spurs forward Harrison Barnes said this philosophy has become the foundation of their identity. “A big consistent message that Mitch has had is don’t take down your aggressiveness because of fouls,” Barnes said in a recent postgame session with reporters. “We have a lot of bodies, I think that’s one of the great things about our team, we have a lot of depth.”
The veteran forward went on to say that mentality has been central to the Spurs’ strong start. Johnson has implemented a physical, possession-by-possession system, and through nine games it’s being effective. “Guys can get in foul trouble or foul out, that’s a part of the process, but don’t take plays off trying to avoid that part of it,” Barnes added.
That trust has translated into fluid, team basketball. San Antonio’s offense now moves with cohesion, and the defense, once a sore spot during the rebuild, has found its heart again. There’s a buzz inside the Frost Bank Center. Pregame feels a little louder, and the crowds a little fuller. No one is talking playoffs just yet, but something more important is happening: hope.
Johnson’s team is reengaging a fanbase that has seen its share of struggles and tough times over the last six years. There are no gimmicks or tricks; it’s just basketball in its basic form. It’s the Spurs as fans remember them. What makes Johnson’s 7-2 start so different isn’t just the record, it’s the reminder that Spurs culture hasn’t changed. Johnson isn’t trying to overpower opponents with a super-team. He is grounding a young, talented roster in fundamentals: possession by possession, with defense and ball movement.
It’s becoming apparent why Pop chose Johnson as his successor. He’s the bridge between two eras and fluent in “Pop speak” but not afraid to translate it for a new generation. And the players have responded. They are playing freer and competing harder. All while having fun, which might be the most important lesson of all.
The early success for the Spurs under Mitch Johnson doesn’t guarantee anything at this point. The NBA season is a long one, and there will be losing streaks, injuries, and reality checks. But what’s undeniable is that the mood has shifted. In an era that is obsessed with winning now, Johnson is teaching his squad patience.
He’s coaching like someone who understands the weight and responsibility of the job. He is steady, grounded, and most importantly, authentic. For a city that’s accustomed to winning championships, authenticity is a requirement. It’s also precisely what was needed – even if no one was talking about it at the time.
“I will attempt to do it my way.”
Nine games in, it sounds like a philosophy, and just might be the start of something that endures.
By Stephen-Michael, via Pounding The Rock