By The Athletic NBA Staff | The Athletic, 2025-12-11 10:30:44
如今，NBA杯已迈入第三个年头，但球迷和球员们对此的反应褒贬不一。
与其他体育联盟的季中锦标赛不同——其中最负盛名的当属国际足坛的欧洲冠军联赛——NBA杯只包含少数几场小组赛和淘汰赛，并且这些比赛（除总决赛外）同时会计入常规赛战绩。
联盟创立这项赛事的初衷，是为赛季初大约四分之一的赛程增添更多的戏剧性和利害关系。但球员们怎么看？冠军球队的成员每人能获得超过50万美元的奖金，有人认为这已是足够大的动力。而也有些人只是单纯喜欢去拉斯维加斯旅行，并为一座奖杯而战。
不过，这些比赛确实带来了一些赛程安排上的麻烦，正如The Athletic的约翰·霍林格 (John Hollinger) 本月早些时候所阐述的。而那些独特、有时甚至有些扎眼的球场，也可能真的让人感到“头疼”。
在我们为周六的半决赛和周二的决赛做准备之际，我们的记者与联盟中十几位教练和球员进行了交谈，以了解他们对这项锦标赛的看法。（为清晰起见，问题和回答经过了少量编辑。）
迈入第三年，大家对NBA杯的态度有何转变？球员们对这项赛事的重视程度如何？原因又是什么？
卢·多尔特 (Lu Dort)，俄克拉荷马雷霆队后卫： “我喜欢它。很有趣。显然，我们是在为某个目标而战——这很有意思，尤其是在赛季中期——而且球队还能去拉斯维加斯。去年的经历很棒。我们没能完成任务，但整个体验非常美妙。”
克里斯·芬奇 (Chris Finch)，明尼苏达森林狼队教练： “我确实在联盟球员中感受到了这一点（对NBA杯的欣赏度正在增长）。是的，我真的感觉到了。我的意思是，球员们会公开谈论它。我认为在赛季初期这个时间点，它就像一剂完美的强心针。”
杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)，纽约尼克斯队后卫： “我认为每晚的比赛都充满了竞争性。当你知道其中的利害关系时，比赛会增添一些额外的激情。如果你赢了，你就能继续前进，努力去赢得一些东西。我们队里有很多球员和教练的收入不如队里的一些明星球员，所以这对他们来说也是一笔额外的奖金。你不仅是为自己打球，也是为整个团队而战。”
尼克斯队后卫杰伦·布伦森在周二于多伦多举行的NBA杯四分之一决赛中防守猛龙队后卫贾马尔·谢德 (Jamal Shead)。(科尔·伯斯顿 (Cole Burston) / Getty Images)
道格·里弗斯 (Doc Rivers)，密尔沃基雄鹿队教练： “我认为这绝对有好处。它所获得的关注度令人惊叹。我想球员们看到那个球场铺设好时，就会充满能量。……不过，我也得说，从结果来看，赢得冠军的球队之后都会经历一段挣扎期。我发现去年就是这样，这很困难。我记得赛程刚出来时看过，我就想，如果我们赢了杯赛，我们好像只有一天休息时间，然后就得打比赛；这太难了。那基本上就像是把比赛拱手让人。除此之外，它的好处都是加分项。”
斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫： “我认为每个人都非常认真地对待它，考虑到其中的利害关系和奖励。而且，能够参加这种重磅比赛（马刺队在周三晚的四分之一决赛中对阵湖人队），这让常规赛变得更加激烈了一些。”
贾马尔·莫斯利 (Jamahl Mosley)，奥兰多魔术队教练： “我认为这对我们的球员意义重大。他们极其认真地对待。……但这些家伙会以不同的专注度投入其中，因为他们知道最终能得到什么。这些球员在打常规比赛时就天生具有好胜心，而当他们知道最终会有所回报时，这种好胜心会更加强烈。”
赢得杯赛的“奖金”对你的激励作用有多大？有没有其他更好或更能激励人的东西？
奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves)，洛杉矶湖人队后卫： “我想人们就是想赢更多的钱。我认为这是主要目标。”
哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes)，马刺队前锋： “我很兴奋。我希望我们能去拉斯维加斯。这是我们的目标。”
马克西·克勒贝尔 (Maxi Kleber)，湖人队前锋： “人们很认真地对待它。他们想赢，他们想去（拉斯维加斯）。显然，NBA总冠军仍然是最高荣誉，但这就像是赛季中期的一项额外赛事。在漫长的赛季里，比赛很多，这能给你带来一些额外的竞争动力。”
迈尔斯·麦克布莱德 (Miles McBride)，尼克斯队后卫： “我喜欢看到球员们达到最高竞争水平。我觉得赛季初的比赛有时会变得有些单调。每个人都在努力寻找节奏。而杯赛的利害关系更强。”
杰登·麦克丹尼尔斯 (Jaden McDaniels)，森林狼队后卫： “当我看到那个球场时，我就会想‘是时候去赢钱了’。我们一次都没去过拉斯维加斯。至少拿个第一、第二或者第三名，我们就能分到一点钱。所以，不管我们拿到第几名，我都没意见。我们能收到一笔电汇。”
多尔特： “任何时候，当你为了某个目标而战时，这都是件大事。有些东西你只要打篮球就能得到，那就更棒了。如果你有机会赢得一些东西，那总是很好的。”
NBA杯的赛程对球员/球队造成了多大不便？所谓的“杯赛后遗症”理论有多大可信度？
里弗斯： “我希望比赛时间能晚一点。我认为这关乎球员的身体状况，我希望在赛事的尾声，那段时间正好是你的休息期。你可以想办法安排一段休息。我甚至和联盟的人谈过，建议把它放在全明星周末之前，然后你就可以进入假期。我认为那会是一个绝佳的方案，但现在全明星周末已经很晚了，所以我也不确定是否能那样安排。
唯一的缺点——我也和（雄鹿队助教）达尔文·哈姆 (Darvin Ham) 聊过——就是打完比赛后，你就麻烦了。……如果我能重来一次去年的比赛，我会让整个球队都轮休。……你正处于一个兴奋的高点，然后你回到常规赛，而你的对手却没打比赛。他们就坐在那里等着你。”
杰克·拉拉维亚 (Jake LaRavia)，湖人队前锋： “我不认为（球员们会把它看作不便）。还是那句话，因为你有机会赢得那50万美元。你只是多打一场比赛，而其他比赛基本上都计入常规赛排名。”
埃里克·斯波尔斯特拉 (Erik Spoelstra)，迈阿密热火队教练： “我希望我们能有这种挑战。我不知道，因为我们从来没有过。”
莫斯利： “我很想有机会到了那一步再来告诉你。”
卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić) 最近表示，NBA杯的球场存在安全隐患。在设计和这些担忧之间，球员们对这些球场的真实感受是什么？
乔纳森·艾萨克 (Jonathan Isaac)，魔术队前锋： “我会说（它们）有点分散注意力，这只是我个人的看法。明尼苏达的球场，（在电视上）你都能看到颜色从地板上沾到球员的球衣上之类的。这有点太过了。我觉得如果我们能把颜色调得稍微暗淡一点，效果会更好。”
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里夫斯： “我认为有些球场比其他的要好。我觉得我们的球场很滑。我记得有一次，在最早的几个回合里，我试图停下来去抢一个球，结果我的脚直接从我身下滑了出去。”
克勒贝尔： “我喜欢这些设计，有点不一样的外观。我认为对球迷来说，在球馆里有种不同的氛围也很有趣。至于球场湿滑的问题，就像（里夫斯）说的，有些球场比其他的要好。”
多尔特： “我喜欢它们。我不认为NBA会设计一个对我们不利的球场。我觉得我们在球场上没遇到任何问题。我们用杯赛球场打得一直都很好。”
拉斯维加斯是举办NBA杯的好地方吗？
克勒贝尔： “是的。……总有机会换换地方，去别处举办，但就目前而言，这里像是一个中立场地。那里也有很多球迷，他们从来没有机会现场看（NBA）篮球赛。”
拉拉维亚： “对于决赛来说，我认为是的。每年都在这儿吗？不，我认为他们可以换着来……也许去纽约，或者，像一个……我不知道。拉斯维加斯只是一个还没有NBA球队的地方，除非是夏季联赛之类的，你平时不会去那里。”
多尔特： “这很酷。显然，拉斯维加斯是个好地方。他们围绕这项赛事做了很多很棒的活动，媒体关注度也很高。在赛季中期去拉斯维加斯总是很有趣。”
里夫斯： “我认为这取决于你问谁。我不喜欢拉斯维加斯。（它应该在）洛杉矶。我爱洛杉矶。”
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：In Year 3 of NBA Cup, how are players and coaches feeling? We asked
In Year 3 of NBA Cup, how are players and coaches feeling? We asked
Now in its third year, the NBA Cup has received a mixed reaction from fans and players alike.
As opposed to midseason tournaments for other sports leagues — one of the most prestigious being international soccer’s UEFA Champions League — the NBA Cup only runs for a handful of group-play and knockout-round games that also count as regular-season games (except for the championship).
The league’s motivation for creating the cup is to add some more drama and stakes to the first quarter or so of the season. But what about the players? Those on the winning team receive more than $500,000, which some say is motivation enough. Others simply like traveling to Las Vegas and competing for a trophy.
These games do create a bit of a scheduling headache, as The Athletic’s John Hollinger outlined earlier this month. The unique, sometimes garish courts can create actual headaches, too.
As we prepare for Saturday’s semifinals and Tuesday’s final, our reporters spoke with more than a dozen coaches and players around the league to gauge their thoughts on the tournament. (Questions and responses have been lightly edited for clarity.)
In Year 3, how has the attitude toward the NBA Cup shifted? How seriously is the cup taken by fellow players and why/why not?
Lu Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder guard: “I like it. It’s fun. Obviously, we are playing for something — which is entertaining, especially in the middle of the season — and the team gets to go to Vegas. It was a nice experience last year. We didn’t finish the job, but just the experience overall was amazing.”
Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves coach: “I do sense it amongst the league players (that appreciation for the NBA Cup is growing). Yeah, I really do. I mean, players talk about it openly. I think it’s a perfect shot in the arm at this point in the early start of the season.”
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks guard: “I think there is competitive basketball night in and night out. There’s a little added juice to it knowing what’s at stake. If you win, you move on and try to win something. We have a lot of guys and coaches who don’t make as much as some guys on this team, so it’s an added bonus for them, as well. You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for the entire team.”
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson defends Raptors guard Jamal Shead during Tuesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal in Toronto. (Cole Burston / Getty Images)
Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks coach: “I think it’s a benefit, for sure. I think the attention that it gets has been amazing. I think the players see that court down, and it brings energy. … Now, I will say, on the back end of it, the team that has won it has struggled coming out. I found that last year, it’s hard. I was looking at the schedule when it first came out, and I thought, if we won the Cup, I think we had one day off, and then we would have had to play; that’s going to be hard to do. That’s like throwing the game away, really. Other than that, the benefits are all pluses.”
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs guard: “I think everybody’s taking it pretty serious, with what the stakes are, what the rewards are. And again, being able to play in big-time games (the Spurs played the Lakers in the quarterfinal round Wednesday night), it just amplifies the regular season a little bit.”
Jamahl Mosley, Orlando Magic coach: “I think it means a lot for our guys. They take it extremely seriously. … But these guys, they lock in on a different level because they know what you get on the back end of it. The competitive nature that these guys have just for playing regular games, but also knowing that there’s something on the back end of it, turns it up a little bit more.”
How motivated are you by the ‘prize’ for winning the cup? Is there something else that would be better or more motivating?
Austin Reaves, Los Angeles Lakers guard: “I think that people want to win more money. I think that’s the main goal.”
Harrison Barnes, Spurs forward: “I’m excited. I want us to go to Vegas. That’s what our focus is.”
Maxi Kleber, Lakers forward: “People take it seriously. They want to win, they want to go out (to Vegas). Obviously, you still have the NBA championship, but this is just like another competition in midseason. In the long season, where you have a lot of games, that gives you a little bit of a competitive extra boost.”
Miles McBride, Knicks guard: “I love when guys get to the highest level of competing. I feel like it can get a little mundane at the start of the season. Everyone is trying to find a rhythm. Cup games are more high-stakes.”
Jaden McDaniels, Timberwolves guard: “When I see the court, I’m like, ‘It’s time to win the money.’ We ain’t been to Vegas one time. At least come in first, second or third, and we get a little bit of money. So, whichever (place) we come in, I’m cool. We get a little wire transfer.”
Dort: “Any time you play for something, it’s huge. There is stuff you can get just by playing basketball, which is even better. If you get a chance to win something, it’s nice.”
How much does the NBA Cup schedule inconvenience a player/team? And how much relevance is there to the ‘cup slump’ theory?
Rivers: “I wish it was a little later. I think (it’s) conditioning in players, and I wish on the back end of it, that was your break. You can figure out a way of taking a break. I even talked to the guys at the league about maybe putting that right before All-Star break, and then you go into the break. I think that would be a fantastic way of doing it, but the All-Star break is so deep (into the season) now that I don’t know if you do it that way, either.
The only downfall — and I talked to (Bucks assistant coach) Darvin (Ham) about it — is coming out of it, you’re in trouble. … If I could have done last year over, then I would have sat the whole team. … You’re on this high, and then you get back to the regular season and the team you’re playing hasn’t played. They’re sitting there waiting for you.”
Jake LaRavia, Lakers forward: “I don’t think (players view it as an inconvenience). Again, just because you have that chance to win that half a million (dollars). You’ve got one extra game, and then everything else is just pretty much a regular-season standings (game).”
Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat coach: “I hope we have that challenge. I don’t know because we never have.”
Mosley: “I’d love to get there to tell you afterward.”
Luka Dončić recently said the NBA Cup courts pose a safety issue. Between the design and such concerns, what are players’ actual feelings about the courts?
Jonathan Isaac, Magic forward: “I would say (they’re) a little bit of a distraction, and that’s just me personally. Minnesota’s court was like you could see the colors coming off the ground onto the players’ jerseys and stuff (on TV). That’s just a little much. I feel like if we tone it down just a little bit, it’d be better.”
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Reaves: “I think some are better than others. I think ours was slick. I remember one of the first possessions I tried to stop to go get a ball, and my foot just slipped out from under me.”
Kleber: “I like the designs, like, a little different look. I think it’s also fun for the fans to have a different vibe in the arena. To the part of the slippery court, like (Reaves) said, some are better than others.”
Dort: “I like them. I don’t think the NBA will create a court that will disadvantage us. I feel like we didn’t have any problems with the court. We’ve been doing fine with the Cup courts.”
Is Las Vegas a good site for the NBA Cup?
Kleber: “Yeah. … There’s always a chance to switch it up and go somewhere else, but as of now, it’s like a neutral ground. There’s a lot of fans out there, too, that never get to see (NBA) basketball.”
LaRavia: “For the finals, I think so. Every year? No, I think they can mix it up … maybe New York or, like, a … I don’t know. Vegas is just like a site where there’s not already an NBA team, and you don’t really visit there unless it’s summer league or something.”
Dort: “It’s cool. Obviously, Vegas is a nice place to be. They do something really nice around the event, a lot of media attention. It’s always fun to go to Vegas in the middle of the season.”
Reaves: “I think that depends on who you ask. I don’t like Vegas. (It should be in) L.A. I love L.A.”
By The Athletic NBA Staff, via The Athletic