By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2025-12-15 14:37:51
2025年11月7日，周五，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场NBA杯对阵休斯顿火箭队的篮球赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练米奇·约翰逊对场上的一次攻防做出反应。(美联社照片/埃里克·盖伊)
拉斯维加斯电 – 当米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 接替格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 成为马刺队主教练时，他就明确表示，他将坚持自己的执教风格。
这一点在周六战胜NBA领头羊俄克拉荷马雷霆队的比赛中得到了最充分的体现，那场胜利深深烙上了约翰逊的印记。
波波维奇以其“马刺信奉的是防守，而不是犯规”的信条而闻名，他极度厌恶在球队领先三分的情况下，于比赛最后几秒将对手送上罚球线。
但在以111-109爆冷击败卫冕冠军雷霆队的NBA杯半决赛中，约翰逊在最后8秒内三次采取了主动犯规战术。
“根据比赛的具体情况，这是我们想做的战术，因为暂停次数越来越少，而且我们对自己的防守篮板很有信心，”约翰逊说。“所以，对此会有很多不同看法。但是，是的，这是我们今晚执行得很好的策略，尤其是考虑到这是我们第一次如此大规模地使用它。”
这是约翰逊在对阵强大雷霆队的比赛中运筹帷幄、招招制胜的又一个例证，其中还包括将受上场时间限制的维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 直到第二节开始才派上场，以便这位全明星中锋能在第四节获得更多出场时间。
“我们基本上是先打了一场12分钟的比赛，然后再打一场36分钟的比赛，”约翰逊说。“我不确定这有多合乎逻辑，但这就是我们面临的局面和我们使用他的方式，我认为他在无需得分的情况下，依然对比赛产生了巨大的影响，表现非凡。”
因小腿受伤缺席近一个月后，文班亚马迎来复出首战，他在末节的9分钟内砍下22分中的15分。他当晚共出战21分钟，比马刺医疗组设定的时间多了一分钟。
这一策略凸显了39岁的约翰逊在马刺队迎战周二晚间决赛对手纽约尼克斯队之际，已然牢牢掌控着球队。
“我百分之百信任米奇，”马刺队后卫德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 说，他在对阵雷霆的比赛中砍下全场最高的23分。
“我刚来球队时，米奇就是我的球员发展教练，所以我和他之间的联系比外界看到的要更加紧密，”瓦塞尔补充道。“但我们所有人都信任他。他是这一切背后的总策划。”
作为助理教练的第六个年头，约翰逊在2024年11月初接替了波波维奇，担任代理主教练。当时，这位NBA历史胜场数最多的教练和五届总冠军得主在赛季仅开始五场比赛后便不幸中风。在那个充满逆境、战绩为34胜48负的赛季结束大约三周后，随着波波维奇宣布从教练岗位退休，马刺队将约翰逊提升为主教练。
资料图 - 2025年5月5日，在圣安东尼奥，前圣安东尼奥马刺队主教练格雷格·波波维奇（右）拥抱NBA圣安东尼奥马刺队新任主教练米奇·约翰逊（左）。
波波维奇一直希望他的门徒们能做自己，而约翰逊无需别人提醒第二次。
“我不是波波，所以我无法像他那样领导球队，”约翰逊说。
但这位前斯坦福大学的控球后卫仍然遵循着他导师的许多原则，包括需要建立一个包容并蓄的团队运作模式。
“他总是谈到我们如何以一个集体的形式完成所有事情，”约翰逊说。
波波维奇另一个宝贵的教诲是：化繁为简。
“我刚接触他时，我以为自己可能会被一些前所未闻的篮球术语所淹没，”约翰逊说。“但事实恰恰相反。他的理念比我预期的要精炼得多。但他对细节的关注、对原则的坚守以及严格的纪律性，是我前所未见的，而且我不知道以后是否还能再见到。”
约翰逊也赢得了自己的钦佩者。上赛季，他带领马刺队度过了一些艰难时期，包括在二月中旬因右肩血栓问题失去了文班亚马，导致后者赛季报销。本赛季，尽管遭遇了包括文班亚马缺席周六比赛前连续12场比赛在内的多重伤病困扰，他仍然带领球队取得了令人惊喜的18胜7负的开局，这为他赢得了更多的尊重。
“我认识他很久了，”雷霆队教练马克·戴格诺特 (Mark Daigneault) 谈到约翰逊时说。“当我们在（俄克拉荷马城）蓝队时，他是奥斯汀G联盟球队的助理教练。他一直是一个非常勤奋、品格高尚的好人，情绪非常稳定。他不会大起大落，并且通过自己的努力一步步走到了今天这个位置。上赛季在艰难的情况下他做得非常出色，本赛季经过一个完整的训练营后更是如此。所以我非常尊敬米奇。”
金州勇士队的史蒂夫·科尔 (Steve Kerr) 也是他的粉丝之一。在美国男篮任职期间，约翰逊曾协助科尔管理球队的日常运营。
“首先，他是个非常好的人，一个你愿意为之奋斗、愿意与之共事的人，”科尔说。“他非常谦逊、非常聪明，是一个渴望成为集体一部分的团队型人物。考虑到他在这里师从波波（担任助理教练）的经历，以及他一生都沉浸在NBA的氛围中——他的父亲是两届全明星球员约翰·约翰逊 (John Johnson)，曾是1979年夺得联盟总冠军的西雅图超音速队的首发前锋——他是（接替波波维奇的）绝佳人选。”
约翰逊与波波维奇有一个共同点，那就是球员们相信他是真心为他们着想——即使在他严厉执教的时候，就像过去两个赛季他对凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 那样。
“你必须承担责任，而我也希望如此，”这位进入联盟第七个赛季的前锋说道。“这真的能促使我变得更好。这真的能促使我修正那些错误，并将我的比赛提升到一个新的水平。所以我感觉，归根结底这都是出于爱。我知道他希望我能达到最佳状态。”
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson, left, celebrates with forward Victor Wembanyama during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reacts to a call during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Chicago, Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson yells to his players during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, in San Antonio.
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。
点击查看原文：In first season as head coach, Mitch Johnson firmly in control of Spur
In first season as head coach, Mitch Johnson firmly in control of Spur
San Antonio Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson reacts to a play during the second half of an NBA Cup basketball game against the Houston Rockets in San Antonio, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
LAS VEGAS – Mitch Johnson made it clear when he succeeded Gregg Popovich as head coach of the Spurs he was going to be his own man.
That was never more evident than in Saturday’s win over NBA-leading Oklahoma City, which had Johnson’s fingerprints all over it.
Operating by the mantra “the Spurs play defense, they don’t foul,” Popovich famously loathed sending opponents to the free-throw line in the final seconds of a game with his team nursing a three-point lead.
But Johnson did it three times in the last eight ticks of the 111-109 upset of the defending league champion Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals.
“With the circumstances of the game, it was something we wanted to do in terms of the timeouts were starting to go and we felt comfortable with our defensive rebounding,” Johnson said. “So there’s a lot of opinions there. But, yeah, that’s something we executed well tonight, especially the first time of us really doing it to that extent.”
It was another example of Johnson making all the right moves against mighty Oklahoma City, including keeping minutes-restricted Victor Wembanyama on the bench until the start of the second quarter so the All-Star center could log more time in the fourth.
“We basically played a 12-minute game and then a 36-minute game,” Johnson said. “Not sure how logical it is, but that’s the cards we were dealt and how we played him, and I thought he did a phenomenal job of impacting the game without having to score.”
Playing in his first game in nearly a month because of a calf injury, Wembanyama scored 15 of his 22 points in nine minutes of the final frame, He played 21 minutes for the night, one over the allotment set by the Spurs medical staff.
It was a strategy that underscored how Johnson, 39, is firmly in control of the Spurs entering their matchup against the New York Knicks in Tuesday night’s final.
“I trust in Mitch a hundred percent,” said Spurs guard Devin Vassell, who had a game-high 23 points against the Thunder.
“Mitch was my player development coach when I first got here, so me and him have an even better connection than the outside sees,” Vassell added. “But we all trust him. He’s the brains of all of this.”
In his sixth year as an assistant coach, Johnson took over for Popovich in early November 2024 as acting coach after the NBA’s all-time winningest coach and five-time league champion suffered a stroke just five games into the season. About three weeks after the adversity-filled 34-48 season, the Spurs promoted Johnson to head coach after Popovich retired from coaching.
FILE - Former San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, right, hugs Mitch Johnson, left, the new head coach of the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball team, in San Antonio, May 5, 2025.
Popovich has always wanted his proteges to be themselves, and Johnson didn’t need to be told twice.
“I’m not Pop, so I can’t lead how he did,” Johnson said.
But the former Stanford point guard still adheres to many of his mentor’s principles, including the need to oversee an inclusive operation.
“He always talked about how we do everything as a group,” Johnson said.
Another cherished Popovich lesson: Keep things simple.
“When I first got around him, I thought I was probably going to get overwhelmed in some basketball language I had never been exposed to before,” Johnson said. “And it was actually the opposite. It was more stripped down than I was probably expecting. But the attention to detail and the consistency and the discipline to be committed to that was something I have never seen before, and I don’t know if I ever will.”
Johnson has his own admirers after he navigated the Spurs through some rough waters last season, including losing Wembanyama for the remainder of the campaign in mid-February to a blood clot in his right shoulder. Johnson has gained even more respect for overseeing a surprisingly strong 18-7 start to this season despite a number of injuries, including playing without Wembanyama for the 12 games leading up to Saturday’s outing.
“I’ve known him for a long time,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Johnson. “He was a G League assistant in Austin when we were with the (Oklahoma City) Blue. He’s always been a very hardworking, high-character, good person, very steady emotionally. He doesn’t get up and down and has really worked his way through that organization to get to this point. He did a great job last season in a tough circumstance and then this season with a full training camp. So I’ve got a lot of respect for Mitch.”
Golden State’s Steve Kerr is another fan. During Johnson’s time with USA Basketball, he assisted Kerr in overseeing the squad’s daily operations.
“He’s a really good person, number one, someone you want to go to bat for, someone you want to work with,” Kerr said. “Very humble, very smart team guy who wants to be part of something. He was a great choice (to follow Popovich) given his experience here under Pop (as an assistant coach) and he’s spent his whole life in the NBA, given that he grew up as a son of an NBA player (two-time All-Star John Johnson, a starting forward for the Seattle SuperSonics team that won the league title in 1979).”
One thing Johnson does share with Popovich is the players believe he has their best interests at heart – even when he coaches them hard, which has been the case the last two seasons with Keldon Johnson.
“You got to be accountable, and I wouldn’t want it any other way,” the seventh-year forward said. “It really pushes me to get better. It really pushes me to fix those mistakes and bring my game to another level. So I feel like it is all love at the end of the day. I know he wants the best for me.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News