By Sam Amick | The Athletic, 2025-12-17 11:00:46
拉斯维加斯——俄克拉荷马城雷霆王朝的概念，还没开始就已经让人觉得乏味了。
我承认这一点并不轻松。这听起来可能像是一个本应以客观视角报道全部30支球队的人，却带有某种（反）倾向性。但事实并非如此。
真正的问题在于，过去两个月，当雷霆在常规赛中摧枯拉朽时，联盟面临一个潜在的难题：他们2025-26赛季初期的这段旅程一边倒，实在没什么看点。当然，除了他们对金州勇士73胜常规赛纪录的追逐之外。
卫冕MVP谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) 经常在第三节结束后就打卡下班，因为，他的工作已经完成了（正如他在众多巧妙的Instagram配文中写道的那样：“如果我第四节都不怎么上场，又何谈来回拉锯？”）。雷霆与联盟其他球队的差距似乎与日俱增，即便全明星球员杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams) 因伤缺席了赛季大部分比赛（他于11月28日回归）。对于一个严重依赖提供引人入胜的竞争来发展的篮球商业联盟而言，即便是旧时代的王朝也总能找到至少一个旗鼓相当的对手来保持悬念，因此，人们有理由担忧，未来五年是否会缺少那种长久以来让联盟如此伟大的“调味品”。
然后，文班让我们开始遐想。
如果说观众能从这第三届年度NBA杯中记住些什么——除了纽约尼克斯在周二的决赛中以124-113击败马刺最终夺冠之外——那一定是三天前马刺在半决赛中战胜俄克拉荷马城的那场比赛。在那场比赛中，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 埋下了可能成为宿敌的种子，同时帮助雷霆队尝到了他们26场比赛中的第二场失利。而这一切，都是在他仅仅出场21分钟的情况下完成的。
但更精彩的是，文班亚马在赛后评论中用一种冷静而审慎的方式为这颗种子浇灌施肥，他声称马刺的篮球风格比对手“道德”得多。文班亚马没有详细解释他话语的确切含义，但这被广泛认为是对吉尔杰斯-亚历山大备受争议的“造犯规”打法的一次毫不掩饰的暗讽。
这正是篮球恩怨的源头。
现在，毫无疑问，马刺（18胜7负，西部并列第三）并非西部唯一有能力在当前和未来对雷霆的统治地位构成真正威胁的竞争者。但他们与其他候选者（如丹佛、休斯顿、湖人和明尼苏达）的区别，以及可能让这对决在未来几年充满看点的原因，在于一位年轻超级巨星的存在——他如此年轻（21岁），又如此天赋异禀，以至于马刺的未来潜力足以与雷霆相媲美。
“我认为我们还没到那个地步，但人们认为这有可能发生，是个好兆头，因为我们现在又不是排在第二的球队，”文班亚马在周一说道。“我不认为联盟中现在有任何人能声称与他们是宿敌。他们自成一档。但在未来，如果我们能登上那个舞台，那会很棒。并且（如果）我们达到了那个水平，当然，能拥有一段宿敌关系会非常棒。如果你身处顶峰，并且有一个宿敌，那就意味着你处于赢得总冠军的最佳位置。所以我对此非常感兴趣。”
如果这位NBA最引人关注的球员都对此感兴趣，那么可以肯定，NBA也乐于看到这样的发展，特别是考虑到接下来的赛程。不到一周，雷霆就将迎来复仇的机会——并平息这场引人入胜的讨论——他们将于周二客场挑战圣安东尼奥，然后在两天后（圣诞节当天）主场迎战马刺。紧接着，赛程又将无缝衔接进入交易季，这为圣安东尼奥的下一步动向提出了更多引人遐想的问题。
如果说前两个月教会了马刺什么，那就是他们围绕文班亚马的角色球员阵容已经（超乎寻常地）足够出色。过去几周就是证明。
当文班亚马因小腿拉伤缺阵近一个月时，马刺在他缺席的情况下取得了9胜3负的战绩（德阿龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 在此期间场均贡献25.2分和6.5次助攻；斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)、德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell)、哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes)、凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)、朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 和迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 的场均得分都在13到17分之间）。这是一个相当重要的发现，他们阵中一大批自家培养的年轻才俊与上赛季加盟的前全明星球员（福克斯）完美融合，当时福克斯通过交易从萨克拉门托亲手挑选马刺作为他的心仪下家。正如哈珀在总决赛后提醒在场媒体的那样：“我的意思是，这只是我们（全员健康）第二次一起上场比赛。天空才是我们的极限。”
这个潜在因素至关重要，因为马刺的管理层手握大量年轻才俊和选秀资产，这使得进行一笔超级巨星交易——比如，密尔沃基的扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)——比联盟中几乎所有其他追求者都更具可行性。这无疑是一条诱人的道路，但这也与这支曾在1999年至2014年间赢得五次总冠军的球队历史相悖。
值得记住的是，这个特殊的组织——就像雷霆一样——深谙打造一支可持续赢球队伍的艺术。
早在2019年布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 接任总经理、资深马刺建队师R.C.·布福德 (R.C. Buford) 升任CEO之前，布福德和格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 就由内而外地打造出了一套历史级的阵容。大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 在1996-97赛季的伤病成了一份持续带来回报的厚礼，随之而来的战绩崩盘让他们在那个夏天用状元签选中了蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan)。
马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili)（1999年第57顺位）和托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker)（2001年第28顺位，时任雷霆篮球运营总裁的萨姆·普雷斯蒂 (Sam Presti) 当时还在马刺任职，并在那次选秀中发挥了关键作用）也相继到来。在他们辉煌时代的末期，2011年选秀夜与印第安纳的交易让他们用第15顺位签得到了科怀·伦纳德 (Kawhi Leonard)，并最终在2014年赢得了又一枚总冠军戒指。
当面临是通过交易走捷径，还是依靠一路培养的前景新星时，马刺——大多数情况下——选择了后者。今昔之间的相似之处显而易见。
在2023年（再次）抽中状元签得到文班后，马刺管理层在完善本已稳固的阵容方面做得再好不过了，他们选中了卡斯尔（2024年第4顺位）和哈珀（2025年第2顺位）。这是否意味着他们已经足够强大，可以真正挑战雷霆？即使是他们自己，目前也无法回答这个问题。但考虑到联盟中关于马刺的普遍看法——外界普遍预计他们会抵制住诱惑，不会在2月5日的交易截止日前为阿德托昆博（或任何其他超级巨星）这样的球员倾其所有——那么很明显，他们将在这个过程中保持耐心。
但是，输给尼克斯的这场比赛会改变这种考量吗——哪怕只是丝毫的改变？文班亚马的表现远不如他在半决赛中那般具有影响力，全场出战25分钟，17投7中得到18分、6个篮板、2次封盖，正负值为-18。赛后，当情绪激动的文班亚马在所有其他球员都接受完媒体采访后很久才走上发布台时，他在一次简短而情绪化的采访中透露，他失去了一位身边亲近的人。当晚晚些时候，我们的同事贾里德·韦斯 (Jared Weiss) 报道称，文班亚马的祖母于当天早些时候去世。
维克托·文班亚马周二早上得知，他在法国的祖母去世了，一位球队消息人士告诉@TheAthletic。
文班亚马在赛后新闻发布会上泪流满面，并说：“我很抱歉，我今天失去了一位亲人。”
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) 2025年12月17日
尽管如此，对于“输给尼克斯是否应该改变马刺对球队的看法”这个更宏观的问题，从我的角度看，答案是响亮的“不”。但是，那些真正做决策的人，那些一心想要阻止雷霆王朝崛起的人，将不得不从现在开始继续评估这套阵容。
对于马刺来说，这些都是幸福的烦恼。而对于雷霆——他们仍然是自2018年勇士以来首支卫冕冠军的绝对热门——这是一个值得关注的（宿敌）动态。
即使比赛以这样的方式结束。
“我不想替他们说话，但我猜——而且我也感觉到——我们因为输了比赛而感到非常沮丧，”马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 说道。“我也感觉到，在打了25场比赛后，我相信，我们已经展现出一些迹象，表明我们可以成为一支相当不错的球队。我们也暴露出我们还有很多需要改进的地方。我认为这就是我们今天的处境。希望明天，我们能继续进步一点，并尽量减少那些我们需要改进的问题。”
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：The Spurs lost the NBA Cup. But the Thunder — and the league — remain on notice
The Spurs lost the NBA Cup. But the Thunder — and the league — remain on notice
LAS VEGAS — The notion of an Oklahoma City Thunder dynasty was boring before it even started.
That’s not an admission I make lightly. It runs the risk of appearing as if there’s some sort of rooting (against) interest from someone whose job it is to cover all 30 teams with an objective eye. But that’s not it at all.
The real rub, and the thing that had become a potential problem for the league as the Thunder laid wreckage to the regular season these past two months, was that the one-sidedness of their early 2025-26 journey just wasn’t all that interesting. Other than their pursuit of Golden State’s 73-win regular season record, anyway.
Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was clocking out after the third quarter on a regular basis because, well, his work was already done (As he put it in one of his many clever Instagram captions, “how can I go back and forth if I’m not really back in fourths?”) The gap between OKC and the rest of the league seemed to be widening by the day, even with All-Star Jalen Williams having missed the majority of the season because of injury (he returned on Nov. 28). For a basketball business that relies so heavily on providing compelling competition, with even the dynasties of old always managing to have at least one worthy foil to keep them honest, it was fair to wonder if this next half-decade was going to lack the sort of spice that has long made it so great.
And then Wemby made us wonder.
If the viewing audience carries one thing forward from this third annual NBA Cup — even beyond the New York Knicks being crowned champs by beating the Spurs, 124-113, in the finale on Tuesday — it’s going to be the Spurs’ semifinal win over Oklahoma City three days before, in which Victor Wembanyama planted the seeds of a possible rivalry while helping hand the Thunder their second loss in 26 tries along the way. All while playing just 21 minutes, no less.
But better yet, it was the cool and calculated way in which Wembanyama added water to those seeds with those postgame comments about the Spurs’ brand of basketball being so much more “ethical” than that of their foes. Wembanyama hasn’t copped to the exact meaning of his words, but it was widely perceived as a not-so-subtle dig at the Gilgeous-Alexander foul-baiting that is such a controversial part of his profile.
This is the stuff of which basketball beef is made.
Now make no mistake, the Spurs (18-7; tied for third in the West) aren’t the only West contender capable of providing a real threat to the Thunder’s dominance both now and down the line. But the difference between them and other candidates, such as Denver, Houston, the Lakers and Minnesota, and the thing that could give this matchup so much juice in the years to come, is the presence of a young superstar who is so young (21) and so transcendent that the length of the Spurs’ runway could rival that of the Thunder’s.
“I think we’re not quite there yet, but it’s a good sign that people see that it’s possible, because it’s not like we’re the second seed right now,” Wembanyama said on Monday. “I don’t think anybody right now can claim to have a rivalry with them in the league. They’re in their own tier. But in the future, if we can provide it (on that) stage, that’s good. And (if) we reach that level, of course, it’d be great to have a rivalry. If you’re at the top, and you have a rivalry, it means you’re in the best position to win titles. So I’m very interested by it.”
If the most interesting man in the NBA is into it, then it’s safe to assume the NBA is loving this development too, especially considering what comes next on the schedule. In less than a week, the Thunder will have their chance at comeuppance — and to quiet this fascinating conversation — when they play at San Antonio on Tuesday and then host the Spurs two days later (on Christmas Day). From there, the calendar segues quite nicely into the trade season that raises even more intriguing questions about what will come next for San Antonio.
If these first two months taught the Spurs anything, it’s that their supporting cast that surrounds Wembanyama is (beyond) good enough. The last few weeks were proof of that.
When Wembanyama missed nearly a month while recovering from a calf strain, the Spurs went 9-3 without him (De’Aaron Fox averaged 25.2 points and 6.5 assists during that span; Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper all averaged between 13 and 17 points). It was quite the relevant revelation, with their bevy of homegrown youngsters fitting in beautifully with the former All-Star (Fox) who came their way last season when he handpicked the Spurs as his destination of choice via trade from Sacramento. As Harper reminded the assembled media after the title game, “I mean, it’s our second time being out there all together (with a full roster). The sky’s the limit.”
This subplot matters a great deal, you see, because this Spurs front office has a deep collection of young talent and draft assets at its disposal that would make a superstar trade — like, say, for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo — far more feasible than nearly every other suitor around the league. It’s a tempting route to take, to be sure, but it also belies the history of this franchise that famously won five titles from 1999 to 2014.
It’s worth remembering that this particular organization — much like the Thunder — is well-versed in the art of building a sustainable winner.
Back before Brian Wright took over as general manager in 2019, with longtime Spurs architect R.C. Buford elevated to his CEO role, Buford and Gregg Popovich put together an all-time roster from the inside out. David Robinson’s injuries in the 1996-97 season were the gift that kept on giving, with Tim Duncan coming their way with the No. 1 pick that summer as a result of the standings crash that ensued.
Manu Ginobili (57th in 1999) and Tony Parker (28th in 2001, with longtime Thunder president of basketball operations Sam Presti playing a pivotal part in that process during his time with the Spurs) came their way after that. On the back-end of their incredible stretch came the 2011 draft-night trade with Indiana that landed them Kawhi Leonard with the 15th pick and, in turn, another ring in 2014.
When given the choice between taking a shortcut via trade or leaning into their promising prospects along the way, the Spurs — more often than not — did the latter. The similarities between then and now are impossible to miss.
After striking lottery gold (again) in 2023 by landing Wemby, this Spurs front office couldn’t have done much better than taking Castle (fourth in 2024) and Harper (second in 2025) to round out their already-solid group. Does that mean it’s good enough to truly challenge the Thunder? Even they don’t know the answer to that question just yet. But considering the messaging about the Spurs across the league, how they are widely expected to avoid the temptation to go all-in for a superstar like Antetokounmpo (or any other one, for that matter) before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, then it seems quite clear that they’re going to be patient during this process.
But does the loss to Knicks change that calculus — even in the slightest? Wembanyama wasn’t nearly as impactful as he had been in the semifinal, finishing with 18 points (7 of 17 shooting), six rebounds, two blocks and a minus-18 mark in 25 minutes. After the game, when an emotional Wembanyama took the podium long after every other player had addressed the media, he revealed that he’d lost someone close to him during a short and emotional session. Later in the evening, our Jared Weiss reported that Wembanyama’s grandmother had passed earlier that day.
Victor Wembanyama learned Tuesday morning that his grandmother has passed away in France, a team source told @ TheAthletic.
Wembanyama was in tears during his post-game press conference and said, “I’m sorry, I lost somebody today.”
— Jared Weiss (@ JaredWeissNBA) December 17, 2025
Still, the answer to that bigger-picture question about whether this loss to the Knicks should change how the Spurs see their team — from this vantage point — is a resounding no. But the actual decision-makers, the ones who want nothing more than to derail that Thunder dynasty in the making, will have to keep evaluating this roster from here.
For the Spurs, these are good problems to have. For the Thunder, who remain the resounding favorites to become the first team since the Warriors in 2018 to win back-to-back titles, this is a (rival) situation worth monitoring.
Even with the way it ended.
“I don’t want to speak for them, but I’m assuming — and I felt — pretty frustrated because we lost the game,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I’m also feeling, (that) after 25 games in, I believe, that we’ve shown some signs that we can be a pretty good team. We’ve also shown that we have a lot of areas of improvement. And I think that’s where we’re living today. Hopefully tomorrow, we can continue to get a little bit better and minimize some of the things that we need to improve on.”
By Sam Amick, via The Athletic