By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-01-15 12:18:27
马刺前锋凯利·奥利尼克（左）将自己的成功归功于他的父亲肯·奥利尼克（右）。图为两人在霜冻银行中心观看比赛。凯利正迎来个人第13个NBA赛季，这也是他为马刺效力的首个赛季，他说道：“没有他，我绝不可能有今天。”
凯利·奥利尼克 (Kelly Olynyk) 对父亲与一种罕见血癌作斗争的最艰难时期记忆犹新，那段日子令他倍感痛苦。
“当时情况严重到，他基本上每周都得输血，因为仅仅是从车里走到杂货店这么短的距离，他都得坐下歇歇，”这位马刺前锋说道。“他总是感到极度疲惫，上气不接下气，完全无法恢复精力，睡眠时间也越来越长。”
2023年一次成功的骨髓移植手术帮助肯·奥利尼克 (Ken Olynyk) 扭转了局面。肯是一位73岁的前运动员、教练和管理人员，他与结婚38年的妻子阿琳 (Arlene) 居住在加拿大不列颠哥伦比亚省的坎卢普斯。在与骨髓增生异常综合征 (myelodysplastic syndrome, MDS) 抗争了五年后，肯距离被认为病情缓解仅有一年之遥。
周六，当马刺在由卫理公会医疗保健系统 (Methodist Healthcare) 呈现的“攻坚癌症之夜”主场迎战明尼苏达时，凯利将会思念他的父亲，回想父亲对自己人生和篮球生涯的深远影响，以及他如何勇敢地与一种医生曾告知五年生存率仅为50%的疾病作斗争。
“没有他，我绝不可能有今天，”凯利说道。他正迎来个人第13个NBA赛季，这也是他为马刺效力的首个赛季。
肯在2020年收到了诊断书。根据美国癌症协会的资料，MDS的发生是由于骨髓中的造血细胞出现异常，导致骨髓无法产生足够健康的血细胞。在加拿大，每年约有1800至5900人受此病影响，而在美国则约为10000至15000人。
疲劳和呼吸急促是该疾病的早期症状之一，此病在50岁之前较为罕见。
“有一本关于MDS的小册子叫《状态不佳》，我当时的感觉正是如此，”肯说道。“无论是爬一段楼梯，还是走任何上坡路，我都感觉自己身体状况非常糟糕，而且搞不明白为什么会这样。”
确诊后，为了应对危险的低血红蛋白水平（血红蛋白能使红细胞在体内输送氧气和二氧化碳），肯开始每周接受输血治疗。随着他的病情恶化，并且在三次临床药物试验失败后，发展为急性白血病的风险增加，他的肿瘤科医生将他送往温哥华的一家癌症治疗中心，并警告说他的年龄可能会使他无法成为骨髓移植的候选人。
当NBA赛程允许时，凯利·奥利尼克（左）会前往温哥华的医院探望与罕见血癌作斗争的父亲肯·奥利尼克（右）。
但就在前景看似黯淡之时，肯在2023年5月收到了好消息。
“我们和温哥华的肿瘤科医生开了个会，他们花了大约两个小时仔细研究了我的病史、我父母的病史等等，然后说：‘你知道吗？我们认为你是一个非常合适的候选人。’”
随后，肯接受了高剂量化疗，以杀死骨髓中的癌细胞。下一步是静脉移植，即通过静脉注入健康的捐赠者干细胞。
“那感觉就像是‘屏息以待的激动时刻’，我们都兴奋极了，然后就是花了半小时看着那袋液体滴入他的体内，”阿琳说道。她曾是一名大学篮球运动员和裁判，并在1995年至2004年期间担任多伦多猛龙队的记分员，是NBA历史上第一位女性记分员。
肯表示，得益于这次输血治疗，他的生活已经恢复正常，并且能够再次进行他最喜欢的活动，如打高尔夫、露营、远足、烹饪、旅行以及遛他们家的腊肠犬。
“虽然还没到病情缓解的程度，但也差不多了，”他说道。
在父亲与病魔抗争期间，凯利曾辗转效力于四支球队，心中无时无刻不充满担忧。只要赛程允许，他就会戴上口罩飞回加拿大，陪伴在肯的身边。
“这很有趣，”凯利说，“因为医生告诉我妈妈：‘你不希望太多外人来探望。但如果是家人，我们希望他们能来，因为爱与信念的力量远比感染的风险重要得多。’”
肯·奥利尼克，73岁，马刺前锋凯利·奥利尼克的父亲，自2020年起便与一种名为骨髓增生异常综合征（MDS）的罕见血癌作斗争。图为他在温哥华一家医院，在接受化疗和三次失败的临床药物试验后，他于2023年在此接受了骨髓移植。
肯说，凯利和他的另外两个孩子——女儿杰西 (Jesse) 和玛雅 (Maya) 的探望，“百分之百”地振奋了他的精神。
“能见到我的孩子们至关重要，”肯说。“我当时确实面临着可能无法活下来的现实。如果家人不来，那么你就再也……能够见到他们真的太重要了。”
而阿琳则在整个过程中始终陪伴在他身边。
“在整个过程中，她都做得非常棒，”他说。
肯在加拿大执教篮球约40年，涵盖了从高中、大学到国家队级别的男子和女子队伍。他曾在1983年至2002年间担任加拿大男子青年国家队教练，并于2002-03赛季担任猛龙队的客座教练。
肯来自温哥华附近的小镇雷夫尔斯托克，因在篮球、排球以及铁饼、铅球和链球项目上的出色表现，于1970年被评为不列颠哥伦比亚省年度最佳男子高中运动员。随后，这位身高6英尺6英寸、肩膀宽阔的前锋在不列颠哥伦比亚省的西蒙弗雷泽大学打了四年篮球，第五个赛季则在安大略省的劳伦森大学度过。
在先后担任阿尔伯塔省莱斯布里奇大学（1979-88年）和多伦多大学（1989-2003年）男子篮球队主教练后，他于2003年开始在坎卢普斯的汤姆逊河大学担任了14年的体育与娱乐总监。他是莱斯布里奇大学和汤姆逊河大学的体育名人堂成员。
肯也曾执教过自己的孩子，为现年34岁的凯利开启了职业生涯。凯利于2013年在冈萨加大学荣获全美最佳阵容，在2013年NBA选秀中以首轮第13顺位被选中，并在2020年NBA总决赛中为迈阿密热火队场均贡献11.6分、6.0个篮板和1.4次助攻。
36岁的杰西曾在维多利亚大学打橄榄球。30岁的玛雅则在萨斯喀彻温大学打篮球。
“我的一生中，他都是一位篮球教练，他执教我，教导我，”凯利说。“我总是围绕着他的球队和比赛。然后，就在我上高中前，我们从多伦多搬到不列颠哥伦比亚省，他在那里的大学担任体育总监。我记得他会工作到很晚，我就会去体育馆投篮、训练。他会下来和我一起训练。他会带我去看比赛，做所有的一切。”
“他对我的人生以及我今天的成就绝对产生了巨大的影响。”
在过去五年里，凯利对他父亲的敬佩之情愈发深厚。这位老人将于1月19日迎来74岁生日。
“他绝对是个斗士，”凯利说。“他从未抱怨过一次，无论是在医院还是任何时候。他就是坚持战斗到底。这真实地体现了他的品格，以及他坚信一切都会好起来、一切的发生都有其原因的信念。”
去年十月，凯利的妻子杰基 (Jackie) 生下了他们的女儿艾拉 (Isla)，凯利自己也成为了父亲。
“说实话，我当时不知道自己是否能活到看见他的孩子，”肯在谈到他的第一个孙辈时说道。
凯利说，目睹父亲与癌症抗争的经历，让他能更好地准备好去面对逆境。
“看到他所经历的一切，以及其他人正在经历的苦难，我们真的没什么可抱怨的，”凯利说。“当你遇到逆境时，你要知道，外面还有其他人攀登过更险峻的高山，所以你也能振作精神，勇攀高峰。”
Ken Olynyk, father of Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk, holds his granddaughter, Isla, shortly after her birth in October. “Honestly, did not know if I would be around to see this child,” said the elder Olynyk, who has been battled a rare blood cancer since 2020, of his first grandchild.
Ken Olynyk, father of Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk, holds his granddaughter, Isla, shortly after her birth in October. “Honestly, did not know if I would be around to see his (Kelly’s) child,” Ken, who has battled a rare blood cancer, said of his first grandchild.
Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (far right) comes from a tight-knit, sports-minded family that includes (left to right) his sister, Maya; mother, Arlene; sister, Jesse; and father, Ken, a former longtime Canadian basketball coach and administrator who has battled a rare blood cancer.
Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk, left, helped support his father, Ken Olynyk (right) while he battled a rare form of blood cancer.
Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (8) drives to the basket on Sacramento Kings’ forward Drew Eubanks (19) during the first half of an NBA game in San Antonio, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025.
Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk signs autographs before a home game against the Miami Heat at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025.
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：Spurs' Box Out Cancer Night has special meaning for Kelly Olynyk
Spurs’ Box Out Cancer Night has special meaning for Kelly Olynyk
Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (left) credits his father, Ken Olynyk (right), seen here at a game at the Frost Bank Center, for his success. “Without him, there’s no chance I would be here,” said Kelly, who is in his 13th NBA season and first with the Spurs.
Kelly Olynyk has painful memories of how difficult life was for his father at the height of his battle with a rare blood cancer.
“It got to the point where he was having to do a transfusion basically every week because just walking from the car into the grocery store or whatever, he would have to sit down,” the Spurs forward said. “He was just so fatigued, so tired, couldn’t catch his breath, couldn’t gain any energy back, was sleeping longer.”
A successful bone marrow transplant in 2023 helped turn things around for Ken Olynyk, a 73-year-old former athlete, coach and administrator who lives with Arlene, his wife of 38 years, in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Ken is a year away from being considered in remission after a half decade fighting myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
When the Spurs host Minnesota on Box Out Cancer Night, presented by Methodist Healthcare, on Saturday, Kelly will be thinking of his dad, the impact he has had on his life and basketball career and how he bravely fought a disease doctors told him has a five-year survival rate of 50%.
“Without him, there’s no chance I would be here,” said Kelly, who is in his 13th NBA season and first with the Spurs.
Ken received his diagnosis in 2020. MDS occurs when the blood-forming cells in the bone marrow become abnormal, resulting in the marrow failing to produce enough healthy new blood cells, according to the American Cancer Society. It affects about 1,800-5,900 Canadians annually and about 10,000-15,000 Americans.
Fatigue and shortness of breath are among the early symptoms of the disease, which is uncommon before age 50.
“There’s a short book about MDS called ‘Out of Shape,’ and that’s exactly what I felt like,” Ken said. “Walking up a set of stairs, walking up any kind of incline, I just felt like I was way out of shape and I couldn’t figure out why.”
Ken began weekly blood transfusions after his diagnosis to counter his dangerously low hemoglobin rate (hemoglobin enables red cells to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body). As his condition worsened and the odds of developing acute leukemia increased after three failed clinical drug trials, his oncologist sent him to a cancer unit in Vancouver, with the warning his age might prevent him from being a candidate for a bone marrow transplant.
When the NBA scheduled permitted, Kelly Olynyk (left) visited his father, Ken Olynyk (right), in a Vancouver hospital while he battled a rare blood cancer.
But just when his outlook seemed bleak, Ken received good news in May 2023.
“We had a meeting with the oncologist in Vancouver, and for about two hours, they went through my medical history, my parents’ history, etcetera, and said, ‘You know what? We think you’re a solid candidate.’”
Ken then underwent high-dose chemotherapy to kill the cells in the bone marrow. The next step was the intravenous transplantation, where healthy donor stem cells are infused into a vein.
“It was like a ‘drum roll, please’ and we’re all excited, and it’s like a half an hour watching this bag drip into his body,” said Arlene, a former college basketball player and referee who worked for Toronto as the NBA’s first female scorekeeper from 1995-2004.
Thanks to the transfusion, Ken said his life is back to normal and he’s able to do his favorite activities again like golfing, camping, hiking, cooking, traveling and walking the couple’s dachshund.
“It’s not remission, but it’s close,” he said.
Kelly had stints with four teams during his father’s health scare, worrying all the while. When breaks in the schedule permitted, he flew to Canada to be at Ken’s side while wearing a mask.
“It was interesting,” Kelly said, “because the doctors told my mom, ‘You don’t want too many outside people coming to visit. But if it’s family, we want them here because of the power of love and belief, which is way more important than the risk of an infection.’”
Ken Olynyk, the 73-year-old father of Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk, has battled myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood cancer, since 2020. He’s pictured here in a Vancouver hospital, where he receive a bone marrow transplant in 2023 following chemotherapy and three failed clinical drug trials.
Ken said visits with Kelly and his other children, daughters Jesse and Maya, helped raise his spirits “100 percent.”
“Seeing my kids was major important,” Ken said. “There was the reality I might not survive. If the family doesn’t come, then you never … It’s so important you get to see them.”
And Arlene was there with him every step of the way.
“She was super throughout the whole thing,” he said.
Ken coached basketball — boys and girls, men and women — for roughly 40 years in Canada, including at the high school, college and national levels. He served as coach of the country’s junior men’s national team from 1983-2002 and as a visiting coach with the Raptors in 2002-03.
After being named British Columbia boys high school athlete of the year for 1970 for excelling in basketball, volleyball and the discus, shot put and hammer throws in the small town of Revelstoke near Vancouver, Ken played basketball as a broad-shouldered 6-foot-6 forward for four years at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and for a fifth season at Laurentian University in Ontario.
After stints as head coach of men’s teams at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta (1979-88) and the University of Toronto (1989-2003), he began a 14-year run in 2003 as athletics and recreation director at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. He is a member of the Lethbridge and Thompson Rivers athletics halls of fame.
Ken also coached his children, helping launch a career for Kelly, 34, in which he earned All-America honors at Gonzaga in 2013, was selected 13th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft and averaged 11.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists for Miami in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Jesse, 36, played rugby at the University of Victoria. Maya, 30, played basketball at the University of Saskatchewan.
“He was a basketball coach my whole life, coached me, taught me,” Kelly said. "I would always be around his teams, his games. And then when we moved from Toronto to B.C. right before I went to high school, he was athletic director at the university there. I remember he would be in the office late, and I would go into the gym and shoot, work out. He would come down and work out with me. He would take me to games, everything.
“He was definitely a huge impact on my life and where I am today.”
Kelly’s admiration for his father, who is set to turn 74 on Jan. 19, increased even more the last five years.
“Definitely a fighter,” Kelly said. “Never complained once, not in the hospital, everything. Just fought through it. It’s a real testament to his character and his belief that everything would be all right and was happening for a reason.”
Kelly became a father himself in October after his wife, Jackie, gave birth to their daughter, Isla.
“Honestly, did not know if I would be around to see his child,” Ken said of his first grandchild.
Kelly said watching his father fight cancer has better prepared him to deal with adversity.
“Seeing what he went through and what other people go through, we have very little to complain about,” Kelly said. “And when you hit adversity, you know that there’s other stuff, bigger mountains out there that other people have climbed, so you can strap up yourself and climb.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News