By Jared Weiss and Eric Nehm | The Athletic, 2026-01-16 11:00:18
圣安东尼奥电——扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 深知，对于一位“独角兽”球员而言，在NBA保持健康是何其珍贵。在维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 重新定义身材与技术的结合之前，这曾是阿德托昆博的角色。在（文班亚马这只）犄角更长、虹尾更蓬松的独角兽出现之前，他才是那个独角兽。
他明白做到那些本不该被做到的事情是何种感觉。他也懂得要让这种表现持续下去是多么艰难。
因此，在圣安东尼奥马刺队以119-101大胜密尔沃基雄鹿队后，阿德托昆博和文班亚马在球场中央相遇，他们捂住嘴巴，交流了一些不想让外人听到的悄悄话。
尽管阿德托昆博没有透露谈话的具体内容，但他花了好几分钟暗示了谈话的背景。这或许不是两位神兽之间的火炬传递，但无疑是对彼此身上火焰的相互欣赏。
“赛后我有机会和他聊了聊，只要他能保持健康，他就是这个联盟的未来。天空才是他的极限，”阿德托昆博说。“他只需要埋头苦练，并带领他的球队赢得比赛。”
但那个永远必要的附带条件还是出现了。“如果”、“只要”这样的字眼。在22分钟内得到22分的文班亚马，激发了人们无穷的遐想与希望，但也伴随着一个不容忽视的星号标记。在过去一周，这个小小的星号开始吞噬了围绕他的热议。尽管他的潜力高耸入云，但他最大的敌人，正是那双将他带回地面的双腿。
他总是不断受伤。对阵雷霆队时，他摔倒了太多次，数都数不清。有好几次短暂的瞬间，那种担心他赛季可能报销的恐惧深深地拨动了人们的心弦。接着在周四，当两位巨人发生碰撞，并且只有一位毫发无损地离开时，这种担忧达到了新的高度。
第一节，文班亚马和阿德托昆博发生了一次膝盖相撞，导致这位马刺新星迅速一瘸一拐地走回更衣室，引发了人们对他是否因持续的身体冲击而终于被压垮的担忧。他最终在第二节回归，并用投篮彻底拉开了比分，但他径直跑回球员通道的景象，让他生涯持久性的不确定性显得无比真实。
据文班亚马身边的消息人士匿名透露，他们希望文班亚马能改进他在比赛中的伤病预防方式，特别是要减少他每晚倒地的次数。文班亚马有频繁倒地的习惯，这通常是为了在他笨拙落地时，减少脚踝或膝盖受到的扭转力。落地受伤的严重性通常发生于某个关节在不稳定的姿势下完全承受了负荷，从而导致损伤。
倒地，是为了将风险降至最低。但那股冲击力总要有地方释放。时间并不能治愈所有伤痛。有时，它反而会加重伤势。
“我一直觉得很幸运，我在这方面一直有很好的直觉，在球场上也一样，懂得如何安放和保护自己的身体，”文班亚马说。“但我想说，更难的事情，也是我必须在心理上做好准备的，是准备好去承受疼痛，而不是只想着去保护。有时候，这会带来疼痛，或者你必须做一些感觉上反直觉的事情，但这其实是为了更好。”
文班在与扬尼斯膝盖相撞后返回更衣室。pic.twitter.com/QbA9cSnwIE
— NBA on ESPN (@ ESPNNBA) January 16, 2026
在一次接受The Athletic的采访时，曾帮助文班亚马学习其“七式姿态”训练计划的体能训练师卡杜尔·齐亚尼 (Kadour Ziani)，详细谈论了文班亚马对身体姿态和疼痛感知的高度敏锐性。在对抗那些最顶尖、身体最强壮的球员时，这些特质至关重要。那些球员无需畏惧他。而他，仍有许多东西要向这些伟大的球员学习。
当面对在22分钟内砍下21分的阿德托昆博时，疼痛在所难免。他享受身体对抗，这是他整个比赛风格的驱动力。但情况并非总是如此。
当阿德托昆博还是一个来自希腊、名不见经传的瘦弱少年被选中时，他只有6英尺9英寸高，190磅重。凭借NBA球队提供的合理营养和在力量房里顽强的决心，阿德托昆博年复一年地变得更高大、更强壮，在他第13个NBA赛季开始时，他的官方体重已达到243磅。
阿德托昆博回顾了他在联盟的成长历程，从一名新秀时期的瘦弱运动员，到文班亚马这个年纪时，已成为杰森·基德 (Jason Kidd) 手下的7英尺组织前锋。那次实验取得了成功，阿德托昆博在对手们意识到该认真对待他之前，就已蜕变为一名全明星首发。
“那时的比赛对我来说很简单，我之所以这么说，是因为人们还没研究透我，他们也还没把我当回事，”他说。
到了他的第五个赛季，他与地板的较量成了主旋律。一位队友最近向他透露，在他之前效力的一支球队，对方教练会在赛前于白板上写下他们希望将阿德托昆博撂倒在地的次数。他们知道，在身体上消耗他，会让他更难用持球突破来击溃他们。
阿德托昆博的标志性特质之一，即使在他还是个瘦弱少年时，就是他冲击篮筐并制造犯规的意愿。这意味着在早期生涯中他需要频繁倒地。但多年来，那些通过被打得人仰马翻换来的罚球机会，已经转变为隔人暴扣，而那些隔人暴扣如今又演变成一套让他能保持站立完成的创造性终结技巧。
他最大的优势——即力量——在对手利用这一点来针对他时，也曾是他的弱点。阿德托昆博花了一些时间调整和自我反思，才想出如何反制对手的反制策略。
“当你对比赛的理解越深入，你就越能放下自我，”阿德托昆博说。“你了解自己的优势，也了解自己的弱点。你只需在自己的优势范围内打球，然后你就会变得更高效，并让比赛来找你。”
文班亚马显然正在学习如何驾驭他职业生涯的这个阶段。他正处于一个探索自身潜能与极限的炼狱阶段。这意味着他目前的打法尚显粗糙，但由不懈的雄心和天赋所驱动。他不断尝试做一些别人做不到的事情，而且他总是能频频接近成功，足以让这些尝试奏效。他的投篮正开始找到一些节奏，在膝伤回归后，他外线手感滚烫，彻底拉开了比赛分差。
或许这次碰撞帮助他意识到，他应该选择更轻松的方式，并从更宏观的角度思考。他知道自己是众矢之的。
“当然。但我们同样也会将对手阵中的最佳球员视为目标，”文班亚马说。“所以，绝不是用肮脏的手段，但这正是我们必须经历的。尤其是在对抗像扬尼斯这样的球员时，我认为你必须准备好为这样的对决献出自己的身体，因为无论如何，你都不可能百分之百地走出赛场。”
维克托·文班亚马与扬尼斯·阿德托昆博在周四晚的比赛中正面对决。(Ronald Cortes / Getty Images)
文班亚马已经有一段时间没有在赛后感觉自己接近百分之百健康了。不过他确实表示，在赛季过半之际，他的关节感觉比预期的要好。赛季第40场到第60场比赛的这段赛程，对于联盟中的每个人来说通常都是最艰难的。若能带着良好节奏度过这个阶段，将是一个好兆头，预示着文班亚马将为他的季后赛首秀做好准备。
“我觉得，当他能够不断精进球技、成长为一名更成熟的球员，随着年龄的增长，他会找到自己的定位，”阿德托昆博说。“无论面对何种考验，他都能找到答案。”
阿德托昆博只是希望能亲眼见证文班亚马登顶时的样子。尽管他在盛赞对手，但他们仍然是对手。这既是出于尊重，也是作为欧洲巨人的同袍之情，更是源于对一个更强大挑战的渴望。
“他会达到他的终极形态，到那时，他将是一个噩梦，”阿德托昆博说。“因为我是一个竞争者，我热爱与最强者对抗。我希望能在我老去之前，看到那个终极形态并与之交手。你想在你的履历上添上这一笔，你想和最强的球员较量。”
文班亚马知道自己有能力理解这些问题，但他显然还没有答案。赛季初他展现了自己的身体对抗能力，联盟为之惊叹，但随后也找到了对付他的办法。看看在输给明尼苏达的那场比赛中，朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 是如何将他推来搡去的就知道了。文班亚马有明显的弱点；只是他通常能通过发挥自己的长处来弥补这些弱点。
阿德托昆博在文班亚马这个年纪时，一切也开始融会贯通，但随后他还需要另一个警钟，才完成了从优秀球员到伟大球员再到MVP的蜕变。文班亚马还有好几步要走。但他必须清楚自己该在哪里落脚、如何迈步，以确保自己不会在通往巅峰的路上摔倒或绊倒。他应该为他的新朋友做到这一点，这位朋友希望在他们都处于巅峰时与他相会，只为将来能留下一段佳话。
“当我有了四个孩子，我就能坐在沙发上，和他们一起观看比赛集锦，然后说‘我曾和那个家伙交过手’，”阿德托昆博说。“‘有一次我隔扣了他，有一次我盖了他。但更多时候，是他打爆了我。’”
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：Giannis Antetokounmpo sees Victor Wembanyama as a ‘nightmare’ one day, if he can get there in one piece
Giannis Antetokounmpo sees Victor Wembanyama as a ‘nightmare’ one day, if he can get there in one piece
SAN ANTONIO — Giannis Antetokounmpo understands how precious health in the NBA is for a unicorn. Before Victor Wembanyama redefined the relationship between size and skill, that was Antetokounmpo’s job. He was the unicorn before the horn inched longer and the rainbow tail grew fluffier.
He understands what it’s like to do something that’s not supposed to be done. He also understands why it’s so incredibly hard to make it last.
So after the San Antonio Spurs’ 119-101 thrashing of the Milwaukee Bucks, Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama met at center court, covered their mouths, and discussed something they didn’t want everyone to hear.
Though Antetokounmpo did not reveal the specifics of the conversation, he spent several minutes hinting at its context. This may not have been a passing of the torch between mythical beings, but it was certainly a mutual admiration of the flame.
“I had the opportunity to speak to him after the game and as long as he stays healthy, he’s the future of this league. The sky’s the limit,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s just gotta put his head down, work and just lead his team to win in games.”
But there it was, the ever-necessary caveat. The “if.” The “as long as.” Wembanyama, who had 22 points in 22 minutes, inspires an incredible amount of wonder and hope, with an unmistakable asterisk. That little star began to subsume the hype over this past week. As much as his potential is sky-high, his greatest enemy is the legs that bring him back to earth.
He just keeps getting hurt. Against the Thunder, he went down too many times to count. For several brief moments, the fear that his season could be in jeopardy struck a chord. Then it reached the next level on Thursday when the two giants clashed and only one made it out unscathed.
There was a knee-to-knee collision between Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo in the first quarter that sent the Spurs star swiftly hobbling to the locker room, evoking fears that the constant body blows finally broke him down. He eventually returned in the second quarter and his shooting broke the game open, but the sight of him running straight to the back halls made the uncertainty of his longevity all too real.
Sources close to Wembanyama discussed under anonymity the desire for him to refine his injury prevention methods during the course of play, particularly to limit the number of times he hits the floor a night. Wembanyama has a knack for going down frequently, typically in an attempt to reduce torsion on his ankles or knees when he lands awkwardly. The severity of landing injuries usually comes when a joint fully bears the load in an unstable position, causing damage.
Hit the deck, minimize the risk. But that energy has to go somewhere. Time doesn’t heal all wounds. Sometimes, it punishes them.
“I’ve always felt lucky that I’ve always had great instincts in this matter, and on the court in general, on how to place my body and protect it,” Wembanyama said. “But I would say the harder thing for which I have to prepare mentally is to be ready to hurt rather than to be ready to protect. Sometimes, it’s going to hurt or something you’re going to have to do some things that feel counterintuitive, but it’s for the better.”
Wemby headed to the locker room after bumping knees with Giannis. pic.twitter.com/QbA9cSnwIE
— NBA on ESPN (@ ESPNNBA) January 16, 2026
In an interview with The Athletic, mobility trainer Kadour Ziani, who helped teach Wembanyama his “Seven Postures” program, spoke at length about Wembanyama’s advanced senses of body positioning and pain awareness. These traits matter when going up against the best, most physical players. The ones who do not need to fear him. The greats from whom he still has much to learn.
It’s going to hurt at some point when facing Antetokounmpo, who had 21 points in 22 minutes. He relishes the contact. It’s what drives his entire game. But it wasn’t always that way.
When Antetokounmpo was drafted as a relatively unknown skinny teenager from Greece, he was only 6-foot-9 and 190 pounds. With proper nutrition supplied by an NBA team and a dogged determination in the weight room, Antetokounmpo quickly grew bigger and stronger year-over-year and now officially weighed 243 pounds at the start of his 13th NBA season.
Antetokounmpo recounted his journey through the league, going from a skinny athlete as a rookie to Jason Kidd’s 7-foot point-forward by the time he was Wembanyama’s age. That experiment worked, as Antetokounmpo morphed into an All-Star starter before his opponents even realized it was time to take him seriously.
“The game was really easy for me and the reason I say that is because people didn’t figure me out yet and they didn’t respect me,” he said.
In his fifth year, that’s when the his rivalry with the hardwood took over. A teammate recently revealed to him that, at a previous stop, opposing coaches would write on the whiteboard pregame how many times they wanted to throw Antetokounmpo to the floor. They knew breaking him down physically would make it harder for him to break them down off the dribble.
One of Antetokounmpo’s defining traits, even when he was a skinny teenager, has been his willingness to attack the basket and draw fouls. That meant hitting the deck a lot early on. But over the years, those trips to the free throw line earned by being sent sprawling to the floor have transformed into poster dunks and those poster dunks have now turned into a package of creative finishes that keep him on his feet.
His greatest strength — i.e., strength — was a weakness when the opponent would lean into it. It took some adjustment and self-reflection for Antetokounmpo to figure out how to counter the counter.
“As you understand the game better, you get over yourself,” Antetokounmpo said. “You know your strengths, you know your weaknesses. You just try to play within your strength and then you become more efficient and you let the game come to you.”
Wembanyama is clearly learning how to navigate this stage of his career. He is in a purgatory between learning his potential and his limits. It’s meant an unrefined game carried by an unrelenting ambition and talent. He keeps trying to do things nobody else can do and he gets close enough often enough to make it work. He’s starting to find some rhythm shooting and caught fire from deep to blow the game open when he returned from the knee injury.
Maybe the collision helped him realize that he should be taking the easy way out and thinking bigger picture. He knows he is the target.
“Of course. But we have a target on the other team’s best players as well,” Wembanyama said. “So never in a dirty way, but that’s just what we have to go through. Especially against a guy like Giannis, I think you have to be ready to give up your body for this matchup, because no matter what, you’re not gonna get out of there 100 percent.”
Victor Wembanyama and Giannis Antetokounmpo faced off Thursday night. (Ronald Cortes / Getty Images)
It’s been a little while since Wembanyama walked away from a game anywhere near 100 percent. He did say his joints feel better than expected at the halfway point of the season. This stretch of games, 40-through-60, tend to be the toughest for everyone across the league. Getting to the other side of it with a rhythm will be a good sign that Wembanyama will be ready for his playoff debut.
“I feel the like the moment he’s able to keep on growing his game and growing as a player, just getting older, he’s going to figure out his spot,” Antetokounmpo said. “No matter what the test is, he will just have the answers.”
Antetokounmpo just hopes to see what it looks like when Wembanyama gets to the top. As much as he was gassing up his opponent, they’re still opponents. It’s out of respect, kinship in European giant-hood, and a desire for a greater challenge.
“He’s going to be in his final level and then it’s going to be a nightmare,” Antetokounmpo said. “Because I’m a competitor, I love playing against the best. I would love to see that final stage and face that final stage before I’m too old. You want to have it on your resume, you want to play the best.”
Wembanyama knows he is capable of understanding the questions, but he certainly does not have the answers yet. He announced his physicality at the beginning of the year, the league gasped, then they figured him out. Just look at how Julius Randle shoved him around in that Minnesota loss. Wembanyama has clear weaknesses; he just usually can get around those weaknesses by leaning into his strengths.
Antetokounmpo was around his age when everything started to click, but then he needed another wake-up call to go from good to great to MVP. Wembanyama still has several more steps to go. But he has to know where and how he’s stepping to make sure he doesn’t trip and stumble on his way toward the top. He owes it to his new friend, who wants to meet him while they’re both at the top, just for posterity’s sake.
“When I have four kids, I will be able to sit down on the couch and watch the clips with them and say ‘I played against that guy.’” Antetokounmpo said. “‘One time I dunked on him, one time I blocked him. But many other times, he got me.’”
By Jared Weiss and Eric Nehm, via The Athletic