By Jeph Duarte | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-01-22 12:00:00
熟悉我的老读者都知道，除了自己是马刺的铁杆球迷外，我也自豪地拥有一个同样是铁杆马刺球迷的女儿。我十二岁的女儿伊丽莎白 (Elizabeth) 和我，最常在霜降银行中心度过我们父女俩的约会时光。其中一些难忘的经历包括德克·诺维茨基 (Nowitzki) 的告别战、2023年的NBA选秀大会，以及银黑对抗赛。
但没有任何一晚能比得上上周一与犹他爵士队的比赛。
在马丁·路德·金纪念日那天，我们动身前往霜降银行中心，观看这场午后场的比赛。这一次我们必须更早到达，因为伊丽莎白被选中担任本场比赛的马刺球童。我们向现场运营团队报到后，马刺现场助威团的一位很棒的成员特雷 (Tre) 护送我们走到了球场边。
单是走上这片硬木地板，本身就是一种享受。当我们走向马刺队的篮筐时，我看到她脸上洋溢着微笑，脚步也轻快了许多。
对于那些没去过现场看球的球迷来说，当马刺队出来进行赛前投篮热身时，会有一个器材团队在场。在此期间，他们负责捡起散落的球，并将新球传给球员们。而马刺球童这个角色，从我记事起就一直存在。一名孩子将有机会帮助工作人员将篮球分发给正在热身的球员们。
周一那天，伊丽莎白加入了他们。
她把球传给底角射手们，其中一位就是三分专家朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie)，而他正是伊丽莎白口中最喜欢的球员。
当现场广播介绍她，并提到尚帕尼是她最喜欢的球员时，朱利安听到了自己的名字，立刻竖起了耳朵。
她完成了投篮热身环节，然后受邀与球员们站成一排，同马刺的首发球员们击掌——这是一次无比美妙的经历。
在经历了这一切激动人心的时刻后，还有一场比赛等着我们观看。上半场结束后，在下半场开始前，她再次为进行投篮热身的球员们分发了篮球。
马刺队当晚表现出色。尚帕尼得到13分，命中3记三分球，并抢下4个篮板，这两项数据也正让他获得越来越多的认可。
赛后，他邀请伊丽莎白到场边，接收他亲笔签名的比赛原味球衣。由于时间紧张——马刺队赛后要立刻出发前往休斯顿，准备背靠背的第二场比赛——他没能亲自把球衣交给她，但我们还是有机会向那个在两次投篮热身时都与她共事的团队表达了感谢。
谢谢你，@ JulianChampagn2 你让一位小球迷飘飘然地离开了霜降银行中心@ spurs @ FrostBankCenter #SpursBallKid pic.twitter.com/urLYyHgFH1
— Jeph Duarte (@ JephDuarte) 2026年1月20日
当她看到那件球衣时，表现得很淡定，但当我们离开霜降银行中心时，她一蹦一跳地跑向停车场，那是我很长一段时间以来见过她最兴奋的样子。虽然她走在我前面，但我敢肯定，我听到了她在月光下翩翩起舞时，嘴里哼唱着他的名字。
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：Open Thread: An afternoon as the Spurs Ball Kid
Open Thread: An afternoon as the Spurs Ball Kid
As longtime readers know, in addition to being a die hard Spurs fan, I am the proud father of a die hard Spurs fan. My twelve-year-old daughter Elizabeth and I most commonly spend our father-daughter dates at the Frost Bank Center. Some memorable outings were Dirk Nowitzki’s farewell game, the 2023 NBA Draft, and the Silver & Black Scrimmage.
But no night beats last Monday against the Utah Jazz.
For MLK Day, we made our way down to the Frost Bank Center for the mid-afternoon game. This time we had to arrive even earlier as Elizabeth had been chosen to be the Spurs Ball Kid for the game. We signed in with game-ops and then Tre, a wonderful member of the Spurs Hype Squad, escorted us down to the court.
Walking the hardwood alone was a treat. I caught a smile across her face and some pep in step as we made our way to the Spurs basket.
For those who haven’t been to a live game, when the Spurs come out for the pregame shoot around, there is an equipment crew. During this time, they are grabbing loose balls and tossing fresh ones out to the players. The Spurs Ball Kid is a role they’ve had as far back as I can remember. A child gets to help the crew distribute balls to the players as they warm up.
On Monday Elizabeth joined them.
She was tossing basketballs to corner shooters, one of them being three-point specialist Julian Champagnie, who Elizabeth listed as her favorite player.
While the in-arena announcement was introducing her, Julian heard his name called as her favorite and his ears perked up.
She finished the shoot around and then was invited to line up with the players to high five the Spurs starters, amost incredible experience.
After all that excitement, there was still a game to watch. At the end of the first half, she once again distributed basketballs to the players during their shoot around before the second half commenced.
The Spurs had a great night. Champagnie scored 13 points hitting 3 threes and grabbing 4 rebounds, both categories of which he is gaining recognition.
After the game, he invited Elizabeth down to receive his game-worn jersey, which he’d signed. Due to timing — the Spurs were heading out immediately after to make the trip to Houston for the second night of a back-to-back — he wasn’t able to deliver it personally, but we got to thank the crew who she’d been with for both shoot around distributions.
Thank you, @ JulianChampagn2 you had a fan floating out of the Frost Bank Center@ spurs @ FrostBankCenter #SpursBallKid pic.twitter.com/urLYyHgFH1
— Jeph Duarte (@ JephDuarte) January 20, 2026
She played it cool when she saw the jersey, but as we exited the Frost Bank Center she was skipping to the car, the most excited I’d seen her in a long time. Although she was ahead of me, I am pretty sure I heard her singing his name as she danced on in the moonlight.
By Jeph Duarte, via Pounding The Rock