By Mike Finger | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-02-12 15:50:12
2026年2月11日，星期三，旧金山，在对阵金州勇士队的NBA常规赛上半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫达龙·福克斯 (4) 在投中三分球后做出手势。(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
旧金山——在达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 成为马刺队第二位全明星球员的前夜，他成为了球队在竞技场上的“良知”。
这一刻早已埋下伏笔。
大约12个月前刚来到马刺更衣室时，他表现得很谨慎，尽量不显得傲慢。当时队内还有其他老将，而且一切的核心是一位身高7英尺4英寸的超级巨星。
因此，福克斯起初主要尝试以身作则，同时在合适的时机提供一些经验之谈。但在周三晚上大通中心（Chase Center）的比赛中，在马刺球员即将登机前往全明星周末不同目的地的最后时刻，他察觉到大家有些松懈。
他们正在失去专注度，任由实力较弱的勇士队在场上推搡。而福克斯最担心的，是球队正面临建立起某种“坏名声”的风险。
主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 一言未发。相反，是怒火中烧的福克斯接管了一次关键暂停，约翰逊将其形容为一次力度极大的“坚定有力的指导”。
“我只是问大家，‘我们想成为那支在季后赛里每个对手都想碰到的球队吗？’”福克斯说。
像福克斯这样深受队友尊敬的人提出这样的问题，足以撼动这些年轻球员的内心。他们真的像自己想象的那样，为大场面做好准备了吗？
大家都知道马刺在这一突破性赛季的前54场比赛中证明了什么，包括周三以126-113战胜勇士这场考验韧性的胜利。但在那次暂停中，福克斯提醒他们，一旦进入七场四胜制的系列赛，之前证明的一切都将毫无意义。
如果他们给那些更老练、更强硬的对手留下“可以乘虚而入”的印象，那么这种情况极有可能发生。几乎每一支被寄予厚望的争冠新势力都会经历这些，福克斯对此深有感触。
2026年2月11日，星期三，旧金山，在NBA常规赛结束后，受伤的金州勇士队后卫斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)（左）与圣安东尼奥马刺队后卫达龙·福克斯交谈。(AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
三年前，他效力的萨克拉门托国王队打破了长达16年的季后赛荒，夺得西部第三。那是一个充满了“点亮光束（light the beam）”口号和极佳氛围的辉煌常规赛，但随后在对阵金州勇士的一个系列赛中，一切戛然而止。
勇士当时是西部第六，但他们很喜欢这个对阵。他们认为自己可以利用国王队缺乏经验的弱点，事实也确实如此。
萨克拉门托此后再未重返季后赛。因此，福克斯特别警惕其他球队今年也会对马刺产生同样的想法。
“自然而然，人们会这么预设，”福克斯说，“我们队里没有多少人有过季后赛经历。”
哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 曾在其他城市随队夺冠，但他们是角色球员。在马刺常规的十人轮换中，有七人从未打过一场季后赛系列赛，而福克斯本人也只打过一次。
虽然他明白实战经验无可替代，但一支年轻球队仍可以采取措施，确保在季后赛中不至于丢掉太多心理阵地。
其中一步就是向潜在的季后赛对手展示，你绝不会在战斗中退缩。这就是福克斯在暂停时提醒马刺球员的内容。
如果马刺和勇士在季后赛首轮相遇，这一点也不会令人意外。即便周三斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry) 不在场，福克斯依然告诉马刺球员，他们需要向德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green) 之流展示，“我们可以挺过这种强度的身体对抗，并予以回击。”
约翰逊非常认可这段话，并特意称赞了福克斯的主动性。维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 也对此表示赞赏。
“教练能认可这一点很好，”文班亚马说，“文班认为（福克斯）敢于发声是非常宝贵的。”
这与他的赛场表现相得益彰。福克斯在对阵勇士的比赛中砍下27分8次助攻，再次展示了他是如何提升马刺的比赛节奏并释放球队最大优势的。没有他，马刺不会取得38胜16负的战绩。在约翰逊公开质疑为什么这没有换来更多认可的几天后，NBA总裁亚当·萧华 (Adam Silver) 显然听进去了。萧华选择了福克斯作为扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 的伤病替补，这也让他职业生涯第二次入选全明星。
但在周三深夜的大通中心，福克斯还不知道这份荣誉即将降临。当马刺的全明星团队准备登车飞往洛杉矶时，福克斯正准备返回圣安东尼奥，他本以为会和妻子孩子度过一个长周末。
当被问及是否要履行“奶爸职责”时，福克斯笑了。
“那是我每天的日常，”他说。
如果更衣室里的年轻人需要更多“坚定有力的指导”，谁知道呢？
那或许也会变成他的日常。
The San Antonio Spurs’ De’aaron Fox, right, drives against the Golden State Warriors’ Moses Moody in the first half at Chase Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, in San Francisco. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images/TNS)
San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) celebrates with center Victor Wembanyama (1) and guard De’aaron Fox (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Golden State Warriors guard Pat Spencer (61) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox, right, passes the ball against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, left, and guard Moses Moody during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
由生成式 AI 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：De’Aaron Fox issued Spurs a challenge before becoming an All-Star
De’Aaron Fox issued Spurs a challenge before becoming an All-Star
San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox (4) gestures after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SAN FRANCISCO — The night before De’Aaron Fox became the Spurs’ second All-Star, he became their competitive conscience.
It had been a long time coming.
Upon his arrival in the Spurs’ locker room a little more than 12 months ago, he tried not to be presumptuous. There were other vets around. There also was a 7-foot-4 superstar at the center of everything.
So Fox started out trying to lead mainly by example, while sprinkling in words of wisdom when they seemed appropriate. But Wednesday night at Chase Center, in the final hours before the Spurs were set to board different planes to different destinations for All-Star weekend, he sensed them slipping.
They were losing focus. They were letting themselves get pushed around by an inferior Golden State team. And what Fox worried about most of all was that they were in danger of developing the wrong kind of reputation.
Coach Mitch Johnson didn’t have to say a word. Instead, it was a fuming Fox who took over a key timeout, issuing what Johnson called a heavy dose of “direction with conviction.”
“I just asked the guys, ‘Do we want to be the team that every (opponent) wants in the playoffs?’” Fox said.
From a man who commands his teammates’ respect like Fox does, that’s the kind of question that can shake young players to their core. Are they as ready for the big-time as they thought they were?
Everybody knows what the Spurs have proven during the first 54 games of a breakthrough season, including Wednesday’s 126-113 gut-check victory over the Warriors. But during that timeout, Fox reminded them that nothing they’ve proven will count for much once they get into a seven-game series.
If they give older, tougher teams reason to think they can catch them slipping, chances are that’s what will happen. Almost every up-and-coming supposed contender goes through this, and Fox knows well of what he speaks.
Injured Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, talks with San Antonio Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox after an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Three years ago, his Sacramento Kings emerged from a 16-year playoff drought to claim the third seed in the Western Conference. It was a glorious regular season of “light the beam” hype and impeccable vibes, and then it all came crashing down in one series against Golden State.
The Warriors were the sixth seed in the West, but they liked their matchup. They figured they could take advantage of the Kings’ inexperience, and they did.
Sacramento never made it back to the playoffs after that. So Fox is especially cognizant of the idea that teams are counting on being able to do the same thing against the Spurs this year.
“Naturally, that’s going to be what people assume,” Fox said. “We don’t have a lot of guys who’ve been there before.”
Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet have been part of championship teams in other cities, but they’re role players. In the Spurs’ usual 10-man rotation, seven guys have yet to appear in a single playoff series, and Fox has been in only one.
And while he realizes that there’s no substitute for actually going through it, there are steps a young team can take to ensure they won’t be ceding too much mental ground in a playoff series.
One of those steps is showing a potential postseason opponent you won’t back down from a fight. That’s what Fox was reminding the Spurs during that timeout.
It wouldn’t be a surprise at all if the Spurs and Warriors meet in the first round of the playoffs. Even if Steph Curry wasn’t on the floor on Wednesday, Fox told the Spurs they needed to show Draymond Green and company that “we can play through the physicality, and give it back.”
Johnson loved the message, and went out of his way to praise Fox’s initiative. Victor Wembanyama appreciated it, too.
“It’s good that coach acknowledged it,” Wembanyama said. “(Fox) being vocal is very precious.”
It matches the rest of his game. Fox’s 27-point, eight-assist outing against Golden State provided another example of how he can push the Spurs’ pace and unlock their biggest strengths. They wouldn’t be 38-16 without him, and a couple of days after Johnson wondered aloud why that hadn’t resulted in more recognition, NBA commissioner Adam Silver apparently took that message to heart. Silver picked Fox as an injury replacement for Giannis Antetokuonmpo, giving him his second career All-Star nod.
But late Wednesday night at Chase Center, Fox didn’t know that honor was coming. While the Spurs’ All-Star contingent was boarding a bus bound for a plane to Los Angeles, Fox was headed back to San Antonio for what he thought would be an extended weekend with his wife and children.
Asked if he was going to be on daddy duty, Fox smiled.
“That’s every day for me,” he said.
And if the youngsters in his locker room need a little more “direction with conviction,” who knows?
That might just turn into an everyday thing, too.
By Mike Finger, via San Antonio Express-News