By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-02-13 18:19:15
加利福尼亚州英格尔伍德 —— 马刺后卫斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle) 在荣膺 2024-25 赛季 NBA 年度最佳新秀后，成功避开了“二年级墙”。
而对于这一点，他将功劳归于克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul)。
“我觉得他去年展现给我的一切，在这个赛季都给了我巨大的帮助，”卡斯尔在谈到上赛季与这位未来的名人堂控卫并肩作战的经历时说道。
“他在场上始终扮演着我们的教练，特别是对我而言，”卡斯尔表示。
现年 40 岁的保罗在周五宣布退役，为长达 21 年的职业生涯画上了句号。在他辉煌的履历中，他共 12 次入选全明星，并以 12,552 次助攻和 2,728 次抢断高居 NBA 历史榜单第二位。
保罗在马刺度过了他最后一个完整的赛季，并在 2024-25 赛季打满了 82 场首发。本赛季他曾短暂效力于洛杉矶快船，快船在 12 月让他离队回家，并最终在本月早些时候将其交易至多伦多。
“他在场上能带给人一种稳定感，而在场下他更是一个极具人格魅力的人，能在他身边学习真的太酷了，”卡斯尔说道。本赛季至今，卡斯尔在出战的 44 场比赛（43 场首发）中场均贡献 16.5 分、7.0 次助攻、5.0 个篮板和 1.3 次抢断，相较于上赛季 81 场比赛（47 场首发）场均 14.7 分、4.1 次助攻、3.7 个篮板和 0.9 次抢断的数据有了全面提升。
卡斯尔表示，他至今仍与保罗保持着联系。当被问及保罗在为马刺效力期间表现如此出色（场均 8.8 分、全队最高的 7.4 次助攻以及 1.3 次抢断）却选择退役是否让他感到意外时，卡斯尔说：“有点意外，但也不完全是。我确实想过这可能会是他的最后一个赛季。（但）他仍然完全有能力进入轮换阵容，所以这两种结果都有可能。”
San Antonio Spurs Stephon Castle #5 of the San Antonio Spurs listens to Chris Paul (3).Orlando Magic v San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, April 1,2025 at the Frost Bank Center.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) talks with his teammates guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) during a timeout against the Charlotte Hornets at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, on Friday, March 14, 2025. The Spurs fell to the Hornets 145-134.
San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) talks with guard Stephon Castle (5) as they walk off the court for a timeout during the first half at Frost Bank Center on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas.
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：Why Spurs guard Stephon Castle is indebted to NBA great Chris Paul
Why Spurs guard Stephon Castle is indebted to NBA great Chris Paul
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Spurs guard Stephon Castle has avoided a sophomore slump after being named the 2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year.
And for that, he tips his hat to Chris Paul.
“What he showed me last year, I feel like it helped me this year,” Castle said of playing with the future Hall of Fame point guard last season.
“He was a coach on the floor for us at all times, especially for me,” Castle said.
Paul, 40, announced his retirement on Friday, closing the book on a 21-year career in which he earned 12 All-Star selections and ranked second in NBA history with 12,552 assists and 2,728 steals.
Paul played his final full season with the Spurs, starting all 82 games in 2024-25. He spent a portion of this season with the Los Angeles Clippers, who sent him home in December and wound up trading him to Toronto earlier this month.
“To have him on the court, it was a sense of stability, and then he was an even better person off the court, so super cool to be around,” said Castle, who is averaging 16.5 points, 7.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 44 games (43 starts) this season, an improvement from 14.7 points, 4.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 81 games (47 starts) last year.
Castle said he still keeps in touch with Paul. Asked if he was surprised Paul retired after playing so well for the Spurs (8.8 points, a team-best 7.4 assists and 1.3 steals), Castle said, “Yes and no. I kind of thought this was going to be his last year. (But) still very capable of being in a rotation, so it really could have went either way.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News