By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-03-27 08:19:02
马刺主帅米奇·约翰逊（左）与总经理布莱恩·莱特在 2016 年先后入职后，建立了深厚的关系。
密尔沃基——本周早些时候，在迈阿密和孟菲斯的球馆里，圣安东尼奥马刺队投篮训练结束后，主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 与总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 坐在一起轻松地聊天。
这些交谈提醒着人们，马刺队的良好化学反应并不仅仅局限于更衣室。
“我很幸运，我们之间有着共同的经历和私人交情，这让我们能够坦诚交流、互相信任。我们可以达成共识，也可以保留分歧，并最终达成一致，”约翰逊在谈到他与莱特的关系时说道。
39 岁的约翰逊和 43 岁的莱特均于 2016 年加入马刺。前者当时是奥斯汀马刺队的助理教练，后者则在由 R.C. 布福德 (R.C. Buford) 掌舵的管理层中担任助理总经理。
莱特于 2019 年出任现职。六年后的 2024-25 赛季，约翰逊接替格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 成为主教练。此前，约翰逊曾在波波维奇这位名人堂教头的教练组中担任了六年助教，并在波波维奇中风后作为代理主帅执教了近一个完整的赛季。
约翰逊表示，共同晋升的历程帮助他们建立了深厚的纽带。
“我很幸运能有他这样一位老板、同事和合作伙伴，”约翰逊评价莱特道。
约翰逊称莱特是“我们项目建设的领导者，也是我们组织从上到下许多基础工作的核心”。
这包括作为马刺队令人印象深刻的重建之路的设计师，这使他有望成为自布福德以来首位获得 NBA 年度最佳总经理奖 (NBA Executive of the Year Award) 的马刺高管。现任马刺体育娱乐公司 (Spurs Sports & Entertainment) 首席执行官的布福德曾在 2016 年获此殊荣，并在 2014 年马刺夺得队史第五冠后也曾获得该奖项。
在周三晚上以 123-98 战胜孟菲斯后，马刺球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 公开支持莱特获奖。马刺队在经历了连续六个无缘季后赛的失败赛季后，目前以 55 胜 18 负的战绩位居西部第二，即将迎来周六对阵雄鹿队的比赛。
年度最佳总经理的评选小组由 NBA 30 支球队各派出一名高管组成。
“作为一名高管，你也应该审视过去几年的运作，我认为没有人比布莱恩做得更好，”文班亚马说道，“高管的工作不只是一个休赛期的事情。这是一个项目，是中长期的规划，对吧？他应该赢得这个奖项。”
在布福德之前，马刺队还有另外两名高管曾获此殊荣：安杰洛·德罗斯 (Angelo Drossos)（1978 年）和鲍勃·巴斯 (Bob Bass)（1990 年）。
现在，莱特有望获得与这些队史名宿相同的认可，这让约翰逊感到欣慰。
“他是一个伟大的人，也是一位优秀的领导者，他非常擅长以一种易于理解的方式激励大家，”这位主教练说道。
2026 年 3 月 16 日星期一，在加利福尼亚州英格尔伍德举行的 NBA 比赛下半场，圣安东尼奥马刺队中锋梅森·普拉姆利 (Mason Plumlee)（左）在洛杉矶快船队后卫科比·桑德斯 (Kobe Sanders) 的防守下投篮。（美联社照片/Ryan Sun）
普拉姆利获得高质量出场时间
约翰逊称赞了第三中锋梅森·普拉姆利 (Mason Plumlee) 在对阵灰熊队时的表现。
在顶替受伤的卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet)（膝伤）出场的 10 分钟里，普拉姆利贡献了 4 个篮板、2 分、2 次助攻和 1 次抢断。这是他加盟马刺以来出场时间最多的一场。在 2 月 27 日为期 10 天的短合同到期后，球队与他签下了一份延续至赛季结束的合同。
“他表现得很棒，”约翰逊说道，“他在攻防两端都起到了串联作用。他做得非常好。在他的职业生涯中，他一直表现出色。当球传到他手中时，他能非常自然地完成球权转移……这有助于提升半场进攻的节奏。”
“他是一个真正的职业球员，也是一名老将。他完全符合我们的预期。”
科内特和达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)（背伤）周六能否出战尚不确定。
马刺队在结束孟菲斯的比赛后飞回了圣安东尼奥，在周五下午飞往密尔沃基之前，他们在训练馆进行了训练。
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 coach Mitch Johnson, GM Brian Wright share strong bond
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, GM Brian Wright share strong bond
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, left, and general manager Brian Wright developed a strong relationship after they were both hired in 2016.
MILWAUKEE — Coach Mitch Johnson and general manager Brian Wright sat together chatting casually after Spurs shootarounds earlier this week at arenas in Miami and Memphis.
The conversations served as reminders that the Spurs don’t just have great chemistry in the locker room.
“I’m fortunate we have a personal history and a personal relationship that allows us to have honest conversations and trust each other and hopefully agree, disagree, and then align,” Johnson said of his relationship with Wright.
Johnson, 39, and Wright, 43, both joined the Spurs in 2016, with the former coming on board as an assistant coach with the Austin Spurs and the latter as assistant GM in a front office run by R.C. Buford.
Wright gained his current title in 2019, six years before Johnson succeeded Gregg Popovich as head coach following a six-year stint as an assistant on the Hall of Famer’s staff and nearly one full season in 2024-25 as acting head coach after Popovich suffered a stroke.
Their shared journey up the ranks helped them bond, Johnson said.
“He’s someone I’m very fortunate to have as my boss and someone to work with and partner with,” Johnson said of Wright.
Johnson called Wright “leader of our project construction and a lot of things that are at the foundational level of our organization from top to bottom.”
That includes being the architect of the Spurs’ impressive rebuild, which makes him a candidate to win the franchise’s first NBA Executive of the Year Award since Buford, now CEO of Spurs Sports & Entertainment, won it in 2016. Buford also received the honor in 2014 after the last of the Spurs’ five championship campaigns.
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama endorsed Wright for the award after Wednesday night’s 123-98 win at Memphis. The Spurs enter Saturday’s game against the Bucks as the No. 2 team in the West with a 55-18 record after six consecutive losing seasons without a playoff appearance.
The voting panel for executive of the year consists of one executive from each of the NBA’s 30 franchises.
“As executive, you should also look at (moves in) past years, and I don’t see anybody over Brian,” Wembanyama said. “As executive, it’s not like just one offseason. It’s for a project, long term, mid to long term, right? He should win it.”
Before Buford, the Spurs had two other executives honored with the award: Angelo Drossos (1978) and Bob Bass (1990)
Now, Wright could receive the same recognition as those franchise greats, which would please Johnson.
“He’s a great man and a great leader and does a great job of galvanizing people in a very understandable way,” the coach said.
San Antonio Spurs center Mason Plumlee, left, shoots against Los Angeles Clippers guard Kobe Sanders during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March 16, 2026, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Plumlee gets quality minutes
Johnson praised third-string center Mason Plumlee for his play against the Grizzlies.
Filling in for Luke Kornet (knee), Plumlee finished with four rebounds, two points, two assists and a steal in 10 minutes, his most as a Spur after the club signed him to a contract for the remainder of the season Feb. 27 following the expiration of a 10-day deal.
“He was great,” Johnson said. "He was a connector on both ends. He did a great job. His whole career he’s done a good job. He’s very natural at reversal of the ball after the ball finds him. … and it helps the pace in the half court.
“He’s just a pro and a vet. He’s been everything we wanted.”
The status for Kornet and De’Aaron Fox (back) for Saturday is uncertain.
The Spurs, who flew to San Antonio after the Memphis game, worked out at their practice facility before a Friday afternoon flight to Milwaukee.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News