By Marilyn Dubinski | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-05-26 17:17:07
西部决赛第三场毫无疑问是马刺在今年季后赛中表现最差的一场，甚至可能是他们自一月份以来打得最糟糕的一场比赛。在开局打出15-0的狂轰滥炸后，均值回归的规律便无情地发挥了作用。在接下来的比赛中，马刺几乎没有展现出斗志和紧迫感，雷霆迅速调整状态接管了比赛，并夺回了主场优势。
这支马刺队整个赛季都证明了他们的韧性，因此看到他们在第四场比赛中做出调整并展现出更坚定的决心，从而轻松赢下比赛，并不让人感到意外。然而，故事远不止于此。正如德阿隆·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 在第四场比赛后的赛后节目中所透露的那样，格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 本人在第三场比赛结束后立即现身更衣室。可以说，任何此前没有荣幸在他手下打球（或者共事时间不够长）的人，现在都可以说他们体验到了完整的“波波维奇式洗礼”。
德阿隆·福克斯表示，格雷格·波波维奇在第三场失利后走进了马刺的更衣室：
“那是他第一次走进更衣室，然后说：‘不，这简直是垃圾。这不是我们打篮球的方式。’ 显然，他对我们说了一些重话。” pic.twitter.com/CaZSIcfXxL
— Underdog NBA (@ UnderdogNBA) May 25, 2026
波波在2024-25赛季初期遭遇中风后，于去年夏天正式卸任主教练一职，但他仍担任篮球运营总裁，并且经常出现在训练场周围，因为他也在马刺位于拉坎特拉 (La Cantera) 的 The Rock 训练基地进行康复治疗。但正如福克斯所说，这是他第一次在赛后愤怒地冲进更衣室，甚至在他开口之前，大家就意识到要发生什么了。从球员到教练、工作人员，甚至是总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright)，每个人都怀着敬畏的心情聆听着。这位“老大 (El Jefe)”告诉他们，他们的表现“简直是垃圾”，“这不是我们打篮球的方式”。他依然是那个我们熟悉的波波。
能够感同身受且经常承受波波严厉斥责的人，是前马刺总冠军成员丹尼·格林 (Danny Green)。他经常被称赞愿意承受波波的怒火并从中吸取教训，就像波波最初的“吹风机”目标——马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili) 一样。但即使是格林，也在接受《体育中心》(Sports Center) 采访时开玩笑说，他当时害怕波波，现在依然害怕，他很同情现在的马刺球员，能想象到那种体验是怎样的。
丹尼·格林谈到波波的讲话风格以及他在球队中的巨大影响力：
“巨大的影响力。我是说，这种影响力从未消退。无论他的年龄或健康状况如何，他都是那种让你感到敬畏的人。
至今我依然怕他。
所以当他走进……” pic.twitter.com/9Ngsgx3cTE
— Wemby Alien Era (@ WembyAlienEra) May 26, 2026
话虽如此，波波依然拥有强大的影响力，但这并不意味着米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 只是一个温和、轻声细语（因为每次我们听到他说话时，他的嗓子都已经沙哑了）、只知道听从命令的人。他在场边的举止可能没有那么张扬或戏剧化，但他出自波波的教练树，并且成为波波选定的接班人是有原因的。他和他的教练组依然在执教比赛、布置战术并做出调整，而且他们整个赛季都做得非常出色。在第四场比赛之前，他们似乎将防守策略从“让除SGA之外的任何人击败我们”调整为“只让SGA击败我们，而其他人不行”，这一调整起到了很好的效果。马刺的防守轮转更加迅速，而在进攻端，他们增加了更多的挡拆，并极力让维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 在移动中接球，而不是进行太多强行突破和单打独斗。
此外，和波波一样，米奇也敢于严厉执教他的球员，从当家球星到角色球员一视同仁。新秀前锋卡特·布莱恩特 (Carter Bryant) 在第三场比赛后可能像其他队友一样体验到了“波波维奇式的洗礼”，但他在第四场比赛中也体验到了格林和许多其他马刺球员经常在场边经历的一幕：在几次粗心的犯规后，米奇对他进行了严厉的训斥。这些犯规包括被SGA的投篮假动作晃起，以及在快攻中撞向杰林·威廉姆斯 (Jaylin Williams) 被吹带球撞人。布莱恩特在这次季后赛中确实有一些闪光时刻，但可以理解的是，这对他来说也是一个巨大的学习和成长过程。尽管当时球队大比分领先，但他看起来还是委屈得快要哭了。
在一次失误后被教练怒吼，卡特·布莱恩特似乎眼含泪水 pic.twitter.com/bBVIo5wI8i
— BrickCenter (@ BrickCenter_) May 25, 2026
然而，在那个时刻，他也获得了一份宝贵的经验，这也是格林和许多其他马刺球员曾经经历过的：球队无私的超级巨星挺身而出，展现领袖气质，用鼓励的话语来安抚情绪。在格林的那个时代，在队友们承受了“波波的怒火”之后，蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 会帮助他们重新振作起来。而对于布莱恩特来说，在感受到“米奇的怒火”之后，是文班走过来鼓励他继续前进。不同的教练，不同的球星，不同的角色球员，但同样的文化在代代相传。
今年季后赛的主旋律一直是马刺的进度超出了预期，根据赛季前的预测，事实也确实如此。然而，让他们距离总决赛仅差两场胜利的不仅仅是天赋，还有教练的执教、领袖能力以及一套完全无私的阵容。如果这听起来很像波波和蒂姆时代的马刺，那是因为事实本就如此。尽管这两位传奇在球队中仍有存在感和巨大的影响力，但现在这已经是米奇和文班的马刺了。他们已经准备好在前辈们创造的丰碑之上继续前行——从赢球，到挨骂，皆是如此。这就是马刺之道。
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：Through Mitch Johnson and his own voice, Gregg Popovich’s influence still flows within the Spurs
Through Mitch Johnson and his own voice, Gregg Popovich’s influence still flows within the Spurs
Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals was without a doubt the Spurs’ worst showing of the playoffs, and possibly even their worst game of any capacity since January. After a blistering 15-0 run to open the game, the law of averages came back with a vengeance, and they showed very little fight or urgency the rest of the way as the Thunder quickly recovered to take over the game and regain homecourt advantage.
This Spurs team has proven to be resilient all season, so it wasn’t too surprising to see them make adjustments and come out more determined in Game 4, which they won comfortably. However, there’s more to the story than that. As was revealed by De’Aaron Fox in the postgame show following Game 4, none other than Gregg Popovich made a locker room appearance immediately after Game 3, and let’s just say anyone who had not had the privilege of playing for him (or didn’t for long enough) can now say they’ve had the full Pop Experience.
De’Aaron Fox said Gregg Popovich came into the Spurs’ locker room after the Game 3 loss:
“That was the first time he walked into the locker room and was like, ‘Nah, that’s BS. That’s not how we play basketball.’ Obviously, he had some choice words for us.” pic.twitter.com/CaZSIcfXxL
— Underdog NBA (@ UnderdogNBA) May 25, 2026
Pop officially resigned as head coach last summer after suffering a stroke early in the 2024-25 season but is still President of Basketball Operations and has been seen around practice plenty of times, as he also does physical therapy at the Spurs’ facility at The Rock at La Cantera. But as Fox said, this was the first time he came storming into the locker room after a game, and they knew what they were in for before he even said a word. From players to coaches, staff and even General Manager Brian Wright, everyone listened with appropriate fear as El Jefe told them their performance “was BS” and “not how we play basketball”. He’s still the same ol’ Pop.
Someone who can relate and was often on the other end of Pop tongue-lashings was former Spurs champion Danny Green, who was often credited with being willing to take his wrath and improve from it, just like Pop’s original target: Manu Ginobili. But even Green jokingly told Sports Center that he was scared of Pop then, still is now, and he felt for the current Spurs over what that experience must have been like.
Danny Green on what Pop’s speeches are like and how big a presence he has on the team:
“A huge presence. I mean it doesn’t go away. He’s just one of those guys that you’re fearful of regardless of age or health.
I’m still scared of him to this day.
So when he walks in a… pic.twitter.com/9Ngsgx3cTE
— Wemby Alien Era (@ WembyAlienEra) May 26, 2026
That being said, just because Pop still has a presence doesn’t mean Mitch Johnson is just some nice, soft-spoken guy (since he’s always lost his voice by the time we hear from him) who is simply following orders. His sideline demeanor may not be as pronounced or dramatic, but he comes from the coaching tree of Pop and was his chosen predecessor for a reason. He and his staff still coach the game, call the plays and make adjustments, and they’ve done a masterful job all season. Before Game 4, they appeared to make the switch from “make everyone but SGA beat us” to “make SGA and no one else beat us,” and it worked well. Defensive rotations were more crisp, and on offense, there were more pick-and-rolls and an asserted effort to get Victor Wembanyama the ball on the move instead of too many forced drives and iso-ball.
Also, like Pop, Mitch is not afraid to coach his players hard, from his star all the way down. Rookie forward Carter Bryant may have gotten “the Pop Experience” just like the rest of his teammates after Game 3, but he also experienced what Green and many other Spurs often did on the sidelines during Game 4, when Mitch got on him hard after a couple of careless fouls, including biting on an SGA pump fake and barreling into Jaylin Williams on the fast break for a charge. Bryant has had some bright moments in these playoffs, but it has also understandably been a massive learning curve for him, and despite the team being up big in that moment, he appeared on the brink of tears.
Carter Bryant appeared to have tears in his eyes after his coach yelled at him following a turnover pic.twitter.com/bBVIo5wI8i
— BrickCenter (@ BrickCenter_) May 25, 2026
However, there’s another invaluable experience he got in that moment that Green and plenty other Spurs also experienced: the team’s unselfish superstar jumping in with leadership and words of encouragement to balance things back out. In Green’s day, it was Tim Duncan who would help perk his teammates back up after they experienced the Wrath of Pop. For Bryant, it was Wemby who came over to encourage him on after he felt the Wrath of Mitch. Different coaches, different stars and different role players, but the same culture lives on.
The narrative this postseason has been that the Spurs are ahead of schedule, and based on preseason predictions, that is true. However, it’s not just talent alone that has gotten them two wins away from the Finals, but also coaching, leadership and a completely egoless roster. If that sounds like the Spurs of Pop and Tim, it’s because it is, but even if those two still have a presence and plenty of influence within the organization, this is now the Spurs of Mitch and Wemby, and they are ready to build upon the legacy their predecessors created — from winning all the way down to being yelled at. It’s the Spurs way.
By Marilyn Dubinski, via Pounding The Rock