By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-05-30 18:48:39
俄克拉荷马城——得知球队首席助理教练肖恩·斯威尼 (Sean Sweeney) 即将离队的消息，马刺全队上下送上了欢呼与祝福。
斯威尼在重塑防守端的工作是马刺本赛季取得如此巨大成功的重要原因，但球员和教练组同僚在周五得知奥兰多魔术队正准备与他达成最终协议、聘其为新任主教练时，依然感到由衷的高兴。
联盟消息人士证实了这一谈判。
“为肖恩感到由衷的高兴，”马刺主教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 在周六西部决赛第七场（抢七大战）赛前表示。
“这是他应得的，”约翰逊补充道，“他之前有很多机会可能成为主教练，所以这只是时间问题。（我们早就知道这一点）当我第一次联系并与他交谈时就深有体会。为奥兰多感到高兴，也为我们感到高兴，因为他去了东部联盟。但最主要的还是为肖恩感到兴奋。我认为这是一个非常好的机会。我认识那里的几个人。这会是一个非常适合他的地方，他完全配手这个职位，真为他感到高兴。”
马刺是在去年夏天从达拉斯挖来斯威尼的。此前，作为时任主教练杰森·基德 (Jason Kidd) 教练组的助理教练，他曾帮助达拉斯独行侠队打入2024年NBA总决赛。抵达圣安东尼奥后，斯威尼立即着手提升球队的防守。在2024-25赛季，尽管马刺拥有身高7英尺4英寸的中锋、联盟盖帽王维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 作为防守核心，但他们的防守效率仅排在联盟第25位。
本赛季，在斯威尼负责战术制定、文班亚马再次领跑联盟盖帽榜并全票当选年度最佳防守球员的情况下，马刺的防守效率跃升至联盟第三，并一举蜕变为一支斩获62胜的超级豪强。
斯威尼的身价在季后赛中进一步水涨船高。在周六晚的比赛之前，马刺在季后赛中曾7次将对手的得分限制在100分以下，并且在这些比赛中保持全胜。
“绝对为他感到高兴，”马刺前锋德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 表示，“他在这里产生的影响是巨大的，他挑战每一个人在防守端做得更好，让我们保持在一定的标准之上。祝他一切顺利。”
其他球员也表达了类似的想法。
“斯威尼今年表现得太棒了，”前锋朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 说道，“显然，他是新来的，我们大家都是第一次见到他。他是极好的补充，拥有出色的防守头脑，人也非常好。显然，下赛季他不在这里会让我们有些艰难，但我们祝他一切顺利。真为他感到高兴。”
据ESPN报道，前芝加哥公牛队主教练比利·多诺万 (Billy Donovan) 和洛杉矶快船队助理教练杰夫·范甘迪 (Jeff Van Gundy) 也是魔术队主帅空缺的最终候选人。该职位是在魔术队在季后赛首轮3-4不敌底特律活塞队后，解雇了贾马尔·莫斯利 (Jamahl Mosley) 而空缺出来的。
ESPN援引联盟消息人士的话报道称，在周三于圣安东尼奥进行的面试中，斯威尼给魔术队的老板留下了深刻的印象。
斯威尼的协议中包括允许他在整个季后赛期间继续留在马刺队。
**巴恩斯庆祝生日：**周六上午在佩科姆中心 (Paycom Center) 结束投篮训练后，马刺前锋哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 的队友和教练们一起为他合唱了《生日快乐》歌。
这位征战联盟14年的老将在周六迎来了自己的34岁生日。
“向HB（哈里森·巴恩斯）致敬，”瓦塞尔说，“到目前为止，他给球队带来了巨大的帮助。他经历过太多不同的比赛，抢七大战、总决赛等等，他的智慧和经验非常宝贵。他总是能够让我们冷静下来，并告诉我们接下来会发生什么。”
周六是巴恩斯职业生涯第二次在生日当天出战抢七大战。2016年5月30日，在加利福尼亚州奥克兰的甲骨文球馆（Oracle Arena）进行的西部决赛中，他出场22分钟，贡献了5分、8个篮板、2次助攻和2次抢断，帮助金州勇士队击败了俄克拉荷马雷霆队。
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 'thrilled' to learn Sean Sweeney has gained a head coaching job
Spurs ‘thrilled’ to learn Sean Sweeney has gained a head coaching job
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Spurs greeted news of associate head coach Sean Sweeney’s impending departure from the organization with cheers.
Sweeney’s work to revamp the defense was a big reason why the Spurs enjoyed so much success this season, but the players and his coaching staff colleagues were elated to learn Friday the Orlando Magic were finalizing a deal to hire him as their new head coach.
League sources confirmed the negotiations.
“Thrilled for Sean,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said Saturday before Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.
“He deserves it,” Johnson added. “He’s had many opportunities of potentially becoming a head coach and so it was a matter of when. (We knew that) when I reached out to speak with him for the first time. Happy for Orlando. Happy for us he’s in the Eastern Conference. But thrilled for Sean. I think it’s a really good situation. I know some people over there. It will be a really good fit, and well deserved and very happy for him.”
The Spurs hired Sweeney last summer away from Dallas, where he helped the Mavericks reach the 2024 NBA Finals as an assistant on then-head coach Jason Kidd’s staff. Upon reaching San Antonio, Sweeney immediately began working on elevating a defense that ranked 25th in 2024-25 even with 7-foot-4 center and league blocks leader Victor Wembanyama as its centerpiece.
With Sweeney handling the Xs and Os this season and Wembanyama leading the NBA in blocks again on his way to becoming the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, the Spurs ranked third in the league’s defensive efficiency rankings while emerging as a 62-win powerhouse.
Sweeney’s stock rose even higher in the postseason. Entering Saturday night’s game, the Spurs had held an opponent to fewer than 100 points seven times in the playoff and were undefeated in those games.
“Definitely happy for him,” Spurs forward Devin Vassell said. “The impact he’s had here has been tremendous, challenging everybody to be better on the defensive end, holding us to a certain standard. I wish him all the luck.”
Other players offered similar thoughts.
“Sweeney’s been great this year,” forward Julian Champagnie said. “Obviously, he was new. We all met him for the first time. Great addition, great defensive mind, great dude. Obviously, him not being here next year will be tough, but we wish him the best. Happy for him.”
ESPN reported former Chicago coach Billy Donovan and Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were also finalists for the Magic’s vacancy, which opened up when it fired Jamahl Mosley after Orlando lost 4-3 to Detroit in the first-round of the playoffs.
Citing league sources, ESPN reported Sweeney impressed Orlando’s ownership during interviews Wednesday in San Antonio.
Sweeney’s deal included allowing him to remain with the Spurs throughout the playoffs.
Barnes birthday celebrated: Spurs forward Harrison Barnes’ teammates and coaches serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” after shootaround on Saturday morning at the Paycom Center.
The 14th-year pro turned 34 on Saturday.
“Shout out to HB,” Vassell said. “It’s been great for us so far and just his wisdom and his knowledge being in so many different games, Game 7s, championship games, whatever the case may be. He’s been able to just kind of calm us down and just tell us kind of what to expect.”
Saturday marked the second time Barnes has played in a Game 7 on his birthday. He had five points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes in helping Golden State defeat Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals on May 30, 2016, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News