By Pedro Orthez | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-01 12:30:00
“夺得拉里·奥布莱恩杯是童年的梦想。能真正有机会去争夺它，拥有一个切切实实捧杯、实现梦想的机会，这是一生难得的机遇，”在对阵俄克拉荷马城雷霆的抢七大战结束后，维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 对NBC的工作人员说道。
“你永远不知道未来还会发生什么。当我们夺冠的那一天，那将是梦想成真、令人惊叹的一天。这几乎就像是我人生的意义所在。”
在过去的三年里，我几乎看遍了文班亚马身穿马刺球衣的所有比赛。在很大程度上，尽管去年他遭遇了严重的深静脉血栓（DVT）——一种可能终结职业生涯的疾病，但文班亚马的崛起依然符合我最狂野的幻想。从他年仅15岁、代表法国队在U16欧锦赛上获得银牌时起，我就开始关注他的比赛。而那也开启了一个仿佛诅咒般的趋势——“万年老二”。U16欧锦赛银牌、U19世界杯银牌、2024年巴黎奥运会银牌。
魔咒？
在法国体育史上，被称为“从未夺冠的自行车传奇”的雷蒙·普利多 (Raymond Poulidor) 也被冠以“万年老二”的称号。在长达17年的职业生涯中，他曾不可思议地八次登上环法自行车赛的领奖台，却从未穿上过那件梦寐以求的黄色领骑衫。尽管未能登顶环法，但他依然是一位伟大的冠军，职业生涯共获得189次胜利，只是在重大赛事中，他往往屈居亚军。
在内心深处，我开始产生一种迷信般的恐惧，担心文班亚马会成为下一个普利多。
但这个赛季发生了解构性的转变。尽管他在11月遭遇了小腿伤势，但文班的崛起开始加速。我对这支球队的季前预测——最差打附加赛，在强手如林的西部最好拿到第6名——被球队自2月1日开始的狂飙表现彻底击碎。然而，迷信这种东西很难轻易动摇。随着文班显而易见的成长，我曾蠢蠢欲动，想写下自己的想法，在马刺球迷网站 Pounding The Rock 上分享一些篮球数据分析，但我又害怕自己会看走眼，害怕自己高兴得太早。因此，我把这些想法留在了心里。
阿拉莫朝圣之旅
今年2月，我终于踏上了前往圣安东尼奥的旅程。这几乎是我的“童年梦想”。这是我第一次来到德克萨斯州。我绝对爱死了这座城市及其居民的活力。当时我正赶上2026年西部历史遗产巡游与赶牛仪式（Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive），在圣安东尼奥的街头，我惊叹地看着当地的牛仔和女牛仔们骑着长角牛，伴着德墨风情的音乐和苏格兰风笛管乐队的演奏一同歌唱。
那天早上，因为时差起得很早，我独自一人在冬日晴空下的滨河步道（River Walk）上漫步，享受着惬意的时光。终于，在比赛开球前2小时，我前往霜冻银行中心（Frost Bank Center）。我无数次地检查手机，确保5个月前在网上购买的门票还好好地躺在 Ticketmaster App 里，确认这不是一场骗局，并掐了掐自己，不敢相信我终于要亲眼看到悬挂在球馆上空的冠军旗帜，亲眼看到马刺的主场、马刺的球员们，以及文班亚马。
因为到得早，我几乎排在安检队伍的最前面。我走向前面的玻璃大门，在那里可以看到马刺啦啦队正在热身和排练。当大门终于打开时，我一路小跑来到101区第9排，那可是最靠近球员通道的座位！
一些球员正在场上与各自的训练师进行投篮练习。达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 在三分线外的表现令人印象深刻，出手极其丝滑。接着，德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 走出通道，从我身边经过，走向马刺队的替补席。现实中的他比我想象的要瘦得多。他的肌肉线条非常紧致，走起路来既有一种王者风范，又带着一丝漫不经心。这真是一种奇妙的结合！
终于，文班走了进来，开始在离我仅10米远的地方练习罚球，他的身高在周围的一切面前都显得鹤立鸡群。菲利克斯·文班亚马 (Felix Wembanyama) 也到了，坐在替补席对面的场边席上。
这是两天内对阵独行侠队的第二场比赛。马刺队之前在达拉斯赢下了第一场，那场比赛文班和库珀都表现得惊为天人。尽管这一次不是库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 发挥最好的一场，但我依然留下了深刻的印象。他极具竞争心，动作流畅，控球技术娴熟，而且投篮手感（尤其是三分球）比我预期的要好得多。
不过，那一晚最闪耀的明星当属我们的斯蒂芬·“哇哦”·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)——引用弗洛伊德（Floyd）的话。他打出了40分、12个篮板和12次助攻的三双杰作。你必须在现场才能感受到他的活力和意志力。简直不可思议。全场观众都被点燃了，完全被斯蒂芬的能量所感染。
第三类接触——外星人文班
比赛期间，文班走到通道旁的动感单车上热身，纪尧姆·阿尔基耶 (Guillaume Alquier) 陪在身旁。我们用法语简单交流了几句，但他很快就停了下来，只是报以微笑，并在我提到他的母队楠泰尔（Nanterre）时攥紧拳头致意，仅此而已。文班就是文班，在比赛期间永远百分之百地专注。
圣安东尼奥马刺队的传承
比赛结束后，我回到圣安东尼奥市中心，享受着夜晚漫步滨河步道的惬意。那里的氛围非常友好。我整个人飘飘欲仙，仿佛置身云端。
拜访圣安东尼奥、现场看一场马刺队的比赛，是我近30年来的梦想。这个梦想始于蒂米 (Timmy) 被选中去与我当时最喜欢的球员——大卫·罗宾逊 (David Robinson) 并肩作战。在我的成长过程中，“海军上将”的海报贴满了床头的墙壁。从那时起，法国球员开始陆续为马刺效力：托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker)、伊安·马辛米 (Ian Mahinmi)、南多·德科洛 (Nando De Colo)（他们都是通过选秀被选中的），当然还有鲍里斯·迪奥 (Boris Diaw)……这让我对马刺的热爱更加强烈，也更加私人化。
但这一切都无法与接下来的事情相提并论。在我最狂野的梦里，我曾渴望着文班亚马能够加入马刺。2023年5月16日，我正在开会，手机就放在旁边，等待着选秀抽签的结果。状元。签。圣安东尼奥。马刺。
在那一瞬间，我就知道，我必须去一趟圣安东尼奥。文班亚马即将加入一个最完美的组织，这不仅是纸面上的合适，更是对他而言的最佳归宿，因为他是如此独一无二，需要自由成长的空间来最大化释放自己的潜力。
2026年NBA总决赛
仅仅用了3年……再次引用文班的话：“你永远不知道未来还会发生什么。当我们夺冠的那一天，那将是梦想成真、令人惊叹的一天。这几乎就像是我人生的意义所在。”
而对我来说，我也必须让梦想照进现实。我必须去一趟圣安东尼奥。这就是你实现梦想的方式——掌控你能掌控的一切。我规划了行程，存了些钱，然后付诸行动。
而这支年轻的马刺队，他们正昂首迈向2026年NBA总决赛，因为他们深知“你永远不知道未来还会发生什么”，所以绝不能浪费眼前的任何一次机会。
现在，我可以重新回到我的数据分析中，去思考总决赛中可能出现的每一次对位。
文班和马刺队已经赢得了西部决赛，而他荣膺西决MVP。
他正走在梦想成真的道路上。
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：Victor Wembanyama’s unstoppable ascension
Victor Wembanyama’s unstoppable ascension
“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream and having a real shot at it, having a chance, a tangible chance at winning it, realizing a dream, it’s a lifetime chance,” Wembanyama said to the NBC crew at the end of Game 7 against the OKC Thunder.
“You never know what’s going to happen again. The day we win it, it’s going to be an amazing day of realization of a dream. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
For the past 3 years I have watched almost all Victor Wembanyama’s games in a Spurs uniform. For the most part, and despite the gravity of last year’s DVT, a possibly career-ending condition, Victor’s ascension has matched my wildest dreams. I started to watch his games when he was just 15 and got a silver medal at the U16 Euro Championship with France. This was the beginning of a trend resembling a curse… “the eternal second”. Silver at U16 Euro, silver at U19 Worlds, silver at Paris 2024 Olympics.
A curse?
In French sports lore, Raymond Poulidor, “The Cycling Legend Who Never Won” was also called the “Eternal Second”. Over a 17-year career, he finished on the podium of the Tour de France an incredible eight times, yet he never once wore the coveted yellow jersey. Despite missing the top step at the Tour, he was a great champion with 189 professional wins, but so often finishing second in major races.
Internally I started to develop a superstition, a fear, that Victor could become the next Poulidor.
This season a shift happened. Despite his calf injury in November, Victor’s ascension started to accelerate. My pre-season predictions for this team, a play-in at worst, and a 6th seed in the stacked West at best, were blown apart entirely by the team’s run starting February 1st. But superstition is a hard thing to shake. With Vic’s obvious rise, I was tempted to write my thoughts, share some basketball analytics with Pounding The Rock, but I was also scared I would be wrong, that I was counting my chickens before they had hatched. So, I kept my thoughts for myself.
Pilgrimage to the Alamo
In February, I finally made the trip to San Antonio. Almost a “childhood dream” of mine. My first time in Texas. I absolutely loved the vibrancy of the city and its people. I was there for the 2026 Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive, watching in awe longhorn bulls ridden by local cowboys and cowgirls in San Antonio streets, singing along both TexMex-inspired music and the Scottish marching band.
That morning, up early due to the jetlag, I also enjoyed a beautiful wander by the River Walk, all by myself, under a winter blue sky. Finally, 2 hours before tip-off, I made my way to the Frost Bank Center, checking numerous times that the ticket I had bought online 5 months before was still in my Ticketmaster app, that it wasn’t a scam and pinching myself that I would, finally, see the Championships banners hanging up in the rafters, see the Spurs homecourt, the Spurs players and Victor Wembanyama.
As I arrived early, I was almost first in line for the security check, and made my way to the main glass doors, upfront, where I could see the Spurs dancing squad warming up and rehearsing. When the doors finally opened, I made my way to section 101, row 9, and the seat closest to the tunnel!
Some players were on the court doing shooting drills with their respective trainer. DeAaron Fox was very impressive from the 3-point line, so fluid. Then Devin Vassell walked just past me, emerging from the tunnel, on his way to the Spurs bench. He is so much thinner in real life than I expected. His muscles are super lean, and he walks with a mix of regal demeanor and nonchalance. Quite the combination!
Finally, Vic arrived and started shooting free throws, a mere 10 meters from me, towering everything around him. Felix Wembanyama arrived too and sat courtside opposite to the bench players.
This was the second game against the Mavs in 2 days. The Spurs had won in Dallas where both Vic and Cooper were sensational. Although this time was not Cooper Flagg’s best game, I was nonetheless impressed. Very competitive, fluid, good handles and a much better shooting stroke, especially from 3, than I anticipated.
The star of the night, though, was our very “Stephan WOW Castle”, to qu0te Floyd. A 40-12-12 triple-double masterpiece. You had to be there to feel his energy. His will power. Absolutely incredible. The whole crowd was just pumped up, feeding off Steph’s energy.
Close Encounter Of The Third Kind – Wemby the Alien
During the game, Vic went to one of the gym bikes under the tunnel to keep warm, with Guillaume Alquier by his side. We exchanged a couple of words, in French, but he quickly stopped there and just smiled back, clenched his fist in appreciation of my mentioning of Nanterre, his youth club, but that was it. Vic is Vic. Always 100% focused during a game.
The San Antonio Spurs legacy
After the game, I went back to Downtown San Antonio, enjoyed a nighttime River Walk perambulation. The atmosphere was just so friendly. I was just on cloud nine.
Visiting San Antonio, attending a Spurs game had been a dream of mine for almost 30 years, since Timmy was drafted to play alongside my favorite – at the time – player, David Robinson. Growing up, I had posters of the Admiral covering the wall above my bed. Since then, French players had started to play for the Spurs: Tony Parker, Ian Mahinmi, Nando De Colo (all selected via draft picks) and of course Boris Diaw… making my passion for the Spurs even stronger, more personal.
But nothing compares to what was coming. In my wildest dreams, I wanted Victor Wembanyama to join the Spurs. The 16th of May 2023, I was in a meeting, with my cellphone next to me, waiting for the results of the lottery. First. Pick. San. Antonio. Spurs.
I knew then and there. I would have to visit San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama was about to join the best organization possible, not only on paper, but for him, as he is unique and needs to be free to grow and maximize his potential.
The 2026 NBA Finals
It took only 3 years… And to quote Vic again “You never know what’s going to happen again. The day we win it, it’s going to be an amazing day of realization of a dream. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
And for me, I had to make it happen. I had to visit San Antonio. That’s how you make your dreams come true. You control what is in your control. I planned it, saved some money, and did it.
And these young Spurs, they are going to the 2026 NBA Finals knowing that “You never know what’s going to happen again”, thus you never squander an opportunity in front of you.
I can now go back to my analytics, thinking about every match ups the Finals have to offer.
Vic and the Spurs have won the Western Conference Finals, he is the WCF MVP.
He is on a path to realization.
By Pedro Orthez, via Pounding The Rock