By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-02 16:42:01
2026年6月2日，星期二，在圣安东尼奥弗罗斯特银行中心举行的总决赛新闻发布会上，纽约尼克斯队后卫乔丹·克拉克森 (Jordan Clarkson) 回答记者提问。在总决赛中，尼克斯队将对阵圣安东尼奥马刺队。这位33岁的老将曾就读于圣安东尼奥的卡伦·瓦格纳高中。
作为瓦格纳高中的校友，克拉克森对蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 领衔的马刺夺冠时期，圣安东尼奥全城所洋溢的“惊人活力”依然记忆犹新。
“我的继母当时在威斯汀酒店工作，所以我能从酒店的阳台上看到游行队伍，”他说道，“我当时会在酒店里溜达，因为（客队）就住在那里，这样我就可以和球员合影，或者跑过去找他们签名。我绝对就是那样的孩子，亲眼目睹了那种活力，以及当马刺打进总决赛并夺冠时，这座城市是如何焕发生机的。”
但这位纽约尼克斯队的后卫将竭尽全力，确保2026年NBA总决赛后的夺冠游行是在曼哈顿的街头举行，而不是沿着圣安东尼奥的河滨步道（Riverwalk）展开。
而他的家人也将成为他的坚强后盾。
“在这次系列赛中，我爸绝对会站在尼克斯这边，”克拉克森在周二的总决赛媒体日上说道。
作为一名在联盟征战了12年的老将，克拉克森曾在效力犹他爵士队期间荣膺2021年NBA年度最佳第六人。在东部决赛横扫克利夫兰骑士队的系列赛中，他跌出了主教练迈克·布朗 (Mike Brown) 的轮换阵容，因此他希望在对阵马刺时能扮演更重要的角色。
尽管麦尔斯·麦克布莱德 (Miles McBride)、兰德里·沙梅特 (Landry Shamet) 和米切尔·罗宾逊 (Mitchell Robinson) 在季后赛中为尼克斯的替补席发挥了重要作用，但33岁的克拉克森的场均出场时间已从首轮的14.5分钟，缩减到对阵骑士队四场比赛中的仅8.8分钟。
瓦格纳高中毕业生乔丹·克拉克森谈及他对蒂姆·邓肯领衔的马刺夺冠时期的记忆。pic.twitter.com/JB9uxEja3l
— 汤姆·奥斯本 (Tom Orsborn) (@ tom_orsborn) 2026年6月2日
尽管如此，马刺依然对克拉克森保持警惕。本赛季他在对阵马刺时有两场出色的表现：在12月16日尼克斯以124-113赢下NBA季中锦标赛（NBA Cup）的比赛中，他贡献了15分并投进3记三分球；而在12月31日圣安东尼奥客场132-134惜败的比赛中，他砍下了20分并命中4记三分。
“乔丹是一名不可思议的球员，”2026年NBA年度最佳第六人、马刺队前锋凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson) 说道，“当你谈论（伟大的）第六人时，你必须把他的名字放进讨论中。无论在哪支球队，他都是一个能量火花。这是对他付出的所有努力的证明。他精益求精。他是一个极具观赏性的球员。我向他致敬。”
克拉克森在常规赛中场均仅出场17.8分钟，得到8.6分，两项数据均创下职业生涯新低。进入总决赛前，他在14场季后赛中场均出场时间更是仅有11.8分钟，得到5.4分。
但数据上的下滑并没有削弱他的兴奋感。继2018年代表克利夫兰对阵金州勇士队之后，他将再次踏上总决赛舞台，而这一次的对手正是他的家乡球队。
“这感觉真的很棒，老实说，甚至有点不真实。在这座城市长大，而且我的一位队友（尼克斯二年级前锋凯文·麦卡勒 (Kevin McCullar Jr.)）和我上的是同一所高中，”克拉克森说道，“在这里打过州冠军赛，小时候在这里作为球迷见证了许多成长。所以这感觉太棒了，而且我的家人也能够来看总决赛。这真的很不可思议。”
瓦格纳高中社区同样感到兴奋。2009年和2010年，克拉克森曾与前NBA球员安德烈·罗伯森 (Andre Roberson) 联手，帮助雷鸟队（Thunderbirds）打进5A级（现为6A级）州半决赛。2015年，学校在一场赛前仪式上退役了这两位球员的球衣号码。
“能看到他们在这个舞台上打球，这种感觉太棒了，”瓦格纳高中男篮主教练罗德尼·克拉克 (Rodney Clark) 说道。
克拉克表示，他一直很钦佩克拉克森对篮球事业的专注与投入。
“他从不掉以轻心，”克拉克说，“在他成为职业球员后的休赛期，他会回到学校训练，我会看着他针对非常具体的细节进行提升。我记得他在湖人队效力时，练习了一种特定的投篮方式，我问他为什么。他说快船队有一个出色的盖帽高手（德安德烈·乔丹 (DeAndre Jordan)），他必须把球投得足够高，高到（乔丹）够不着的地方。他一直保持着那种职业态度和力求卓越的决心。”
作为一名双向合同球员，麦卡勒没有资格在季后赛中出场，但克拉克表示，他妻子的外甥（指麦卡勒）未来会更好。
“迟早，他会迎来属于自己的闪光时刻，”克拉克说，“他跟乔丹（克拉克森）一模一样，都是那种会在训练结束后留下来加练的人。这是大多数人看不到的，也就是这些家伙为了达到今天的高度所付出的额外努力。他们对待自己的工作非常认真。”
让克拉克森更加兴奋的是，他能在父亲迈克 (Mike) 的注视下参加总决赛，他的父亲是一名战胜了四期癌症的抗癌斗士。
“看到他在与癌症斗争中始终展现出的坚韧与拼搏，这真的非常鼓舞人心，”克拉克森说道，“随着时间的推移，他的力量和一切都融入了我的体内。我一直让自己沉浸在篮球比赛中，专注于争取胜利，但看到我父亲继续战斗，他的力量和一切对我来说就是全世界。这是一场伟大的战役。”
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：Knicks' Jordan Clarkson hopes to rain on Spurs parade in NBA Finals
Knicks’ Jordan Clarkson hopes to rain on Spurs parade in NBA Finals
New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson answers questions during a news conference at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Tuesday, June 2, 2026, ahead of the NBA Finals series between the Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. The 33-year-old attended Karen Wagner High School in San Antonio.
Wagner alumnus Jordan Clarkson has vivid memories of the “amazing energy” that reverberated throughout San Antonio during the Spurs’ Tim Duncan-led championship years.
“My stepmom worked at the Westin, so I would see the parades through the hotel balconies,” he said. “I would sneak around there at the hotel, with (the opposing teams) staying there, being able to take pictures and run up on players for autographs. I was definitely that kid, seeing that energy and how alive this city comes when the Spurs are in the Finals and winning championships.”
But the New York Knicks guard will do everything in his power to make sure the championship parade after the 2026 NBA Finals weaves through the streets of Manhattan and not along San Antonio’s Riverwalk.
And his family has his back.
“My dad will definitely be a Knicks fan this series,” Clarkson said Tuesday at Finals Media Day.
Clarkson, a 12th-year veteran who was the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year while playing for Utah, hopes to have a larger role against the Spurs after falling out of coach Mike Brown’s rotation during the Eastern Conference finals sweep of Cleveland.
While Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, and Mitchell Robinson have had big roles off the bench for the Knicks in the playoffs, the 33-year-old Clarkson has gone from 14.5 minutes per game in the first round to just 8.8 in the four games against the Cavaliers.
Wagner High grad Jordan Clarkson on his memories of the Tim Duncan-led Spurs championship teams. pic.twitter.com/JB9uxEja3l
— Tom Orsborn (@ tom_orsborn) June 2, 2026
Still, the Spurs are wary of Clarkson, who had two strong games against them this season, finishing with 15 points and three 3-pointers in the 124-113 NBA Cup victory on Dec. 16 and 20 points and four 3s in the 134-132 loss on Dec. 31 in San Antonio.
“Jordan’s an amazing player,” said Spurs forward Keldon Johnson, the 2026 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. “When you talk about (great) sixth men, you have to bring his name in to the conversation. He’s been a spark on whatever team he’s been on. It’s a testament to all the work he puts in. He’s honed his craft. He’s an exciting player to watch. I just tip my cap to him.”
Clarkson enters the Finals averaging just 11.8 minutes and 5.4 points over 14 playoff games after averaging 17.8 minutes and 8.6 points, both career lows, in the regular season.
But that drop in production hasn’t dampened his excitement about playing for a championship against his hometown team after playing in the 2018 Finals for Cleveland against Golden State.
“Definitely feels amazing, kind of unreal, honestly, just growing up in this city, having a teammate (Knicks second-year forward Kevin McCullar Jr.) that went to the same high school as me,” Clarkson said. “Playing the state championship games, just a lot of growth fan here as a kid. So this definitely feels great and seeing my family members, them being able to come to a finals game. It’s just amazing.”
The Wagner community is also excited. Clarkson teamed with Andre Roberson, a former NBA player, to help the Thunderbirds reach the Class 5A (now 6A) state semifinals in 2009 and 2010. The two players had their jersey numbers retired by the school during a pregame ceremony in 2015.
“It’s a great feeling to have them playing here on this stage,” Wagner boys basketball coach Rodney Clark said.
Clark said he’s always admired how dedicated Clarkson is to his craft.
“He doesn’t take it lightly,” Clark said. “When he would work out at the school in the offseason after he became a pro, I would watch him work on getting better at very specific stuff. I remember when he was with the Lakers, he was shooting a certain shot, and I asked him why. He said the Clippers had a good shot blocker (in DeAndre Jordan) and he had to get the ball high enough to where (Jordan) couldn’t get it. He’s always had that work ethic, that determination, to be good.”
As a two-way contract player, McCullar is ineligible to play in the playoffs, but Clark said better days are ahead for his wife’s nephew.
“Sooner or later, he will get his time to shine,” Clark said. “He’s exactly like Jordan, the type who will stay after practice and do extra workouts. That’s the thing most people don’t see, all the the extra stuff these guys put in to get where they are. They take their jobs very seriously.”
Adding to Clark’s excitement: He gets to play in the Finals in front of his father, Mike, a survivor of Stage 4 carcinoma cancer.
“Just seeing the grind and the fight he’s always put up in his battle with cancer has been inspirational,” Clarkson said. “His strength and everything has poured into me over time. I’ve been losing myself in the game of basketball and focusing on trying to win, but my dad’s strength and everything has been the world to me, seeing him continue to fight. It’s been an amazing battle.”
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News