By Jeph Duarte | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2026-06-03 11:00:00
随着马刺队迈入总决赛首场对决（Game 1），人们不禁开始将蒂姆·邓肯 (Tim Duncan) 时代的马刺，与如今注定被称为维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 时代的马刺进行对比。
邓肯和文班都是在22岁时首次杀入总决赛。两人都在首轮击败了波特兰开拓者队，在次轮淘汰了明尼苏达森林狼队。而且，就像1999年的邓肯一样，文班亚马在职业生涯的首次总决赛中，迎战的对手也是纽约尼克斯队。
但球队的其他成员呢？
在这支队伍中，有一位球员让人看到了21世纪初马刺王朝成员的影子，他就是凯尔登·约翰逊 (Keldon Johnson)。作为目前马刺阵中效力时间最长的球员，约翰逊在本赛季荣膺了“最佳第六人”奖项。而在马刺队史上，此前唯一获得过这一殊荣的球员，还要追溯到2008年的马努·吉诺比利 (Manu Ginobili)。
在吉诺比利加冕最佳第六人之前，他也曾是马刺队的首发球员。
起初，马努对这一角色转变也感到过挣扎。正如他所言，他必须放下自我（ego），才能接受这一为了球队大局而做出的调整。
周二，NBA举行了马刺与尼克斯的总决赛媒体发布会。当约翰逊走上发言台时，他被问到了这样一个问题：
“此前你是球队的门面，场均能砍下20分。从那个角色转变到如今在这支球队中的角色，最困难的部分是什么？”
巧合的是，他的回答与当年的吉诺比利如出一辙：
“老实说，我觉得是‘自我’。当你习惯了当老大的感觉，然后不得不做出调整。我觉得在某个时刻，当你看着镜子里的自己，你得决定是想成为某些特别成就的一部分，还是只想追求个人目标。能够留在马刺，经历这整个赛季并不断赢球，就是终极的回报。”他继续说道，“这证明了所有付出都是值得的。显然，我从球队的核心变成了替补席上的第六人。我觉得在这个联盟里，赢球是最让人上瘾的事情。今年就是最好的证明，能够赢球并为胜利做出贡献，这比我过去所做的任何事情都更有意义。”
个人利益服从大局，将自我转化为无私。这套理念在马努、蒂米、托尼·帕克 (Tony Parker)、波波维奇以及所有在2003年、2005年、2007年和2014年夺冠历程中欢庆并捧起总冠军戒指的人身上都得到了验证。
约翰逊对新角色的欣然接受，极大地提升了马刺队的替补深度。凯尔登是本赛季马刺队中七位场均得分上双的球员之一。而另一位场均得分上双的替补球员则是迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)。
队内效力时间第二长的球员德文·瓦塞尔 (Devin Vassell) 在谈到他与约翰逊的关系以及球队的化学反应时这样说道：
“我认为这是我们能走到今天的主要原因之一，因为我们非常专注，无论在场上还是场下，我们都在交流，大家紧密团结在一起。但我们也清楚，一旦踏上赛场，我们就必须全力以赴。”
朱利安·尚帕尼 (Julian Champagnie) 在接受媒体采访时，也对瓦塞尔关于化学反应的观点表示赞同：
“显然，我、凯尔登、德文和维克在一起打球已经差不多三年了。然后我们又迎来了HB（巴恩斯）、福克斯、卡特、斯蒂芬、迪伦这些家伙，他们都给更衣室带来了轻松、积极的氛围。”
归根结底，2026届马刺队已经学会了某些球队永远无法领悟的道理——如果你能放下自我，信任队友，并倾尽全力，你就能成就伟业。在当前的情况下，许多专家将这些成就称为“意料之外”的奇迹。尽管球迷和媒体此前并不认为马刺能如此迅速地完成蜕变，但球队内部心知肚明。随着势头的积蓄，他们始终怀揣着这份自信。
在这一点上，约翰逊功不可没。他在马刺上一次季后赛结束54天后加盟球队，并坚守度过了马刺队史上最长的季后赛荒。如今，他正在收获耐心、信念以及对过程的信任所带来的丰硕果实。
但做出牺牲的并不仅仅是KJ。瓦塞尔同样陪着球队度过了那些艰难的低谷期。本赛季，哈里森·巴恩斯 (Harrison Barnes) 放弃了长达十年的首发身份，在马刺为季后赛全力冲刺而调整阵容时主动坐上了替补席。而上赛季通过一笔精明交易加盟的达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)，曾是萨克拉门托国王队的绝对核心。他也深知，随着马刺围绕文班亚马进行重建，自己的角色也必须做出调整。
谈到文班亚马，他的全身心投入对球队的成功至关重要。作为建队基石，文班本可以插手交易、教练人选以及阵容搭配。当关于扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo) 的转会传闻甚嚣尘上时，这位马刺超级巨星保持了沉默。当格雷格·波波维奇 (Gregg Popovich) 退休时，文班完全信任波波的接班人来执掌大局。马刺的幕后从未传出过任何一丝不和谐的负面声音。
这或许是这支马刺与前辈们最相似的地方。“马刺文化”依然完好无损，“马刺之道”仍在延续。而俱乐部内部的化学反应和运作细节始终属于球队内部。球迷们所看到的，正是他们在球场上合力呈现的成果。
如今，他们可能即将拼下队史第六座NBA总冠军奖杯。虽然这是俱乐部的第六冠，但对于目前阵中的所有球员来说，这都是他们的首冠。如果历史重演，这仅仅会是他们众多冠军中的第一个。
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：Open Thread: Appreciating how the 2026 Spurs emulate the dynasty that won five titles
Open Thread: Appreciating how the 2026 Spurs emulate the dynasty that won five titles
As the Spurs head into Game 1 of the NBA Finals, comparisons have been made between the Tim Duncan era Spurs and what shall be known as the Victor Wembanyama era Spurs.
Both Duncan and Wemby made their first run to the Finals as 22-year-olds. Both beat the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round. And like Duncan in 1999, Victor Wembanyama will tip off against the New York Knicks in his first Finals appearance.
But what about the rest of the team?
One player that resembles the Spurs dynasty of the early 2000s is Keldon Johnson. Johnson, the longest tenured member of the Spurs roster, received the Sixth Man of the Year award this season. The only other member of the Spurs to earn the honor was Manu Ginobili, back in 2008.
Before Ginobili was ever crowned Sixth Man, he served as a started for the Spurs.
Manu originally struggled with the change. As he stated, his ego had to be removed from the equation so that he could accept that the move was for the greater good of the team.
On Tuesday, the NBA held media press conferences with the Spurs and Knicks. During Keldon Johnson’s time at the podium, he was asked this questions:
Face of the franchise, 20 points per game until now. What’s the toughest part of switching from that role to the role you’re in with this team?
Coincidentally enough, his answer mirrored Ginobili’s:
“Honestly, I would say ego. Just being the guy and then you having to adjust. I feel like when you — there’s a point where you look in the mirror and you want to be a part of something special or you want to chase personal goals. Being here and being throughout this season and winning has been an ultimate reward.” He continued, “It just shows that everything was worth it. Obviously I went from being the guy to coming off the bench and being sixth man. I feel like winning is the most addictive thing in this league. This year is a testament to that, being able to win and contribute to us winning means more than anything that I’ve done in the past.”
Ego for the individual giving way to a selflessness for the greater good of the team. It worked for Manu and Timmy and Tony and Pop and all of the others who rejoiced in picking up a championship ring during those runs 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014.
Johnson’s acceptance of his role has elevated the Spurs bench. Keldon was one of the seven players who scored in double figures this season. The only other player in double figs off the bench was Dylan Harper.
Devin Vassell, the second longest tenured Spur, had this to say about his relationship with Johnson and the chemistry they have as a team:
“I think that is one of the main reasons why we’re here, because we’ve been so locked in and on and off the court we’re all talking, we’re all together. But we know as soon as we get in between the lines, we’re ready to go.”
Julian Champagnie echoed Vassell’s comments about chemistry in his time with the media:
“Obviously, me, Keldon and Dev and Vic have all been together for about three years now. Then you add guys like HB, Foxy, Carter, Steph, Dyl, all those guys bring a light, good attitude to the locker room.”
Ultimately, the 2026 Spurs have learned what some teams never do — if you leave your ego at the door, trust in your teammates, and play to the best of your ability, you can accomplish great things. In this case, many pundits call them “unexpected” things. While fans and media didn’t think the Spurs could accelerate this quickly, the team knew. And they carried that confidence as their momentum built.
To that end, a lot of credit goes to Johnson. He arrived 54 days after the Spurs last playoff game, and has stuck through the longest playoff drought in Spurs history. He’s now reaping the benefits of patience, faith, and trust in the process.
But it is not just KJ who has bought in. Vassell played through those rough patches as well. This season, Harrison Barnes gave up a decade-long run as a starter, moving to the bench as the Spurs adjusted toward their playoff run. De’Aaron Fox, who arrived last season through a savvy trade, was the go-to for the Sacramento Kings. He understood his role was being altered as the Spurs were built around Victor Wembanyama.
Speaking of Victor Wembanyama, his buy in has been paramount to the success. As a cornerstone to the franchise, Wemby could have pushed for trades, coaches, and player combinations. When the buzz around Giannis Antetokounmpo was at its apex, the Spurs superstar was silent. When Gregg Popovich retired, Wemby trusted in Pop’s heir to steer the ship. There has never been a hint at negativity from behind the scenes seeping out into the open.
That may be the greatest comparison between these Spurs and their predecessors. The Spurs Culture is still in tact. The Spurs Way continues on. And the behind the scenes dynamics of the franchise belong to the team. What fans see is what they generate on the court.
What they produce now may be their sixth NBA title. Sixth to the franchise, but the first for the members of this roster. And if history repeats itself, it will be the first of many.
By Jeph Duarte, via Pounding The Rock