By Tim MacMahon, 2026-06-05 19:00:00
在NBA总决赛第一场比赛开始前的赛前倒计时归零时，“豺狼团 (Jackals)”已经准备就绪，摩拳擦掌，准备践行维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的设想。
这个由圣安东尼奥马刺队超级巨星创立的欧洲足球风格球迷俱乐部，坐满了霜冻银行中心（Frost Bank Center）114区的前四排。他们盘踞在客队替补席旁的底线上方，挥舞着标语，戴着各种狂野的帽子、假发、面具和其他富有创意的配饰。
此刻，雅各布·埃斯基维尔 (Jacob Esquivel) 带着他的大鼓，从114区的最顶排转移到了通往更衣室的通道正上方。与他在一起的还有马里奥·“马刺野人”·莫雷诺 (Mario “Spurbarian” Moreno)。
当他们收到马刺队现场大屏幕及娱乐团队的信号时，埃斯基维尔重重地敲击了两下大鼓，莫雷诺在头顶上方拍了一下手，随后看台上的其他豺狼团成员以及全场的马刺球迷也纷纷加入。他们多次重复这一动作，每一轮的节奏都在加快，最终以一声悠长的怒吼结束。
这一套动作的执行，完全符合文班亚马在赛季中期召集豺狼团开会时的设想。那是一次头脑风暴会议，旨在探讨该团体在主场比赛中带动全场观众的最佳方式。文班亚马提出了这一新传统，并在一个下午，于拉坎特拉巨石中心（The Rock at La Cantera，围绕马刺队新训练馆建造的娱乐综合体）内的罗卡与马蒂洛（Roca & Martillo）餐厅屋顶酒吧里，在提供餐饮的两个小时聚会中，与豺狼团成员们一起进行了练习。
“让我感到不可思议的是，他竟然会花时间来关心我们的想法，但他确实非常在乎，”豺狼团领喊员佩顿·詹森 (Peyton Janssen) 告诉ESPN。“他简直对在任何可能的事情上精益求精到了着迷的地步。”
在首发阵容介绍完毕后，一幅由圣安东尼奥街头艺术家谢克·维加 (Shek Vega) 创作的、尺寸为80x60英尺的彩色巨幅横幅在114区上方揭幕，横幅由下至上一排排展开。这种横幅在欧洲被称为“Tifo”，这是文班亚马直接建议的又一项新传统。他的灵感来自于“Ultras”（极端球迷组织），即他在法国长大时所崇拜的巴黎圣日耳曼支持者。
“他想把那种欧洲的氛围、那种欧洲足球的活力带到美国，”豺狼团主席艾丹·斯特林 (Aidan Sterling) 说道。“而他也确实做到了。”
一旦豺狼团被Tifo覆盖，豺狼团的八位队长之一雷德蒙德·“大红”·卡森 (Redmond “Big Red” Carson) 就会转身面对整个群体，进行一番鼓舞人心的动员呐喊。
“嘿，豺狼们！这就是你们在周日来到这里的原因！”日常工作是销售牧场的卡森大喊道，此时其他豺狼团成员正用手抖动着Tifo。“这就是你们去看40场比赛的原因，就是为了这一刻，为了NBA总决赛的第一场！让我听到你们的声音！”
随后，卡森像他每场比赛前所做的那样，将自己的T恤从领口向下撕开。他继续喊着，但在俱乐部其他成员的咆哮声中，他的声音已经听不清了。
豺狼团已经为总决赛做好了准备，他们准备用声浪淹没涌入球馆的数百名喧闹的纽约尼克斯队球迷，渴望让他们的英雄感到骄傲。在周五的第二场比赛（美东时间晚上8:30，ABC直播）中，文班亚马需要他创立的这个团体来注入能量。对于这位22岁的超级巨星、他年轻的球队以及站在他们身后的首届球迷俱乐部来说，这可能是本赛季最重要的一场比赛。
“多年来我一直知道马刺社区拥有这种力量，”在系列赛开始前一天被问及豺狼团时，文班亚马说道。“现在终于看到它被引导成一个有组织、高效且有成效的团体，这真是一件令人无比高兴的事。”
在维克托·文班亚马的设想下，作为马刺“Ultras”（极端球迷）支持者的豺狼团将114区视作自己的大本营。 Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
文班亚马亲自挑选了这个83人团体中的每一位成员。那是九月的一个周日上午，他坐在一张复制的冰封王座上（向马刺传奇球星乔治·格文 (George Gervin) 致敬），在球迷们为了争取一个名额而大喊大跳时，他认真地做着笔记。
共有八位队长，全部由文班亚马亲自选出。他通过FaceTime视频通话向他们告知了这一荣誉，并邀请他们到马刺队的训练馆开会，会议一开始，他就用一份PPT详细介绍了自己对该团体的目标。
在马刺训练馆录像分析室与该团体八位队长的首次会议上，文班亚马重点强调了豺狼团的架构。他们对团体的名称进行了投票，最终采纳了文班亚马的建议——“豺狼团 (Jackals)”，这是对该队吉祥物“小野狼 (Coyote)”的一种欧洲风味的改编。
文班亚马在房间的白板上列出了队长的几个具体职责——主席、副主席、领喊员、标语专员、社交媒体总监、鼓手——并参与了填补这些职位的投票过程。
“你会打鼓吗？”文班亚马问埃斯基维尔，这位24岁的电工几乎没有音乐经验。
“不会，但我会学！”埃斯基维尔急切地回答道。
“我们所有人都以为他只是来露个脸，拍张合照就走，”豺狼团副主席马修·瓦斯奎兹 (Matthew Vasquez) 说道。“但他全程待了两个半小时。他不仅人在现场，而且还积极引导对话，让我们参与其中。”
豺狼团成员需缴纳1000美元的会员费，其中包括所有主场比赛的门票和停车位。“这是体育界最划算的交易！”莫雷诺说，这一观点得到了几位豺狼团成员的赞同。
豺狼团的一些额外费用由马刺队的球衣广告赞助商Ledger承担，这是一家总部位于巴黎的数字安全公司。该公司赞助了Tifo以及可以折叠成响板的标语牌，标语牌背面印有该团体最常用的六首助威口号的歌词。这些都是欧洲足球中流行的助威歌曲，并融入了马刺元素，其中一首名为《谢谢文班》（Merci Wemby）。
在整个赛季中，文班亚马曾多次提出反馈和建设性的批评，通常是通过马刺队公关总监乔丹·豪温斯坦 (Jordan Howenstine) 发送短信来转达这些信息。
在马刺队首轮系列赛击败波特兰开拓者队后，文班亚马与豺狼团主席斯特林进行了一次15分钟的一对一会面。他强调，季后赛的助威口号需要更加简练，以便让其他观众更容易参与进来。
“前10分钟我们聊了聊生活，然后切入正题，”斯特林说。“他告诉我，‘我们必须保持简短和纯粹——要悦耳的声浪，而不是强求的噪音。’”
就像欧洲足球支持者一样，豺狼团也用熟悉的旋律配上原创歌词，创作出了他们自己的助威歌曲。 摄影：David Dow/NBAE，来自Getty Images
约书亚·杰伊·尼托 (Joshua Jay Nieto) 站在阿贝尔·埃尔南德斯二世 (Abel Hernandez Jr.) 身边，在他耳边大声进行详细的实时解说，让这位法定失明的豺狼团成员能够跟上场上正在进行的比赛。老阿贝尔·埃尔南德斯 (Big Abel Hernandez) 站在他儿子的另一侧。他以前也履行过这些职责，但“他父亲的解说非常简单，”尼托在解释自己为何在赛季中期接手时说道。他用高分贝实时描述着动作、投篮和战术的丰富细节，而小埃尔南德斯则带着兴奋而敬畏的神情沉浸其中。
在季前赛豺狼团成立之前，尼托并不认识埃尔南德斯一家。他们之间的互动是这个球迷群体在短短几个月内建立起深厚纽带的绝佳范例。
在比赛间歇期，尼托和埃尔南德斯会参与所有的助威口号，包括为每一位走上罚球线的马刺球员量身定制的口号。针对文班亚马的有两条：“Wem-V-P！”和“谢谢文班 (Merci Wemby)”，每次由詹森决定使用哪一个。
豺狼团像一台运转良好的机器一样运作，与马刺队的现场大屏幕及娱乐团队携手合作，这在很大程度上是因为这正是文班亚马所希望的。
“他对待这件事很认真，所以我们也同样认真，”豺狼团社交媒体账号负责人亚历克斯·佩纳 (Alex Pena) 说道。“这是我们正在努力建设的事业。有哪个NBA球星会想为他的球迷创造这样的东西？我们必须为他坚持下去。”
出于同样的原因，豺狼团也是马刺队管理层的优先关注对象。马刺队曾出资让该团体的50名成员飞往拉斯维加斯观看NBA杯决赛，并提供了去休斯敦客场比赛的门票。马刺队的长期赞助商、连锁超市HEB还出资让豺狼团的八位队长飞往俄克拉荷马城，观看西部决赛的第七场决战。
“凭借巨大的努力和出色的成效，他们在抢七大战中占领了客场，”文班亚马说道。在那场胜利前的赛前热身中，他一走进球场就望向这个团体，并做出了豺狼团的官方手势向他们致意——在头部两侧同时竖起食指和中指，就像是在模仿这种动物的耳朵。
在主场比赛中，一些豺狼团的队长会佩戴耳机和麦克风，以便与马刺队的现场大屏幕及娱乐团队进行沟通和协调，避免与现场播音员或比赛间歇期间球馆大屏幕播放的视频产生冲突。他们通过反复试验，共同努力让助威口号适应NBA比赛的快节奏。坐在豺狼团前排中间的詹森负责发起口号，并确保团体的其他成员紧紧跟上。
在周三晚上比赛开球前几分钟，莫雷诺剥开一颗润喉糖放进嘴里。
“我通常现在吃一颗，半场休息时再吃一颗，”莫雷诺说，他正在使用一种从一位歌剧演员朋友那里学来的保护嗓子的技巧。“必须保护好你的发声乐器。”
豺狼团的首要任务之一就是在整场比赛中保持激情和高声量，这也是为什么莫雷诺在Etsy上买了一个古代勇士号角的复制品，在马刺队打出精彩表现时吹响它。在整整48分钟里不停地欢呼和呐喊是豺狼团成员的硬性要求。
他们最常使用的那种带有歌唱韵律的口号，是一首融入了圣安东尼奥元素的经典西班牙歌曲。
欧蕾，欧蕾，欧蕾
马刺加油，马刺加油
当尼克斯队请求暂停以试图阻止马刺队的得分高潮时，加拉 (Gala) 1997年的欧洲舞曲热门单曲《Freed from Desire》的副歌部分就会在球馆的音响系统中响起。这也是文班亚马的另一个要求，他在成长过程中经常在足球比赛中听到这首欢快且洗脑的旋律。
摆脱欲望，心灵与感官得以净化
摆脱欲望，心灵与感官得以净化
摆脱欲望，心灵与感官得以净化
摆脱欲望
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
当然，豺狼团对歌词进行了改编。当这首歌在霜冻银行中心播放时（通常在马刺队打出高潮时每场播放一次），他们会以震耳欲聋的咆哮声齐声高唱。
马刺势不可挡，你们的防线瑟瑟发抖
马刺势不可挡，你们的防线瑟瑟发抖
马刺势不可挡，你们的防线瑟瑟发抖
马刺势不可挡
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
纳-纳-纳-纳-纳，纳-纳，纳-纳-纳，纳-纳-纳
这个创意是文班亚马在九月份会议上的PPT内容的一部分，但他当时提议的是“[德文]·瓦塞尔 ([Devin] Vassell) 状态火热”。豺狼团对歌词进行了微调，使其更具通用性。
只可惜，在第一场比赛中，马刺队的火力不够猛烈，也未能持久。尼克斯队在落后两位数的情况下奋起直追，并在比赛尾声打出一波11-0的高潮，最终以105-95客场取胜。而这一切，还是在豺狼团竭尽全力助威的情况下发生的。
在比赛还剩20.7秒、胜负已分时，一位在第四节来到豺狼团看台的6英尺6英寸高的法国女性向该团体告别。文班亚马的母亲埃洛迪·德·福特罗 (Elodie de Fautereau) 在走下台阶前，用双手多次送出飞吻。
终场哨声响起后，“马刺野人”的声音再次响起，向他那些感到失望但并未气馁的兄弟们传递着希望。
“这将会是一个漫长的系列赛！”莫雷诺站在看台中央大喊道。
“相信！相信！”
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：NBA Finals: Wemby's Jackals bring European fandom to Spurs-Knicks
NBA Finals: Wemby’s Jackals bring European fandom to Spurs-Knicks
AS THE PREGAME clock hits zeroes before Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Jackals are ready and fired up to execute Victor Wembanyama’s vision.
The European football-style fan club founded by the San Antonio Spurs’ superstar fills the top four rows of Section 114 inside Frost Bank Center, perched above the baseline by the visitors’ bench, waving signs and wearing all sorts of wild hats, wigs, masks and other creative accessories.
For the moment, Jacob Esquivel has relocated from the top row of Section 114 to just above the tunnel that heads toward the locker room, bringing his bass drum with him. He’s joined by Mario “Spurbarian” Moreno.
As they get the cue from the Spurs’ game presentation crew, Esquivel bangs the drum twice and Moreno claps his hands once above his head, joined by the rest of the Jackals and Spurs fans throughout the arena. They repeat the routine multiple times, the beat speeding up each round, ending with an elongated roar.
It’s executed exactly how Wembanyama intended during a midseason meeting he called with the Jackals, a brainstorming session on the best ways for the group to involve the entire crowd at home games. Wembanyama suggested this new tradition and practiced it with the Jackals during the catered two-hour gathering one afternoon at the rooftop bar of Roca & Martillo, a restaurant at The Rock at La Cantera, the entertainment complex built around the Spurs’ new practice facility.
“It baffles me that he gives up his time to just even care about what we say, but he truly cares about it so much,” Jackals chant leader Peyton Janssen told ESPN. “He is just addicted to getting better at anything possible.”
Following the introduction of the starting lineups, an 80-by-60-foot colorful banner created by San Antonio street artist Shek Vega is unveiled over Section 114, unfurled by being up from row to row. These banners are known as tifos in Europe, and this is another new tradition suggested directly by Wembanyama, who drew inspiration from the “ultras,” the Paris Saint-Germain supporters he admired while growing up in France.
“He wanted to bring that European atmosphere, wanted to bring that European football energy to the states,” Aidan Sterling, the Jackals president, said. “That’s exactly what he did.”
Once the Jackals are covered by the tifo, Redmond “Big Red” Carson, one of the Jackals’ eight captains, turns around to face the entire group and deliver a pep shout.
“Hey Jackals! This is why you showed up on a Sunday!” Carson, whose day job is selling ranches, yells as the rest of the Jackals shake the tifo with their hands. “This is why you went to 40 games, for this reason, for Game 1 of the NBA Finals! I want to hear it!”
Then Carson, as he’s done before every game, rips his T-shirt from the neck down. He continues shouting, but it’s indecipherable amid the roaring from the rest of the club.
The Jackals are ready for the Finals, prepared to drown out the hundreds of loud New York Knicks fans who have infiltrated the arena, eager to make their hero proud. Wembanyama will need the group he founded to bring the energy in Friday’s Game 2 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in what could be the most important game of the season for the 22-year-old superstar, his young team and the inaugural fan club standing behind them.
“I’ve known for years that the Spurs community had this strength in them,” Wembanyama said when asked about the Jackals the day before the series started. “Now to finally see it being channeled into something organized and efficient, effective, it’s a great joy.”
Behind the vision of Victor Wembanyama, the Jackals, the Spurs “ultras” supporters, call Section 114 their home. Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
WEMBANYAMA PERSONALLY SELECTED every member of the 83-person group after judging tryouts on a Sunday morning in September, when he sat on a replica ice throne (a nod to Spurs legend George Gervin) and scribbled notes as fans shouted and danced in hopes of securing a spot.
There are eight captains, all selected by Wembanyama, who informed them of the honor via a FaceTime call inviting them to a meeting at the Spurs’ practice facility, which he began with a PowerPoint presentation detailing his goals for the group.
The Jackals’ structure was an emphasis for Wembanyama during the initial meeting with the group’s eight captains in the film room at the Spurs’ practice facility. They voted on the group’s name and went with Wembanyama’s suggestion of Jackals, a European twist on the franchise’s coyote mascot.
Wembanyama listed several specific roles for the captains on a white board in the room – president, vice president, chant leader, sign specialist, social media director, drummer – and participated in the voting process to fill those positions.
“Can you play drums?” Wembanyama asked Esquivel, a 24-year-old electrician with minimal musical experience.
“No, but I’ll learn!” Esquivel eagerly replied.
“All of us thought he’d show up for a quick photo op,” Jackals vice president Matthew Vasquez said. “He was there for the whole 2½ hours. Not only was he there and present, but he was actively leading the conversation and involving us.”
The Jackals pay a $1,000 membership fee, which includes tickets and parking for every home game. “It’s the best deal in sports!” Moreno said, a sentiment echoed by several Jackals.
Some of the additional costs for the Jackals are covered by San Antonio’s jersey patch sponsor Ledger, a Paris-based digital security firm. The company sponsors the tifo and the signs that fold into clappers, which on the back feature the words for the group’s six most frequently used chants. They’re all popular chants used in European football with Spurs twists, one of which is titled “Merci Wemby.”
Wembanyama has provided feedback and constructive criticism on several occasions throughout the season, often relaying the message via a text from Spurs director of communication Jordan Howenstine.
Wembanyama had a 15-minute one-on-one meeting with Sterling, the Jackals’ president, following the Spurs’ first-round series victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. He stressed that the chants needed to be condensed in the playoffs, making it easier for the rest of the crowd to get involved.
“For the first 10 minutes, we talked about life and then we got into it,” Sterling said. “He told me, 'We’ve gotta keep it short and clean – sexy noise as opposed to forced noise.”
Much like European soccer supporters, the Jackals have come up with their own chants with original lyrics set to familiar songs. Photos by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
JOSHUA JAY NIETO stands next to Abel Hernandez Jr. and shouts detailed play-by-play commentary into his ear, allowing the legally blind member of the Jackals to follow the game playing out on the floor below. Big Abel Hernandez stands on the other side of his son. He used to fulfill those duties, but “his dad was very simple,” Nieto said, explaining why he took over in midseason. He describes rich details of moves, shots and strategies in real time and at high decibels as Hernandez Jr. soaks it all in with an expression of excited awe on his face.
Nieto didn’t know the Hernandez family before the Jackals formed in the preseason. Their dynamic is a prime example of the deep bond the fan group has formed over a span of months.
Nieto and Hernandez take part in all of the chants during breaks in play, including the personalized ones for each Spurs player who goes to the free throw line. There are two for Wembanyama: “Wem-V-P!” and “Merci Wemby,” with Janssen deciding which one to go with each time.
The Jackals operate as a well-oiled machine, working hand in hand with the Spurs’ game presentation staff, in large part because that’s what Wembanyama wants.
“He takes it serious, so we take it serious, too,” Alex Pena, the point man for the Jackals’ social media accounts, said. “This is something we’re trying to build. What NBA star wants to create something like this for his fans? We’ve got to carry it out for him.”
For the same reason, the Jackals are a priority for the Spurs’ organization, which flew 50 members of the group to Las Vegas for the NBA Cup final and provided tickets to a road game in Houston, too. The grocery chain HEB, a longtime Spurs sponsor, flew the Jackals’ eight captains for Game 7 of the Western Conference finals in Oklahoma City.
“With tremendous effort and results, they dominated the away court Game 7,” said Wembanyama, who looked toward the group when he walked onto the court for warmups before that win and acknowledged them by making the official Jackals hand gesture, raising his index and middle fingers together on each side of his head as if he’s forming the animal’s ears.
During home games, some of the Jackals’ captains wear a headset and microphone, allowing them to communicate and coordinate with the Spurs’ game presentation staff to avoid conflicting with the public address announcer or videos played on the arena’s jumbotron during breaks in play. They’ve worked together through trial and error to adapt the chants to the fast pace of NBA play. Janssen, seated in the front middle of the Jackals next, starts the chants and makes sure the rest of the group goes along.
A few minutes before Wednesday night’s tipoff, Moreno unwraps a cough drop and pops it into his mouth.
“I usually pop one now and another at halftime,” Moreno said, implementing a tactic to aid his voice that he learned from a friend who is an opera singer. “Gotta protect your instrument.”
One of the primary jobs for the Jackals is to be passionate and loud throughout the game, which is why Moreno bought a replica of an ancient warrior’s horn on Etsy, celebrating big plays by the Spurs by blowing it. Cheering and chanting for all 48 minutes is a requirement for the Jackals.
The sing-songy chant used more often is a Spanish classic with a San Antonio twist.
Olé, Olé, Olé
Go Spurs, Go Spurs
When the Knicks call a timeout to try to halt the momentum of a Spurs run, the chorus from Gala’s 1997 Eurodance hit “Freed from Desire” blasts over the arena’s sound system. This was another request from Wembanyama, who grew up frequently hearing the upbeat, catchy tune at football matches.
Freed from desire, mind and senses purified
Freed from desire, mind and senses purified
Freed from desire, mind and senses purified
Freed from desire
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
The Jackals, of course, put their own twist on the lyrics and sing them at a deafening roar when the song is played at Frost Bank Center, which is typically once per game amidst a Spurs run.
Spurs are on fire, your defense is terrified
Spurs are on fire, your defense is terrified
Spurs are on fire, your defense is terrified
Spurs are on fire
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
Na-na-na-na-na, na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na
This idea was part of Wembanyama’s PowerPoint presentation during the September meeting, but he suggested “[Devin] Vassell is on fire.” The Jackals tweaked the lyric to make it more versatile.
Alas, the Spurs’ fire didn’t burn strong or long enough in Game 1. The Knicks rallied from a double-digit deficit and closed the game on an 11-0 run to pull off the 105-95 road win. All despite the Jackals’ best efforts.
With 20.7 seconds remaining, and the outcome no longer in doubt, a 6-foot-6 French woman who visited the Jackals’ section during the fourth quarter bid farewell to the group. Elodie de Fautereau, Wembanyama’s mother, blew kisses with both hands several times before heading down the stairs.
After the final buzzer sounded, Spurbarian’s voice boomed once again, delivering words of hope to his disappointed but not dispirited brethren.
“It’s going to be a long series!” Moreno shouted while standing in the middle of the section.
“Believe! Believe!”
By Tim MacMahon, via ESPN