[ 王 ] NBA presents a struggle for the ages

[pennymarcus (De-troit Basketball)]

http://tinyurl.com/cb6cum

Monday, April 20, 2009

NBA presents a struggle for the ages

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Nineteen-year-old Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Randolph's eyes grew
wide as he ascended toward the basket. The only thing standing between him
and a poster dunk was 42-year-old Dikembe Mutombo of the Houston Rockets.
Randolph probably was envisioning the "SportsCenter" highlight when Mutombo
swatted the ball away.
勇士19歲的前鋒 Anthony Randolph 準備灌籃。他和籃框之間的阻礙是42歲的Mutombo。
當被 Mutombo 拍掉球時 Randolph 或許想像著他這球可以上「世界體育中心」的
最佳鏡頭。

Randolph reclaimed the ball and challenged the old man again. This time, all
he got for his trouble was an offensive foul and a quick seat on the bench
next to an unhappy coach Don Nelson.
Randolph 拿到球後想再次挑戰這位老人。這次他被判進攻犯規，很快地坐到了不開心的
教頭 Nelson 身旁。

"We need NBA Classics to show more of the Mutombo games so some of the
youngest guys can learn," Mutombo later told the Houston Chronicle.
Mutombo 稍後表示應該要多放一些他的影片讓一些年輕人學習。

"That young boy tried so hard. He kept telling me, 'I'm going to get you
before the day's over.' He tried, but he didn't get a chance to dunk on
Dikembe Mutombo. He's not going to be able to tell his grandkids, 'I got
Dikembe with one. ' "
「那個年輕人超拼的。一直告訴我『今天結束前我要打敗你。』他試了，但沒機會在
Mutombo 面前灌籃。』他無法跟他的孫子說嘴。

The NBA is at a fascinating juncture with a dynamic convergence of brilliant,
young players and older, established stars.

The league has spent considerable energy and resources to promote the likes
of Chris Paul, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Kevin
Durant, Deron Williams and Brandon Roy.
聯盟花很多力氣在捧這些年輕人。

But old hands Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal have been
featured players on the last three championship teams. Add Kobe Bryant, Jason
Kidd, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Derek Fisher, Rasheed
Wallace and Antonio McDyess and you have a wealth of 30-somethings still
playing at a high level.
但 KG、TD 和大歐是這三年冠軍隊的成員。KB、Kidd、Nash、...狗屁和袋鼠這些三十
來歲的人還是打得很好。

But it can't go on forever. With James almost a lock to win Most Valuable
Player honors, and his Cavaliers heavy favorites to win the Eastern
Conference title, the 2009 playoffs might signal a passing of the torch.
但 James 很有可能拿下 MVP ，他的騎士隊也很有機會拿下東區冠軍。

"It is a new era," said McDyess, who at age 34 averaged a double-double for
the last 30 games of the regular season. "There is a new generation coming
in. It seems like every young guy now is a freakin' amazing athlete, an
amazing talent. From one to five (positions), it's like everybody coming in
now is an outstanding athlete.
例行賽最後三十場平均有搭波搭波成績，34歲的袋鼠說：「這是個新時代。新世代來臨了。
似乎每個年輕人都有很好的體能，很棒的天份。從一號到五號，似乎現在每個進來的人
都是很出色的運動員。」

"In the past you would have a shooter that couldn't jump, or an athlete that
couldn't shoot or somebody was strong but not fast, you know? Now they got it
all; they are big, fast, they can run, jump and shoot. You look at it, I
think you are going to start to see some of those younger teams get to the
Finals. The new phase of the league is coming in."
「過去可能射手的彈跳力不好，或是體能很好的球員不太會投球，某人很壯但速度不佳。
但現在他們全都的能力都有了。他們又大隻又快，可以跑跳投。我想你會開始見到一些
年輕的球隊打進總冠軍戰。聯盟的新階段來了。」

Maintaining an edge
保有優勢

There have been many examples this season -- beyond James' domination -- of
younger players making their mark against old masters.
除了 James 外來看看其他年輕人打敗老人的例子。

Devin Harris (New Jersey Nets) scored 41 and completely dominated Kidd
(Dallas Mavericks) in a match of point guards who were traded for each other.
The Portland Trail Blazers' LaMarcus Aldridge, whose game is a spitting image
of a young Rasheed Wallace's, had 53 points in two victories over Wallace and
the Pistons. Nash of the Phoenix Suns had a couple of embarrassing moments
against Paul of the New Orleans Hornets.
Harris 對上 Kidd 時拿了41分。被視為年輕版 Sheed 的 Aldridge 兩度對上活塞時
共拿下53分和兩場勝利。 Nash 對上 Paul 時有幾次難堪的時候。

"It's tough, but you have to have a strong head," Wallace said. "You've got
to come to terms with (getting older). You can't sit out there and think, 'I
can still run up and down and jump like I used to.' Nah, you have to play the
game from a higher mental aspect."
「這很難受，但你得堅強。」Sheed 說。「你得接受變老的事實。你不能坐在那想
『我還是可以像以前一樣跑跑跳跳。』你得用更佳的心態去打球。」

For the most part, the vets still rule. Of the 16 playoff teams, 10 would be
considered mostly veteran. Wisdom, in most cases, still is trumping youth and
raw talent.
大致上來說老將還是統治了這聯盟。16支季後賽球隊中有10支被認為是較有輕驗的球隊。
在大部分的例子中，智慧仍舊勝過年輕和純天份。

"I have a saying and maybe it's the fact that I'm coaching and not playing
anymore," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "But the saying is: Don't
underestimate greatness at any age. I really believe that.
「我有個說法，這或許是我現在在執教而不再打球的原因，」卡帥說。「那句話是說：
不要低估任何年紀的偉大。我真的這麼相信。」

"You can't ever relax on these guys. There's a reason that Nash and Shaq are
going to the Hall of Fame on a first vote. There's a reason Kidd is going to
the Hall of Fame on the first vote. And Dirk. And Grant Hill is a Hall of
Fame player who happened to miss a few years."
「對那些人也不能放鬆。Nash 和大歐會在第一輪投票進名人堂是有原因的。Kidd 、
Dirk 也是。還有缺賽過幾年的 Hill」。


Forever young
永遠年輕

The money players are making, clearly, will motivate older players to take
care of their bodies. And advances in nutrition and training methods have
helped any player willing to put in the work.
球員賺的錢會激勵老球員更加照顧自己的身體。進步的營養學和訓練方法也幫助球員
做好準備。

"The one consistent thing I've seen is that no matter what situation you are
in, the guys who really commit to working and commit to perfecting their
craft and skill will have consistency and longevity," said former Pistons
guard Allan Houston, now in player development with the Knicks
「我看到的一件不變的事是，不管你的情況如何，只要好好努力就可以有穩定且長久
的生涯。」現在在尼克球員發展部門工作的 Houston 說。

Micro-fracture knee surgery shortened Houston's career, but his old Knicks
teammate and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing played 18 seasons and retired at the
age of 39.
手術縮短了 Houston 的生涯，但他的名人堂老隊友 Ewing 打了18季，在39歲退休。

"You know," Ewing said, "something I always think about is why I didn't know
all the things I know now at the beginning of my career. If I had known all
that, they would have had to change the rules of the game for me.
「我總是想為什麼我不在生涯開始時就知道全部的事呢。如果我先全都瞭解，那他們
就得為我改變比賽的規則。」Ewing 說。

"It's all about staying focused, staying in shape and knowing that everything
you've lost with your athleticism through age, you make up in knowledge."
「就是要保持專注，保好體能，瞭解到因為年紀失去的運動力可以靠知識彌補。」

McDyess agreed.
袋鼠深表贊同

"At this age, even a minor injury can make you look like you are moving in
mud," McDyess said.
「在這個年紀，即便小小的傷都會讓你看起來像是在泥漿中移動。」袋鼠說。

"I knew I had to change my game and work on something else if I was going to
survive in this league. You learn angles, you learn to anticipate plays, you
learn guys' tendencies on the court. You've got to know the shortcuts and the
ins-and-outs."
「我知道如果我想在這聯盟生存的話我得改變我的比賽，在其他方面好好努力。你會學
到角度的問題，參與戰術，學習球員在場上的喜好。你得瞭解捷徑和摸清楚比賽。」

Pistons assistant Dave Cowens, another Hall-of-Famer, walked away from the
game healthy and capable at 34.
活塞的助理教練 Cowens ，也是名人堂成員在還能打的34歲就離開了球場。

"I could've played more but I was having this issue and that issue," Cowens
said. "But if I was getting the money these guys are getting, I'd still be
playing. It's so much easier now. The travel is easier, all the health care
you get. And it's such a different financial situation.
「我還可以再打但我有些問題。」Cowens 說。「但如果我得到這些人的薪水，我就會
繼續打。現在簡單多了。旅行變簡單了，還有健康的照料。也是個很不一樣的經濟環境。

"But even when I was at the end, I never felt like I was at a disadvantage on
the court because I was older. Actually, I felt like I had an advantage
because I knew how to do things to make the game easier to play."
「但即便在我生涯末期時，我從不覺得因為我老了我在場上就變成了一個劣勢。實際上
，我覺得我反而是有優勢的，因為我知道如何做能讓比賽打來更輕鬆。」


Driven competitors

Understand, today's aging group of all-stars and champions aren't going to
step aside willingly.
今日全明星和總冠軍的老人組還不想就這樣讓開。

"Nobody wants to pass the baton," Houston said. "The same thing that's made
you a professional all these years has made you a competitor. I am not going
to go into a gym right now and let some 20-year-old at the YMCA beat me. You
are a competitor. You just have to know when and how to pick your spots."
「沒有人想把權杖傳下去，」Houston 說。「讓你成為職業球員的特質也讓你成為一個
好競爭的球員。我現在不會去體育館讓一個20歲的青年打敗我。你只要知道何時及如何
站對你的位置。」

There is a thin line, though, between staying competitive and being
delusional. Kidd understands he's the out-going model when it comes to point
guards. But that didn't stop him from leading the Mavericks into the
playoffs.
Kidd 知道他現在不是控衛的佼佼者了，但他還是可以在季後賽帶領小牛。

"One, you enjoy the time that you were promoted (by the league) and you enjoy
that spotlight," Kidd said. "But your job, it doesn't change. It's still
basketball. You go out there and put yourself in a position to win and do
what you can, even as you get older. Things might be a little different. But
just accept them and enjoy it. That's what I'm trying to do."
「首先，你享受著你被聯盟捧的時候，你享受著那樣的鎂光燈。」Kidd 說。「但你的
工作沒變。還是籃球。即便你老了你還是上場讓自己能贏球，做你可以做的事。事情
或許有點不一樣了。但你只得接受他們，享受他們。這就是我做的事。」

Kobe Bryant did an interview during All-Star weekend and he was asked by
Magic Johnson if he was ready to pass the torch as the game's best player to
James. Bryant was incredulous.
明星週時 Kobe 被 Magic 問到他是否準備好把比賽中最佳球員的火把傳到 James 手上。

"No," Bryant, 30, said, politely. "Not at all. I may never be ready to pass
that torch."
「不，」30歲的 Kobe 禮貌的回答。「一點也不。我或許絕不會準備好交接這個火把。」


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推 freijaking:推這真是篇好文! 另推Kobe的傲氣十足! 這部分贊同他!
→ freijaking:但也許等他也真的變成老將, 會有類似Magic傳承的想法
→ freijaking:Ewing說的話有點類似MJ說D.Thompson的感覺..總有前人闖
→ freijaking:Dyess講的話不禁想到古vs今的問題..嘖
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※ Afflalo:轉錄至看板 NBA                                          04/20 17:23
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※ 編輯: pennymarcus     來自: 61.227.209.44        (04/20 20:35)
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