[揭弊] Robert Whaley 試著以教練之姿重返榮耀

[nobody (見龍在田利見大人)]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/jazz/57953729-87/whaley-robert-basketball-jazz.html.csp

 Back in Utah, Ex-Jazzman Whaley coaching his way to redemption

 前爵士球員，Robert Whaley回到了猶他試著以教練的身份重返榮耀

Ex-Jazz center Robert Whaley finds peace after years of finding nothing but
trouble.

前爵士球員Robert Whaley在多年來的混亂之後，找到了屬於他的安穩。

By Tony Jones | The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 3 hours ago ‧ Updated 3 hours ago

Syracuse ‧ Robert Whaley is still 6-foot-10. But that’s about the only
thing that has stayed the same for the man who was once one of America’s
best high school basketball players.

雪城（按：猶他州的）Whaley還是六呎十。不過這大概是過去曾經是美國最好的
高中籃球員的他，唯一一件沒有改變的事。

He used to be listed at 260 pounds, but is now far from his playing weight.
He moves slower than he did nine years ago when he appeared in 23 games for
the Utah Jazz. Today, he’s an assistant coach for Utah Elite, a talented AAU
program made up primarily of fifth graders.

他的移動比以前在爵士隊伍打了23場還慢了。現在，他是猶他Elite，一個主要是
為了五年級生而創立的業餘籃球聯盟的助理教練。

The money is gone. The fame — fleeting at its peak — is an afterthought.
Whaley is no longer in the NBA. But he’s also no longer in jail, no longer
on the wrong side of the law, no longer consistently in the wrong place at
the worst times.

  錢都不在了。至於名聲呢？在那短暫的瞬間之後，也只是一些後來的想法而已。
Whaley再也不屬於NBA。，不過他現在也不在牢裡，也不在面對法律錯誤的那邊，
也不再出現在最糟的時間出現在最糟的地方。

Basketball is over for Robert Whaley as a player. But it is obvious the game
is still a big part of who he is.

對於Whaley來說，作為一個球員的生涯已經結束了。不過這個運動顯然仍然佔了
他生命中很大一塊。

It was all on on display during a recent, warm spring night at the Syracuse
Community Center in northern Utah, where he tutored youngsters on the
subtleties of the pick and roll and other basketball nuances. Knowing he used
to play in the league, the kids all listened intently.

Robert Whaley is now far from the limelight, but he has has never been more
at peace with himself. For all the basketball talent he squandered, it is a
game he still loves.

這一切可以在最近的北猶他雪城社區中心的溫暖的春天晚上看到，他正在教小朋友
擋切和其他籃球技巧的細微關鍵。小朋友知道他曾經打過 NBA，所以他們都很認真聽。

Whaley當前已經離開鎂光燈很遠了，不過他現在在心理上更平靜了。即便在他搞砸
了他的籃球天份之後，籃球仍然是他最喜愛的運動。

"I take full responsibility for everything that’s happened to me," Whaley
said. "Some of the stuff that’s happened is because of who I was. I
understand that’s how it goes. But I tried to cheat life and that didn’t
work out for me. When you try every way, the only way is to fly right. I’m
married now, and I have a good support system around me. I look at coaching
and I feel like I’ve found my calling."

Whaley說：「我對於所有曾經發生在我身上的事情負責。」「有些事情是因為我
的過去而發生。我了解這就是原因。不過我曾經要騙自己來過活而這對我來說
並沒有成功。當你試過每件事之後，唯一能做的其實是做正確的事。我現在結婚
了，我身邊有著很好的支持系統。我看到了教練這件事而我感覺這似乎是一種
使命。」

 Hitting rock bottom ‧ Whaley’s journey to become a productive member of
society stands in stark contrast to the disastrous road he was once headed
down.

  已經跌到了谷底。 Whaley的旅程將要成為和他像災難一般的過去揮別，
成為這個社會之中有產出的成員之一。

He was a poster child for those who claim young basketball stars are handed
too much, too soon. You know, the entitled players that NBA veterans rail
against when reminiscing upon the old days of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
running the NBA.

 他當年是個會被刊在海報上的小孩，年輕的籃球明星，別人給他太多，也太早。
這就像當年NBA老將們在回想Bird和魔術強森還在打NBA的年代所對抗的球員。

Whaley was once the top-rated high school center in the country, Michigan’s
Mr. Basketball as a senior at Benton Harbor High. He always had great size,
and great girth. Unlike big men in his weight class, however, Whaley moved
stunningly well for a man of his stature. Always aggressive, he tried to dunk
whenever possible. If he couldn’t do that, he had a slew of post moves he
could counter with.

He was recruited by every school in the country, finally settling on Missouri.

Whaley曾經是全國排名前幾明得高中中鋒，高四的Benton Harbor高中的密西根
籃球先生。他一直都有高度，還有寬度。不像和他差不多體重的常人一樣，他
在他這樣的身材而言可以很靈活的移動。永遠都很積極，他會在任何可以灌籃
的機會試著灌下去，就算他不行，他可以用他一連串低位動作來處理。

他曾經被全國的每一個大學招募，最後他選擇了密蘇里。

But that’s when the trouble began. He never played for the Tigers, owing to
a rape charge that was tossed out because of mistrial. He tried to get his
college basketball career back on track in junior college, then signed with
Cincinnati and the Bearcats famed coach, Bob Huggins.

But that only lasted a year. On the move again, Whaley put up big numbers for
Walsh College, an NAIA school. The Jazz thought enough of him to spend a
second round draft pick, and he made the team.

"We really liked Robert," said former Jazz coach Jerry Sloan. "We liked him
as a person, we thought he was a good kid. We really liked him as a player.
He had the talent to play in the NBA. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t work
out with us."

不過這就是問題開始的地方。他從來沒有為老虎隊打任何一場球，因為他涉入了
一場強暴指控隨後被誤判而被踢出了球隊。他試著去JC並回到NCAA籃球場上，並
和Bob Huggins的辛辛納提簽約。

  不過這只有一年，他後來去了NAIA的 Walsh College然後刷了一整串數據。爵
士認為這樣足以讓他們用第二輪選，而他也進入了開季陣容。

Sloan說：「我們真的喜歡 Robert。」「我們喜歡他的人，我們認為他是個好孩子，
我們也認為他是個好球員，他有那種可以在NBA打球的天份。他最後沒有在我們這邊
開花結果相當可惜。」

A highly publicized incident in Park City doomed Whaley, who got into a brawl
with some Denver Nuggets fans with then Jazz rookie point guard Deron
Williams by his side. He compounded his troubles by giving police a fake name
at the scene and lying to the Jazz about a cut on his right hand that was
sustained in the brawl. He was soon traded to the Toronto Raptors and
subsequently released.

  在Park City發生的一件受到社會高度關注的意外讓Whaley盟上了陰影。他
和當年還是新秀的 Deron和一些丹佛球迷打架。他因為報了假名和騙爵士他的傷
是因為切到自己的手而更加嚴重。他被交易去暴龍然後被釋出。

He never got another shot at the NBA.

他再也沒有回NBA的機會。

"Everything happened for a reason," Whaley said. "I will always take
responsibility for what’s happened. I never had a father figure to tell me
what and what not to do. I was pushed through school because I could play
basketball, and I think that hurt me."

Whaley played overseas for a few years, and he spent a season in the NBA
Development League with the Los Angeles D-fenders. But trouble continued to
follow him, In this instance, marijuana posession arrest earned him a parole
violation and landed him in jail for two years.

That was rock bottom for Robert Whaley. The climb back up started then and
there.

Whaley說：「事出必有因。「我永遠會為自己曾經發生的過去負責。我從來沒有個
能夠告訴我什麼不要做的老爸。我在學校中間被推來推去因為我會打球，我覺得這
對我是種傷害。」

Whaley去海外打了幾年球，然後他在NBDL的 LA D-fender打了一季。不過最後麻煩
還是找上了他。這次，他因為持有大麻而為反了保釋規定，最後進了牢裡兩年。

這對Whaley而言是谷底，之後就是往上了。

 Turning it around ‧ After his release, Whaley returned to Utah, determined
to settle down and leave his past behind. He soon met Ronnie Ross, a former
point guard at Utah State who was coaching his son Jordan and his AAU program.

 轉身向上。

在他出獄之後，他回到了猶他，並且試著要拋開所有過去並定下來。他和 Ronnie Ross
見面，前猶他大學控衛，在他兒子Jordan的AAU業餘聯盟球隊教球。

Ross kept telling Whaley to come to practice, come help and sit on the bench
during games. The two became friends right away. Whaley’s past became
irrelevant. So, in October, Whaley finally went to a practice. He’s been
with the team ever since.

On this day, Whaley leads a drill where he misses a free throw that morphs
into a fast break on the other end. Except he has trouble missing the free
throw, his shooting touch still very much evident. After one make, he laughs
along with the kids. He’s very much in his element, very much at ease.
Finally, he misses. The players take the rebound and race up the floor. The
ball finds a shooter in the corner.

Ross一直跟Whaley說叫他來練習，來幫助他並在比賽的時候坐在板凳後面。
他們兩個馬上變成了朋友。Whaley的過去就不重要了。所以在十月，Whaley終於
來練習了，他在那之後就一直跟著球隊。

在這天，Whaley帶著球員練習如果罰球沒進之後要怎麼打反快攻。撇開他罰球
不太好之外，他的投籃手感還是很好。在一球投進之後，他和孩子們一起笑著。
這還是他能辦到的事，而且頗簡單。最後，他沒進了，孩子們搶到籃板並且開始
跑快攻。最後找到了側翼的射手。

All net.

空心。

"It’s a humbling experience to have it all and have it be taken away," Ross
said. "But Robert is such a good person. When you get to know him, it’s like
you can’t believe it’s the same person who had all of those problems. He’s
been great with the kids. They look up to him, and they know that he’s been
in the NBA and at the top. He’s been where they want to go, and they listen
to him."

Ross was more than willing to give Whaley a chance. He told his players he
had been in trouble in the past, without being too specific. He also told
them that everyone is entitled to a do-over in life.

"I never want to judge what another man has gone through," Ross said. "I just
know that Robert has been great when he’s been with us. He’s set a great
example for the kids."

「經歷過什麼都有但又什麼都沒有的過程，是個讓人謙虛的經驗」Ross說。
「不過 Robert 是這麼好的一個人。當你認識他之後，你會很難相信他是個過去曾經
發生過這麼多事情的人。他和孩子們相處得很好。他們以他為目標，而且他們知道
他曾經到過那麼高的地方，打過 NBA。」他會出現他們想要出現的地方，而且他們
會聽他的。」

Ross非常願意再給 Whaley 一個機會，他告訴球員們他過去曾經惹到一些麻煩，但
沒有很詳細的講。他也告訴他們每個人都應該被給一個重新開始的機會。

「我從來不想要評斷另一個人曾經經歷過什麼」「我只知道Robert在跟我們一起的時候
很棒。他對我們這些孩子而言是個一個很棒的例子。」

For Whaley, it’s about giving back. It’s about being a good father — his
son Robert Jr. plays on the team. It’s about working hard.

He now has a steady job working at a local Marriott, he’s married and
settled down. Whaley’s even writing a book, on education. He doesn’t make
the hundreds of thousands of dollars he used to as an NBA player, but he’s
perfectly fine with it. At age 32, Whaley feels like he’s finally winning at
the game of basketball, and in the game of life.

"I feel like I’ve found my platform," he said. "I’m blessed to be around
this group of kids. They are great players and disciplined kids. I feel like I
’m in a great situation."

對於Whaley而言，這比較像是回饋。這是做一個好爸爸 ---- 他的兒子，Robert Jr.
也在這隊打。這是關於努力。

他現在在當地的 Marriott旅館有著穩定的工作，他結婚了並穩定了下來。 Whaley
正在寫一本關於教育的書。他不像他當年在當 NBA球員一樣賺個好幾十萬，不過他
覺得這完全沒問題。32歲， Whaley認為他終於在籃球場上贏了，也在人生的場上
獲得了勝利。

「我覺得我已經找到了我的平台。」 他說。「我能在這群孩子們附近是一種祝福。
他們是群好球員並且有很好的紀律。我覺得我現在的狀況很好。」

--
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