[外電] Hamilton, Billups unlikely All-Stars

[kerrys (台北不是我的家)]

    原文出處：
              http://0rz.tw/ed3Hk

--

AUBURN HILLS -- In his first five NBA seasons, Chauncey Billups seemed destined
to be another high draft pick to not pan out.
    奧本山訊 -- 在槍蜥前五個NBA球季，他似乎已經註定要成為另一個失敗的高順位選秀
球員。

Richard Hamilton, meanwhile, was shipped to Detroit after Michael Jordan, the
Washington Wizards' general manager at the time, no longer wanted him.
    同時間，RIP在當時的華盛頓巫師總管Michael Jordan認為球隊不再需要他後被送至底
特律。

Billups and Hamilton achieved very little before their arrival in Detroit,
which came just 56 days apart. But as a tandem with the Pistons, you would be
hard-pressed to find a better backcourt duo in the NBA.
    槍蜥和RIP在前後間隔56天，相繼加入底特律前幾乎沒有任何值得一提的成就。不過在
活塞配成一對後，你應該很難在聯盟中找到比他們更好的後場雙人組。

"You can have other guys that play together that are great players," Billups
said. "But our game is like a Lego set; we just go together perfectly."
    "你可以把其他傑出的球員搭配在一起打球，"槍蜥說。"但我們的球賽就像是一套樂高
玩具組環環相扣，缺一不可；我們一起打球配合得天衣無縫。"

That's why for the third consecutive season, both have been chosen as reserves
for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
    那正是他們倆連續三個球季被票選為東區全明星隊替補球員的原因。

They join Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars as the only Detroit guard
tandem in franchise history to be chosen to play in three or more consecutive
All-Star games.
    他們加入了底特律隊史上後衛組合原本只有名人堂成員笑笑湯和老喬曾同時連續三年
或連續三年以上在全明星賽亮相的行列。

"They're the best backcourt in the NBA, so they should be there together," said
Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Woodson, a former Pistons assistant. "Those two guys
are a big, big part of why that Detroit team just keeps on winning."
    "他們是聯盟中最佳後場，所以他們應該一起入選明星隊，"前活塞助理教練，現為亞
特蘭大老鷹教練的Mike Woodson說。"那兩個傢伙的好表現是底特律得以持續贏球的很大一
部分原因。"

Their arrival before the 2002-03 season ushered in an era of unprecedented
success for a franchise.
    他們在'02-'03年球季的到達開創了這支球隊空前的常勝新紀元。

Detroit advanced to the Conference finals seven times prior to their arrival,
which includes trips to the Western Conference finals in 1958 and 1962. That
total has nearly doubled since Billups and Hamilton arrived. The Pistons have
reached the Eastern Conference finals or farther in each of the five full
seasons they have been in Detroit.
    底特律在他們加入前只有七次晉級分區冠軍賽，其中包括年代久遠的'58和'62年球季
，當時活塞甚至還隸屬於西區。不過那個總次數在槍蜥和RIP加入後幾乎翻了快一倍。活塞
在他們來到底特律後的五個完整球季至少都走到東區冠軍賽甚至還曾經拿下一座總冠軍。

A sixth consecutive trip to the conference finals seems achievable as the
Pistons enter the All-star break with the league's second-best overall record
(39-13), and the longest current winning streak which stands at 10 in a row.
    活塞帶著聯盟第二以及目前聯盟最長的10連勝的佳績進入全明星週末，看樣子今年似
乎會是活塞持續締造上述紀錄的第六個球季。

Dumars, Detroit's president of basketball operations, had a feeling that
pairing Billups and Hamilton together would make the Pistons a much improved
team.
    底特律籃球事務總裁老喬之前就認為把槍蜥和RIP湊在一起會讓活塞的戰績大躍進。

But he acknowledges that their ability to play so well off each other has been
even better than he imagined.
    但他也承認他們合作實際拿出的成績甚至比他原本想像的還要亮眼。

"You hope that when you bring them together, it'll work out," Dumars said. "But
I would be sitting here lying to you if I said I knew it was going to be like
this."
    "在你把他們湊作堆時你會希望這麼做能奏效，"老喬說。"但如果我說我知道會有這麼
好的效果，那我肯定是信口雌黃。"

Both players agree that in order to play so well together, a bond had to be
established.
    兩個球員都同意為了能夠合作無間，必須要培養一種生死與共的革命情感。

Billups, a former No. 3 overall pick who played for five different teams in
five seasons prior to coming to Detroit, said he and Hamilton hit it off
immediately.
    '97年選秀探花槍蜥在加入底特律前的職業生涯前五年一共穿過五支球隊的球衣，他說
自己很快就和RIP打成一片了。

"I never had a connection like that," Billups said. "It's like I always know
what he's thinking."
    "我從沒有過像這樣的兄弟情誼，"槍蜥說。"感覺似乎我總會知道他在想些什麼。"

Added Hamilton, "We were like brothers, right from the start."
    RIP補充道，"我們就像是親兄弟，打從一開始就是。"

As you watch the Pistons play, there are several occasions when Billups and
Hamilton will communicate on the floor without saying a word to each other.
    在你觀看活塞比賽時，會有好幾次槍蜥和RIP在場上根本連一個字都不用說就能溝通。

Both admit that a simple glance is often all it takes for them to know what the
other is looking to do offensively.
    他們倆都承認只要稍微使個眼色，通常對方就會知道接下來要採取什麼方式進攻。

Part of that bond gives them the freedom to speak candidly with each other, and
not worry about hurt feelings.
    他們能這麼自由率直溝通的部分原因是因為感情深厚，而且也不需要擔心是否會傷害
對方的感受。

"He can tell me stuff that no one else can tell me, and I can take it for a
grain a salt and not get up and get angry and defensive about it," Billups said
. "I never have to go through that with Rip, because of the bond we've built."
    "他能告訴我沒有其他人能跟我說的，而我會持保留態度並且不會因此感到生氣而有所
防備，"槍蜥說。"因為我們之間建立起的兄弟情誼，我從不會因此和RIP鬧翻。"

When Hamilton told Billups he was going to be a father, Billups recalls a
number of conversations he had with Hamilton in hopes of making him as prepared
as possible for what was coming.
    當RIP告訴槍蜥說他即將為人父時，槍蜥回憶道他告訴RIP好幾個建議，希望他能盡可
能做好準備迎接即將出世的孩子。

Both acknowledge that Billups' words rang hollow at first, with Hamilton
repeatedly telling his backcourt mate that he was wrong and that his life, by
and large, would remain the same.
    雙方都坦承一開始槍蜥的話被當成了耳邊風，因為RIP反覆地告訴他的後場夥伴說他錯
了而他的生活，基本上，會保持原狀。

"I wasn't trying to hear Chauncey talking to me about all these changes,"
Hamilton said. "But hey, he was right. Having a child changes you, and changes
what you do and don't do, a lot."
    我並未嘗試將槍蜥告訴我將會有的一切改變聽進去，"RIP說。"不過，他是對的。有一
個孩子會改變你，並大大改變你的所作所為。"

The giving of advice goes both ways, although most of Hamilton's advice to
Billups is on-the-court related.
    他們倆都會給予對方建議，儘管大部分RIP給予槍蜥的意見都是和球賽相關的。

Billups recalls a few years ago when Larry Brown was coaching the team how
Hamilton kept urging him to run this secondary offensive set that the team used
to run.
    槍蜥回憶幾年前在Larry Brown擔任教練時RIP是如何持續勸說他去跑這第二種球隊習
慣使用的戰術。

At first, Billups didn't want to do it. Hamilton persisted, and Billups
continued to balk at the idea.
    一開始，槍蜥並不想這麼做。但在RIP堅持之下，槍蜥開始猶豫了。

However, one day after practice, Billups was watching some film and saw how
effective the Pistons were offensively when they ran the offensive set that
Hamilton was pleading with him to do.
    不過在一天例行練習結束後，槍蜥看了一些影片並發現活塞在使用RIP建議的那種戰術
時效率極佳。

"All the reasons he gave for us putting it back in, Rip was right about that,"
Billups said. "If we didn't have the kind of bond we have, I don't know if he
would have kept on me about it like he did; and to be honest, I don't even know
if I would have listened, either."
    "RIP要我們回頭使用那種戰術的所有理由都是對的，"槍蜥說。"要不是我們有深厚的
感情基礎，我不知道他是否還會像那樣持續嘗試要說服我；而且老實說，我甚至也不知道
我會不會把他說的話聽進去。"

Even with all they have accomplished in Detroit, Thomas and Dumars remain the
gold standard of great backcourt play in Detroit. However even Dumars
acknowledges that Billups and Hamilton are etching out their own place as one
of the franchise's greatest backcourts ever.
    就算把他們在底特律達到的所有成就都算進去，說到活塞黃金後場組合笑笑湯和老喬
仍是第一把交椅。不過就連老喬本人也坦承槍蜥和RIP已經逐漸威脅他們隊史第一後衛組合
的地位。

When asked how they compare to him and Thomas, Dumars replied, "they're right
there. Those guys are right there. Maybe Isiah and I had a few more All-stars,
but one more championship and those guys should be seated right there."
    當被問到他們和自己還有笑笑湯相比如何時，老喬回應道，"他們現在就已經取代我們
的地位啦。那兩個傢伙已經夠格啦。或許笑笑湯和我入選全明星的次數略多幾次，但只比
多拿一座總冠軍，他們倆應該很快就能追平吧。"

--
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◆ From: 210.241.111.125
※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 210.241.111.125      (02/18 19:57)
推 royshine:有看有推
推 Huajin:推最後一句老喬的話
推 MafiaHu:外電可能有誤 Rip被送至底特律時 MJ已經復出 不是巫師總管
→ MafiaHu:當然 如果是要解為"地下總管"的話就成立啦 XD
推 cd928:推~~
推 eloveb:有看有推
推 kuankubank:推 今年快追平吧XDDDDD
推 ChingLovER:有看有推
推 ccab99:推
推 noraihp:記得有篇外電Rip說他跟槍蜥就像是套裝商品 也推最後一句
※ 編輯: kerrys          來自: 210.241.111.125      (02/18 20:59)
推 Afflalo:有人想老婆想瘋了 把life翻成wife囉！
推 trh:推黃金後場~~
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推 frank88311:推 ~
推 twister527:推~~
推 srtlct:推推
推 IANSUE:翻的很棒....推
推 Loj:推~