[外電] 從UCLA到塞爾維亞：Bolden 崎嶇的圓夢路

[willyt (ㄌㄔ2015 世界一流)]

MAY 8, 2017
From UCLA to Serbia: Jonah Bolden’s quest for success in the NBA
從UCLA到塞爾維亞：Jonah Bolden崎嶇的圓夢之路
BY BEN MALLIS
https://pickandroll.com.au/jonah-bolden-nba-draft-interview/


Jonah Bolden’s quest for the NBA has been anything but normal.
What started as an Australian suburban dream was quickly
accelerated with high profile American prep schools, that in turn
took him to the most successful collegiate program in men’s
basketball. UCLA was supposed to be the final stepping stone
towards The Association – well, that was the theory. Reality
proved otherwise.

理論上，一個如Jonah Bolden這樣才華洋溢的外國孩子應該艱苦但典型。
對一個澳大利亞小孩來說如遠如天邊的夢想，在進入了美國預備高校，然
後進入一流的傳統NCAA豪強球隊。UCLA正常來說應該是他加入NBA之前的
最後一站....但這理論上是個美好的方程式，但Bolden在現實上的追夢之
路卻佈滿荊棘，顯示老天對他另有安排。

Bolden’s time at UCLA was a non-event from the outset. The young
Australian was forced to redshirt his entire freshman season as
issues regarding time spent at Findlay Prep and Brewster Academy –
- two of North America’s most renowned NBA incubators -– delayed
his NCAA eligibility. A sophomore season spent playing out of
position and fighting the distractions of Southern California then
spelt the end of his collegiate experience.

Bolden的UCLA之旅從開頭就出師不利。Bolden剛入學就被NCAA因為預備學
校的成績不夠好，入學考成績不夠被迫禁賽一年，並且剛開始連練習都不
能參加，必須補修學分才能重新加入球隊。而大二的時候又遭遇新生的強
力的挑戰而被迫打他不擅長的角色，另外文化衝擊也讓他注意力無法專注
在球場上。

“At UCLA I did a little bit but I didn’t do as much as I felt I
could do,” Bolden told The Pick and Roll. “I wasn’t satisfied
with my performance, and that’s on me.”

Bolden:
雖然在UCLA我依然有打出一些名堂，但遠遠不及我的預期。我完全無法滿
意於我的表現，而且我非常自責。

Bolden’s much publicised Bruins career produced a total of 31
appearances and yielded a meagre 144 points. Such returns pale in
comparison to the lofty expectations when Bolden committed to the
school in 2013.

It was Los Angeles, it was UCLA and young Jonah was the high
profile Australian recruit on a basketball team that everyone knew.
Throw in the demands of being a student athlete, and the potential
distractions were endless.

Bolden在UCLA僅僅出場三十一次，共拿下144分。跟他當初帶著大家極高
的期待比起來，這表現真的連差強人意都算不上。在洛杉磯這樣的大城、
UCLA這樣的名校，又是來自澳大利亞的重點球員，撞牆期帶給他的焦躁超
越了他身為學生運動員可以承受的。

“If you’re not 100% dedicated, then you will get distracted,”
 Bolden said of his time at UCLA. “I can definitely say that is
what happened to me.”

“At UCLA I really didn’t do too much because I didn’t have a
sole purpose.”

Bolden：

如果你沒有辦法百分之百專注，那你就會感到焦慮。這就是我在洛杉磯所
遭遇到的狀態。在UCLA我沒辦法作到我所期待的水平，原因就是我無法專
心致志（面對籃球）。

In his quest to find that ‘sole purpose’, Bolden withdrew from
UCLA last July and called time on what was a tumultuous college
career. As a 20-year-old, Bolden headed to Europe to sign his first
professional contract with Serbian side FMP Belgrade.

While moving to Europe and adapting to life as a professional was
challenging, Bolden credits Europe for much of his maturation,
calling the decision to leave amateur basketball a turning point
for his career.

為了能讓自己更專心的面對籃球，去年七月Bolden毅然決然放棄了UCLA，
結束了他一團混亂的大學籃球生涯。二十歲的他轉而向塞爾維亞籃球隊
FMP Belgrade簽下他人生中第一份職業球員合約。

雖然又再度離家遠赴歐洲，並且以與預想中不一樣的方式成為了職業球員
是人生中巨大的挑戰，但Bolden感謝歐洲籃球給他的磨練，並且稱離開美
國是他生涯中最大的轉折點。

“This has been the best decision I have made for my career,”
 Bolden told The Pick and Roll.

“My game has just taken to another level based on myself and the
fact I dedicated my decision to doing what has been done so far. I’
ve rejuvenated myself.

“My mentality has changed and that has translated onto the court
with the team I am on now.”

Bolden:

這是我人生中最完美的決定。我的比賽內容在歐洲提昇到一個不一樣的水
平，事實上到目前為止我為了這個決定奉獻了我的一切。我感覺我像是重
新活過來了。我的心境上也有所改變，並且在球場上轉化成動力幫助我的
球隊。


While FMP finished the season with a disappointing 10-16 record and
missed the playoffs, Bolden enjoyed a breakout season. He averaged
12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1 steal per game en
route to being named the Adriatic League’s top prospect. Bolden’s
performances only reinforced his NBA potential, thanks to the
glaring differences between UCLA and professional basketball in
Belgrade.

雖然FMP貝爾格勒今年的成績不佳，並且沒有辦法打入季後賽，但Bolden
打出了破繭而出的一個球季。他每場平均可以拿到12.9分、7.9籃板、1.8
助攻外帶一次抄截（考量到歐洲籃球的節奏與上場時間這是非常不錯的數
據），並且被選為ABA的最佳年輕球員。Bolden強勢的表現加強了他能夠
挑戰NBA的資本，可見環境的改變對Bolden的改變是如此的巨大。

“I came from college and didn’t really know what I was getting
myself into,” Bolden explained when talking about the transition
to European basketball. “From high school to college, I was always
playing with kids my own age. You’d have your coach, your
assistant coaches and everyone that knows you and recruited you.

“But now, I come out here and I am the youngest on the team. You
have guys that, after practice, you don’t really go and hang out
with them. They go back to their wives and kids, and they have
their own personal lives. Living on my own forced me to mature. [I]
just [had to] grow up and turn into a man.”

Bolden:
從大學籃球轉換到一個我所未知的世界（當然有所冒險），我過去從高中
到大學，都跟同齡的孩子們一起在場上比拼。你會有熟悉的教練們，而且
每個人都對你很熟悉，並且帶著招募你走向下一個階段。

但現在我離開了那個環境，成為了球隊當中最年輕的球員。氣氛也完全不
一樣，至少在練習後，你不會跟你的隊友們進行應酬，因為他們有他們自
己的家庭，而且他們非常在乎屬於自己的私人生活。靠山山倒、靠人人跑
的狀況下，只能倚靠自己的環境讓我變得更成熟。我需要靠自己成長，並
成為一個成熟的人。


Jonah against the world
與世界開戰的Bolden

While Bolden’s growth in Europe extends beyond basketball, it
would be naive to overlook improvements made on the hardwood.

Standing at 6’10”, Bolden has always possessed an impressive
cocktail of skills for someone of his size, owning the ability to
thrive as a ball handler whilst sliding all around the court. Those
talents got him recruited to UCLA and they have been further honed
in Europe.

Bolden在歐洲汲取養分得到成長的背後，千萬不要小看他為了延續籃球生
涯所做出的改變與努力。

六呎十吋身高的球員，很少能夠像Bolden一樣有著多才多藝的技巧，並且
有天賦能夠成長為在球場的任何一個角落發動持球進攻的面框攻擊手。這
些天賦讓他過去被招攬到UCLA，但直到到了另一個異域才開始成長茁壯。

Being afforded the opportunity to play more minutes at the four,
undergoing growing pains whilst off the radar in Eastern Europe,
made him a more capable NBA prospect. DraftExpress currently rank
Bolden as a second-round prospect and have highlighted the talent
evidenced during his lone season with FMP.

Bolden is one of the final elements to Australia’s golden
generation. While he will enter the NBA Draft with a lesser
pedigree that those who have come before him, he possesses a
mindset that is truly unique.

在塞爾維亞他得到了足夠的時間打他喜歡的大前鋒位置，離開鎂光燈下他
得到機會能夠心無旁鶩的在錯誤中學習，並重新成為一個更加接近NBA水
準的新秀。DraftExpress現在（按：是五月中）將他預測為能在選秀會第
二輪被選上的球員，並且把他在FMP孤單球季中展現的天賦給剪出來，作
為有力的證據讓籃球世界看到他的天賦所在。

Bolden是澳大利亞這批黃金一代球員的最後拼圖。雖然他可能出身不像是
其他人那麼耀眼（如Ben Simmons、Dante Exum等人都在第一輪被選上），
但他散發出的堅強心性，讓他與眾不同。

“My mentality has changed since I’ve been [in Europe],” Bolden
said. “Obviously I’ve got my family and my support group, but I
do feel it is me against the world right now. I’ve got a chip on
my shoulder and something to prove.”

到了歐洲讓我在心態上變得堅強，雖然很明顯的我有我的家人與支持者在
背後為我打氣，但我覺得現在我是一獨自一人在對抗這個世界。因為我遭
受過質疑而我必須證明給所有人看（他們是錯的）。



Jonah’s support group is led by his father, Bruce, who played 17
seasons in the NBL (National Basketball League). Whilst having a
father with professional basketball experience has helped Jonah
make pivotal decisions over the past 12 months, there is a higher
power within the Bolden family that pushes him towards his goal.

“I’ve got my late grandmother and my late uncle, and I do it for
them,” Bolden told The Pick and Roll. “It’s a day-to-day grind
but I’ve got one goal, so I’m going to keep pushing.”

Bolden的粉絲團一號肯定是他老爸Bruce Bolden，是一個在澳洲職業籃球
聯賽NBL打滾十七年的老將。當他有一個沙場老將爹爹能夠幫助他在過去
一年中進行關鍵的決定，但家裡還有比爸爸還要更堅定的力量在支持他追
求他的夢想。

Bolden：
已經過世的奶奶跟叔叔對我來說意義重大，即便每天都要面對各種的挑戰
與磨練，但我有一個清晰的目標，所以為了這些人我會不斷的砥礪自己。

When quizzed on what that one goal looks like, Bolden only
reinforced a family spirit that appears to be the driving force
behind a burgeoning professional career.

“The end goal is to have an extremely successful career, but for
me it’s to make my family proud. I know that they say they’re
proud of me already but I feel I’m definitely not satisfied. Just
for me personally, I do this for my grandmother and my uncle.”

當Bolden被問到他的目標體來說是什麼，Bolden只有重申他家族對他正在
萌芽中的職業籃球生涯的積極影響。

Bolden：
最終目標當然是希望有一個極為成功的生涯，但是對我來說一個成功的生
涯是為了榮耀自己的家人。我知道他們總是說他們已經為我感到榮耀，但
我並不對現狀感到滿足。至少對於我來說不是，為了已經過世的奶奶跟叔
叔我必須繼續戰鬥。


Ready for the NBA

June’s NBA draft is quickly approaching and
Bolden is prepared for his opportunity. In fact, when asked if he
was now ready for the NBA, Bolden’s response was emphatic.

“Most definitely,” Bolden confirmed. “I believe I’m more than
ready for the NBA.”

對於即將到來的選秀會，Bolden已經為了他的機會準備妥當。事實上，如
果你問他是否已經準備好面對NBA等級的對抗，Bolden的回答非常強烈：

「萬分肯定，我覺得我的狀態遠遠超越"準備好了"」

Regardless of which franchise calls his name on June 22nd, Bolden
believes his long served apprenticeship allows him to be an
immediate contributor and receive NBA minutes right away.

無論六月二十二日對他指名的是三十隊中的任何一隊，Bolden都相信以他
的職業經驗可以讓他馬上對球隊進行貢獻，並且能即刻得到在NBA的上場
時間。

“I feel like I can provide a lot to a team,” Bolden said. “
Whether that’s coming off the bench and being an energy guy. Not
even being an offensive guy, I could be a straight defence guy.

“If they want me to be a shooter I can come in, run lanes and spot
up for the guys to hit me. Whatever role they want me to do and
whatever needs to be done, I’ll do it.”

Bolden：
我認為我可以給予球隊許多支援，即便只是從板凳上出發作為勁量小子。
即便他們需要我防守也可以勝任，我並不僅僅是個進攻者。如果他們需要
的是射手我可以立刻上場進行跑位並準備好任何的空檔。不管他們要我幹
麻，只要教練有所交待，我肯定使命必達。


Not only is Bolden prepared to play any role to kick-start an NBA
career, he is also ready to put in the work required to elevate his
game to stardom. Bolden grew up a Toronto Raptors fan and now uses
the Raptors’ All-Star shooting guard as inspiration, when toiling
away in the gym.

不僅僅只是為了球隊可以犧牲自己打任何不一樣的角色以站穩NBA，
Bolden也已經準備好為了讓自己成功進行任何需要的磨練。Bolden小時候
是暴龍隊的球迷（？），並且現在他以暴龍的全明星得分後衛DeRozan作
為鍛鍊自己時看齊的目標。

“I really like how DeMar DeRozan was ranked the 46th best player
before this NBA season [referring to Sports Illustrated’s top 100
player ratings] and at the end of the season he is averaging 27
points.

“You just see that he came in with a chip on his shoulder and did
the work in the summer. You just see the difference it makes and I
mould myself after him, not his game but his mentality. I look at
how he went from being a scorer to being the main guy.”

Bolden：
我非常景仰DeMar DeRozan，在今年開季之前他在運動畫刊的球員排行榜
中僅僅名列第四十六，而且這個球季他平均一場要摘下27分，回應任何
對他質疑的聲音。你可以看到當中的差別所在，而我正在跟隨他的榜樣。
並不是學習他的打法，而是他偉大的強悍心性。我正在從他自一個砍將
進化成一個主將的過程中拾取牙慧。

And while Bolden admits it’s good hearing his name in mock drafts
and NBA scouting circles, his brief college career has taught him
that nothing is guaranteed.

不過即便周遭的球探都轉而看好他的身價，但他短暫且令人失望的大學生
涯教會他沒有什麼是可以被保證的。

“What I’ve realised from my past is that if you don’t do
anything, nothing is going to happen. No mater where your name is
or what projection you have.

“I realised that action does more than talking. I realised that by
just doing the work and putting in the unseen hours that the
results will come.”

Bolden：
我從我的過去中學習到你如果沒有捲起褲管下去做，那沒有任何好事會憑
空發生。這跟你名字夠不夠響亮與你心中的預想沒有任何關係。我深刻了
解到一件事情：做而言不如起而行。在人後所努力過的功夫將會在結果中
深刻的呈現。

Jonah Bolden has the talent to become Australia’s next NBA athlete
and his mindset could elevate him to superstardom. But his work
ethic and family pride, these are the elements that will ensure he
is a success to those who matter most.

Bolden擁有成為澳大利亞下一個NBA球員的資質，而他的心態有可能會帶
領他成為下一個超級巨星。但無論如何，有著他堅毅的性格與家庭的支持，
他將能夠在那些他在乎的人的目光下獲得成功。



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> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <

作者: willyt (ㄌㄔ2015 世界一流) 看板: Sixers
標題: Re: [外電] 從UCLA到塞爾維亞：Bolden 崎嶇的圓夢路
時間: Sun Jul 23 22:11:26 2017

http://www.espn.com.au/nba/story/_/id/19640424 ESPN Australia


獨眼俠，罕病鬥士 Isaiah Austin 對他在塞爾維亞的隊友發表看法：


Bolden's American teammate at FMP, Isaiah Austin, went through the
NBA draft workout process in 2014, and knows exactly what awaits
the Australian in Los Angeles. He believes his teammate is more
than up for it.

"He asked me what to expect, and I told him, 'Basketball, bro,"
Austin told ESPN. "He doesn't have character problems, so what it's
going to come down to for him is basketball. How tight are your
moves? How tight are your skills? How good are you at taking care
of your body? From what I've seen, he's excelled at all those
things. I know from the middle of the season [in Serbia] to now,
the guy just keeps going. He's crazy, he's nonstop."




> -- <


從小跟爸爸鬥牛


Bolden and his father would play one-on-one in the backyard of
every house they lived at, Bruce making certain they always had a
hoop in the backyard. The games got physical, with Bruce wanting to
pass on to Jonah the knowledge that he'd accumulated in 19 years of
professional basketball. Bruce Bolden was a blue-collar, physical
player during his time in the NBL, so he wanted his son to
understand that basketball at the highest level would involve some
physical play. During their games, he'd lay a forearm on Bolden or
even drop a shoulder into him, but each time he'd just give the
ball back to his son to restart.

"Yep, that's a foul on me, let's play ball," Bruce would say.


"I wanted him to understand that the game can be physical, and he's
gotta play through that instead of looking over to the ref, or
looking to his coach for that acknowledgement of, 'Hey, that's a
foul.' I tried to make sure he knew the game was tough, and prepare
him for that."

Eventually, at age 16, Jonah Bolden beat his father. It was
inevitable. Bolden, who is still growing into his body but is
already much more athletic than Bruce, says it felt "great" to
finally beat his dad.

"I dunked on him, actually," Bolden says. "He was cool about it."


> -- <


從小被老爸矯正姿勢：

Bruce Bolden's influence on his son's game extends to his on-court
aesthetic as well. Watch Bolden move on the court, or shoot the
ball and you'd be forgiven for questioning whether you were
actually watching his father. The similarities are scary. From an
early stage, Bruce Bolden made a conscious effort to ensure his
son's mechanics were correct.

"My jump shot was my asset, so I made sure to point out to Jonah
whenever he didn't have his elbow tucked in, or whenever he didn't
have his footwork right, or whenever he didn't have his knees
bent," Bruce Bolden said. "That was pretty much instilled in him
very early. Whenever we were on our own -- him shooting and me
rebounding -- I was definitely correcting him on his ballhandling
and shooting technique."


> -- <

美歐籃球文化的差異：

"[In college] I'm like, get the rebound and push [the tempo], let
the guards run with me," Bolden said. "Here, a lot of times, the
point guard is coming back for the ball and he wants to slow it
down and set the plays [up], and call me out for a screen. For me,
it was a big adjustment period, I had to take one or two dribbles,
if there's no transition, then give it to the point guard and let
him run it and stay within the system."

That wasn't the only adjustment to make. The physical nature of
European basketball, and playing against seasoned, grown men,
highlighted aspects of his game that he had to develop.

"I realised that driving to the rim [in Serbia], that I'd get
bumped and I'd be off-balance. Within two or three months, I had to
learn to create off the dribble and finish with a lot more contact,
and staying on balance."





其他大多大同小異，就不翻了

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