[轉錄][外電] The Evolution of the Los Angel …

看板KobeBryant作者LakersSoul (妳)時間16年前 (2008/02/29 14:29)推噓3(3推 0噓 0→)

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※ [本文轉錄自 Lakers 看板] 作者: drunken (aDistanceThereIs) 看板: Lakers 標題: [外電] The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant 時間: Fri Feb 29 14:18:17 2008 在桃花源裡翻外電感覺真好 XD 106:88 farmar生涯新高來源: http://0rz.tw/033GZ February 28th, 2008 The Evolution of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant: How a Leader Was Born By David Neiman One of the first feature pieces I ever wrote for the Washington Post was about Kobe Bryant. It was November 2002, the Lakers were coming off their third straight NBA title, and No. 8 – as he was then – was starting to emerge from the shadow of Shaquille O’Neal. 在我一開始幫華盛頓郵報寫專欄的時候, 我寫的就是Kobe. 那是大概2002年11月的事了, 湖人剛剛慶祝完他們的三連霸. 那個8號的小子(對.. 他那個時候是8號)也開始從大鯊魚的影子下冒出頭來. As part of the story, I asked Phil Jackson to compare Kobe with Michael Jordan. The fact that I posed the question gives you a sense of how I – and many other people – perceived Bryant at the time. 為了寫那個專欄, 我訪問了禪師, 我要求他拿Kobe來跟那個人比比. 你光看我提出的要求, 就大概能知道我(還有很多其他人)那個時候對Kobe的想法. Phil, as one might have expected, offered what I saw as a politic response: “A lot of people throw . . . Michael’s cape on Kobe, and it’s not fair to either one of those players,” said Jackson. “Yet they both have this competitive standard that everybody can recognize, a competitive level they carry themselves with on the court.” 禪師還是老樣子, 給了很有禪機的回應: "很多人喜歡把那個人的外套硬掛在Kobe身上, 這對他們2個都不公平." "可是就像大家都看得出來的一樣, 他們2個都有那股鬥心, 那股在場上不服輸的鬥志" The comparisons might not have been fair. Still, in 2002, people were constantly making them, and to a large degree — and I was not the only one who held this viewpoint — Kobe was the cause. 雖然那個比較並不公平. 可是, 在2002年, 大家都很喜歡挑這個話題說. 而且大家有這種看法的很大一部分的原因就是Kobe. As I wrote back then (and I promise to stop quoting myself after this): 下面這段是我那個時候寫的(我保證, 這段之後我就不會節錄自己的文章了): Since leaping from high school to the NBA, he has been routinely hyped and rejected as the second coming of Michael Jordan. For much of that time, Bryant has not only tried to live up to the comparison, but perhaps, encouraged it. 打他剛從高中跳級進入NBA之後, Kobe就不斷的被拿去跟那個人比較, 也不斷的被否定. 很長一段時間, Kobe不但試著去符合別人的比較, 甚至還很歡迎這種看法. The fact is that whether by coincidence or conscious effort, the similarities between Bryant and Jordan’s mannerisms are unmistakable. The steady, loping strides as Bryant drives the ball upcourt, tongue wagging; the backward strut, head nodding, after he buries a jump shot; even the timbre and rhythm of his speech when he addresses the media are all vintage Jordan. And with Bryant’s new bulk, the physical similarity between the two — they are the same height and virtually the same weight — is impossible to ignore. 不知道是湊巧還是故意的, Kobe跟那個人的感覺相似度實在讓人難忘. Kobe伸著舌頭. 帶球過場那穩定圓滑的步伐. 球進了之後點著頭, 往後退的樣子. 甚至是對外接受訪問的時候都讓人看得到濃濃的那個人影子. 在Kobe增重之後, 一樣的身高, 也有著幾乎一樣的體重. 他們連體格上都相似得讓人無法忽視. At age 24, Kobe was remarkably like Jordan — and somehow, not him, akin to a musical prodigy, capable of playing any sonata the seasoned concert pianist could, yet somehow, lacking the intangible quality that distinguished the genius from the flawless imitator. Kobe那個時候24, 那個人的影子似乎永遠跟著他, 可是, Kobe不是他. 就像可以模仿任何有經驗的鋼琴演奏家的新進音樂家, 雖然相似, 不過天才和完美模仿者之間那種摸不到說不出的差距, 你還是可以感覺得出來. At the same time, there seemed to be no “real” Kobe Bryant. He said all the right things in ads for shoes and Sprite, yet even in one-on-one interviews, one never got the sense of him, of a voice and personality that made you feel, “Ah, now I’m speaking to Kobe Bryant.” It felt more like you were talking to someone “playing” the next Jordan. Something was missing, and there was little to suggest that it would ever be found. 同時, Kobe也讓人看不到真正的他. 他在球鞋和雪碧廣告說的話聽起來都是自己的心裡話. 可是, 就算在一對一的專訪裡, 你也沒辦法找到"阿. 原來這就是Kobe"的任何脈絡. 就像你在訪問的是正在扮演那個人接班人角色的感覺. 你感覺不到他的存在, 而且好像我們一輩子也沒機會找得到. Six years later, things are radically different. 6年後, 一切都不一樣了. THE BEGINNING 一切的開始 To me, Kobe’s evolution from star mimic to true superstar was catalyzed, strangely enough, by his arrest on rape charges in Colorado prior to the start of the 2003 season. 對我來說, Kobe從模仿的傢伙到真正球星的進化, 正是在他2003年球季剛剛開始, 在科羅拉多因為疑似強暴而被逮捕之後, 才真正開始的. The distasteful nature of that event notwithstanding, it had the effect of obliterating the contrived, plastic, clean-cut image of Kobe that existed at the time. Every major sponsor either dropped or suspended their deals with him. Overnight, he went from NBA poster child to persona non grata, a basketball savant assailed by the public on all sides for his conduct off the court. 先不論那件事有多麼肥皂, 它還是把那個時候乾淨, 跟假人一樣的Kobe形象扯下來的原因. 他每個主要的贊助商不是抽掉了贊助, 就是暫時停止活動. 一夜之間, 他從NBA天之驕子, 被貶成了爹不疼媽不愛路人還要吐口水的罪人. The notion of being the next Michael Jordan — and granted, I’m speculating here — was likely far from the forefront of his mind. 他那個時候心裡的想法(對, 我是用猜的), 我想最不重要的就是能不能跟那個人相提並論了. In a 2003 column entitled, “Is Bryant’s best behind him with the burden he carries?” USA Today columnist Jon Saraceno wrote: 2003年, 有篇叫"Bryant會不會被這件事毀掉"的報導是這樣說的: This season will test Bryant like no year, or defender, has. The mounting anxiety on him will make every night feel like a seventh game. Maybe Bryant thinks resuming his occupation will be good therapy, but I wonder what will happen before, during and after games. 這季對Kobe的挑戰會是他面對過的敵人裡面最難纏的, 沒有任何球季還是對手可以相提並論. 心裡面不斷累積的焦慮讓他每場球打起來都感覺像是系列賽第7戰. 也許Kobe認為繼續打球就是最好的良葯. 可是我關心的, 是他場上下的全部時間. I imagine that even posh four-star hotels can feel like prisons to a celebrity under siege. Bryant may never serve a day behind bars, but that doesn’t mean he won’t understand what Alcatraz was like, even if his solitary confinement includes room service and a cluster of bodyguards. 我想就算舒服的4星飯店對正在被圍攻的明星來說都像監獄一樣. Kobe沒有坐過一天的牢, 可是, 我想就算他的牢飯是旅館送上門的好吃料理, 也沒人會懷疑他過的是惡魔島(在舊金山, 以前有名的監獄, 現在是景點)般的生活. And can you imagine the catcalls from fans on the road in places such as Sacramento, Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas and, of course, Denver? 而且, 你能想像在國王76人波士頓小牛當然還有丹佛客場球迷說的話會有多難聽嗎? “Playing the game of basketball is not difficult for me,” he said. “Going through what we’ve been going through is difficult.” 他說:"打籃球不難, 難的是我們現在過的生活" The column concluded with this sentiment: 這篇文章是這樣結尾的: Regardless of the outcome, I can’t help but wonder if this young man, whose life once seemed so idyllic, can ever be the same player or person. 不管最後判決怎麼樣, 我都不知道這個曾經是天之驕子的年輕人, 以後還可不可以跟什麼事都沒發生過一樣的打球甚至是過生活. I don’t know. 我不知道. I’m not sure Kobe does, either. 我想就連Kobe自己也不知道. Saraceno was right. The Kobe Bryant we knew — or didn’t really know — was gone, and the question was, who would replace him? Saraceno(上面節錄文章的作者)說得沒錯. 那個我們認識(其實不算太認識?)的 Kobe已經不存在了. 重要的是, 現在的他是怎麼樣的人? A WINNER IN PURGATORY 浴火重生的贏家 The 2004 season saw the end of the Kobe-Shaq era, and what followed it was a period that, it seems to me, perfectly reflected Kobe Bryant, the player. Ostensibly, he was the new leader of the team, yet it quickly became clear that No. 8 had no real experience leading a team. His impressions of leadership reminded me of his impressions of MJ — he said all of the right things, but you still found yourself thinking that he’d rather be playing with two replicas of himself than four other players. His first season, Los Angeles finished 34-48. The following two, the Lakers exited the playoffs in the first round. 2004年球季為OK連線畫下了休止符. 之後的湖人過了跟他們當家之前一樣的日子. Kobe成了這新球隊的當家, 很快的, 大家也把他沒有帶隊經驗的情況看得一清二楚. 他對扮演球隊領導者這個角色的做法, 就像當初扮演那個人的情況一樣. 他說的都很好聽, 可是, 看起來他寧願跟2個自己同隊, 也不想要有4個隊友. 他當家的第一個球季, 湖人戰績是34-48. 接下來的 2季, 湖人都在季後賽第一輪被掃地出門. Interestingly enough, as these years were passing — and I have to admit, I hadn’t thought about this until now — Kobe seemed less and less like he was affecting Michael Jordan. All of the physical tics seemed to vanish. 有趣的是, 經過了那些年之後(我承認, 直到現在我才注意到), 他越來越不像那個人的影子了. 那些外觀上的相似度也不見了. Instead, as Los Angeles turned in multiple subpar seasons, Bryant began to cultivate a profound disdain for losing possibly unmatched by any basketball player in the world, past or present — with the exception, ironically, of Michael Jordan — and in time, that disdain transformed into anger. 取而代之的, 是你除了在那個人身上, 再也沒看過的, 那種討厭輸的心情. 在湖人交出幾個不及格的成績單之後, 那種心情, 變成了憤怒. In the summer of 2007, that anger boiled over, and Kobe Bryant demanded a trade. Not long after, in a parking lot in Orange County, he unleashed a profanity-laden tirade against teammate Andrew Bynum. 2007年, 憤怒到了沸點, Kobe放話要求被交易. 不久之後的某天, 在某個橙縣的停車場, Kobe髒話連篇的對人抱怨他的隊友, Andrew Bynum. My initial response to both acts was disbelief. How could he lash out like this against a franchise that stood by him unhesitatingly through his entire ordeal in Colorado? On the one hand, it seemed like the height of betrayal, and to a degree, it still does. 我剛剛聽到這個消息的反應, 除了不相信還是不相信. 他怎麼可以這樣回報那個在科羅拉多時間對他不離不棄的球隊? 這簡直就是背叛的N次方. Looking at it another way, however, these seem like the first genuine acts — misguided, though they were — of an emerging leader. And what we were hearing, for the very first time, was Kobe Bryant finding his voice. 不過從另一方面來看, 這也是他第一次做回了自己, 這是他第一次以球隊領導者的身分, 做出了抱怨. It was impossible to know that at the time, but in the months that have passed, Kobe Bryant’s actions have proven exactly what kind of player, teammate and employee he truly is. His effort has been unparalleled — he is currently playing with a dislocated finger, and will be for the duration of the season, yet he continues to be unstoppable at both ends of the floor. While he was wrong about Bynum and his teammates — before his injury, Bynum was playing phenomenally, and the quality of Los Angeles’ bench has been one of the stunning stories of the 2007-08 season — one could convincingly argue that Kobe’s trade demand and tirade were what shook up the Lakers franchise. 雖然那個時候一點也感覺不出來, 可是在幾個月後, 我們終於真正的了解到Kobe到底是一個什麼樣的球員, 什麼樣的隊友, 什麼樣的員工. 他做出的貢獻沒人比的上, 就算現在抱著那個錯位的手指打球(而且還要一直這樣打完球季), 不論在攻守兩端, 都沒人擋的住他. 雖然他對bynum還有其他隊友的看法是錯的(受傷前Bynum打的超霸, 湖人板凳也是07-08球季受矚目的黑馬之一), 可是不可否認的, Kobe的要求打醒了湖人. A LEADER IS BORN 一個領導者的誕生 The popular take in early MVP conversations is that Kobe deserves it. I agree, but not for the reasons cited by columnists like the Los Angeles Times Bill Plaschke. To Plaschke, Bryant is finally making his teammates better, and thus, should get the award: 最近大家都說Kobe是MVP大熱門. 我同意, 可是跟其他專欄作家的原因不一樣. 像LA Times的Bill Plaschke, 他認為Kobe這季終於讓隊友變得更好, 所以, 他應該是MVP: He doesn’t scream at his teammates so much anymore. He doesn’t ignore them during moments of frustration anymore. 他已經不像以前一樣, 老是對隊友大吼了. 他也不再因為失望而無視他們. He has helped turn Sasha Vujacic into a weapon, and Farmar into a pest, and, man, considering he once wanted the guy traded, he has been huge in the development of Andrew Bynum. 他讓公主成了有力的武器, 讓Farmar無所不在, 雖然當初他要求交易Bynum, 可是他也是讓Bynum成長的原因之一. In Plaschke’s column, Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson agrees: 在Plaschke的專欄裡, 湖人的禪師同意: “You can see the emphasis in Kobe’s game to get other people involved and to make the rest of his teammates better,” Jackson said. "你看得出來, Kobe現在多努力的想讓隊友進入狀況, 讓他們變的更有力" Earlier in the year, I argued that the entire notion of “making one’ s teammates better,” at least as far as it’s commonly meant, is nonsense, the NBA equivalent to giving an NFL quarterback too much of the credit or blame for winning or losing. Yes, Kobe’s teammates are better, but it’s not because he’s suddenly passing them the ball where he wasn’t before. A season ago, he gave them the ball plenty. 今年前段的時候, 我曾經說過, 那所謂的"讓隊友更好"根本就是無稽之談. 就像NFL說不論輸贏都是四分衛的原因. 對, Kobe的隊友是比以前好了, 可是那不是因為他突然開始願意傳球. 上季他就給過隊友多到翻的機會了. They’re better because for the first time, they’re matching his effort. 他們變得更好, 是因為第一次, 他們願意追上Kobe的努力. They’re better because Sasha Vujacic is making open threes where he missed them all last year. They’re better because Jordan Farmar isn’ t a rookie, is stronger, and has a much better sense of the pro game. They’re better because Derek Fisher is giving Los Angeles and Kobe trustworthy veteran leadership. They’re better because Lamar Odom is healthy and thriving, now that he’s free of the pressure of being the second scoring option. They’re better because Andrew Bynum is a freak of nature. And they’re better because, in what I refer to as the Immaculate Transaction, they somehow picked up Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for nothing. 他們變好了, 是因為公主不再是上季那個大空檔百投不進的傢伙. 他們變好了, 是因為Farmar不再菜, 變得強壯了點, 也對比賽有了比較多的認識. 他們變好了, 是因為漁夫給了湖人和Kobe一個可以信任的老球皮. 他們變好了, 是因為老二終於比較健康, 而且不再有當老二的壓力. 他們變好了, 是因為Bynum是個天生的怪物. 他們變好了, 是因為在那個完美的交易裡, 他們用雜魚向灰熊換來了耶穌. Kobe’s teammates are playing better, and because of that, he has more confidence in them, and looks for them more often. In turn, Kobe ’s growing confidence emboldens his teammates to play even better. It ’s a two-way street. If you don’t believe me, watch what Kobe does on a night when no one else can find their shot (which is now unlikely, given the Lakers’ multitude of weapons). I guarantee you that the man who makes his teammates better would still shoot 40 times. Kobe的隊友打的不再像雜魚, 也因為這個原因, 他對他們更有信心, 也更常找空檔給他們. 而Kobe對他們的信心, 也讓他們打的更好. 有來就有往. 如果你不相信我, 找個Kobe隊友百投不進的比賽(現在很少見了, 湖人武器現在這麼廣), 我保證那個讓隊友更好的傢伙還是會出手40次. If you want to credit Kobe Bryant with something, credit him with putting his reputation on the line to light the proverbial inferno under the entire Lakers franchise. Credit him for continuing to push everyone, from players to coaches to management to ownership, to demand nothing less than what he demands of himself — every last ounce of effort in the pursuit of a championship. 如果你要讚美Kobe, 至少稱讚他有那個把自己的形象付之一炬也要打醒湖人球團的勇氣. 稱讚他不斷的以對自己的要求來要求大家, 要求他的隊友, 他的教練, 甚至是管理部門, 要求他們為了冠軍而努力. And that, to me, is what ultimately makes him worthy of an MVP award. It’s also a clear indication that Kobe Bryant, a leader in his own right, has arrived. 這, 對我來說, 就是他應該是MVP的原因. 這也是Kobe的時代來臨的明顯證明. IN RETROSPECT Thinking back to that 2002 feature I wrote, I think that I — just like Phil Jackson suggested — had unfair expectations of Kobe Bryant. Yes, he did seem like more of a Jordan emulator than the superstar he has involved into; then again, he was 24 years old. Most 24 year-olds, whether or not they have superhuman athletic or intellectual or musical abilites, have an underwhelming sense of who they are. We, as sportswriters and fans, are applying the same grossly critical eye to LeBron James now. In a decade, we’ll all look back and laugh. 回想2002我寫的那個文章, 我想我, 就像禪師說的, 對Kobe有不公平的期待. 是, 他那個時候的確比起現在的球星樣, 更像那個人的影子. 不過, 他那個時候才24. 大部分24歲的孩子, 不管他們有沒有超人般的運動能力/智力/ 音樂能力, 都不能很明確的了解自己. 我們這些體育記者和球迷, 現在也用一樣噁心的批評眼光看著LBJ. 10年後, 我們回想現在會笑死. To me, Kobe Bryant circa 2008 is transforming into every bit the player and leader that Michael Jordan was, and I think this season will bear that out. 2008時期的Kobe已經不管身為球員或是領導者, 都進化成不輸給那個人的傢伙. 我相信這球季會是見證人. Who is the best of all-time? Does it matter, really? In his prime, MJ left you in awe every time he stepped onto the floor. Kobe is the same way now. 誰才是天下第一人? 說真的, 重要嗎???? 在那個人的巔峰時期, 每次他上場都能讓你帶著驚訝回家. Kobe現在也一樣. A jazz musician once told me that he began his career imitating a hero because, “It’s better to sound like somebody than nobody.” 曾經有個爵士樂手跟我說, 他之所以以模仿起家是因為"像個有名的人總比讓人記不得好." In time, of course, that musician — like Kobe Bryant — became a somebody as well. 那個樂手, 後來也跟Kobe一樣, 成了大家記得名字之一. David Neiman is a freelance sportswriter who has worked for the Washington Post, Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times, Lakers Magazine, and other award-winning publications. He is also the president of Athlete Interactive, a web development company for professional athletes. (這邊介紹作者, 不翻了) -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 68.227.126.146

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