科比試訓 那一年關鍵先生遇見了科比

The "Showtime" Lakers that captured five championships had long lost their luster by the summer of 1996. The Houston Rockets had jettisoned the Lakers from the playoffs' first round. The dry spell between titles grated on Jerry West. As a player, West's nickname was "Mr. Clutch," for his penchant for playing well in crunch time.

在1996年夏天，湖人早已不復昔日“表演時刻”的5冠榮光。休斯頓火箭將這支湖人隊遺棄在季後賽首輪。這樣的冠軍荒刺激了傑裏-韋斯特。作爲一名球員，韋斯特的綽號是“關鍵先生”，因爲他總是熱衷於在關鍵時刻主宰比賽。

His silhouette would eventually be used as the league's logo. West earned 14 All-Star selections in his playing career with the Lakers. Annually, his Lakers clashed with Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals and West lost six times.

他的輪廓最終成爲了聯盟的Logo。韋斯特在他的湖人生涯中14次入選全明星。每一年，他的湖人都和比爾-拉塞爾的波士頓凱爾特人在NBA總決賽舞臺上碰撞，而韋斯特輸掉了6次。

West's Lakers also lost in the 1970 Finals to the Knicks. His long-awaited NBA title did not arrive until the Lakers finally triumphed over the Knicks in 1972. Winning did not necessarily alleviate West's pain and the frustration that accompanied losing.

韋斯特的湖人同樣在1970年的總決賽中敗給了尼克斯。他期待已久的NBA冠軍直到湖人1972年擊敗尼克斯時才終於到來。勝利不一定能減輕失敗給韋斯特帶來的痛苦和沮喪。

But it at least stiff-armed those emotions until the next game, when winning and losing again decided his self-worth. He had a textbook jumper and played defense tenaciously, working himself into a pregame hysteria that left him physically ill.

但是當他的自尊再次繫於勝敗，它至少在下一場比賽前推開了這些情緒。他擁有教科書一般的跳投，打出頑強的防守，通過賽前的歇斯底里的激情趕走身體上的傷痛。

The transition to coaching when he could no longer control the games through his own play went about as smoothly as one could expect. West coached the Lakers for three short years and later turned to scouting.

當他再也不能通過自己的籃球技巧在場上掌控比賽時，便轉而做起了教練。而這一轉變和大家所期望的一樣平滑。韋斯特在簡短執教湖人三個賽季後成爲一名球探。

He became general manager prior to the 1982-1983 season, a position where he could still outmaneuver his opposition but that left him a step removed from the taxing emotions that came with being on the court.

他在1982-1983賽季前成爲總經理，這一位置讓他仍然可以用自己的謀略打敗他的對手，而且也讓他從球場上令人窒息的情緒中脫身而出。

Vlade Divac had two years and $8.3 million left on his contract. He remained the biggest obstacle to extending O'Neal a gargantuan offer. West called several teams and offered Divac in trades. The cold market for a quality center – like the reaction he had received from John Nash – surprised him.

弗拉德-迪瓦茨的合同上還剩2年830萬。他成爲了給奧尼爾鉅額合同的最大障礙。韋斯特給很多球隊打電話交易迪瓦茨。但是對於這位有質量的中鋒市場反應冷淡——就好像他從約翰-納什那裏收到的反饋——讓他非常驚訝。

"It was amazing to me that people did not have an interest in doing something like that," West recalled. "People thought something must be wrong with him. There wasn't. He's a terrific player and a better person. Having said that, our eyes were on Shaquille."

“人們對於做這樣的交易絲毫不感興趣，這讓我非常驚訝。”韋斯特說，“人們認爲他肯定出了什麼問題。其實並沒有。他是個特別優秀的球員並且也是一個好人。不得不說的是，我們的注意力都在奧尼爾那裏了。”

The Lakers possessed the draft's 24th pick. West expected Bryant to be gone by then. He allowed Bryant to join the workout almost as an afterthought.

韋斯特知道科比，但是並沒有過多的關注他。湖人擁有24順位的選秀權。韋斯特預計科比會在那之前被選走。在一番深思熟慮之後，他同意科比加入試訓。

Jones had had one of the better college tournaments and spent the summer working out with NBA star Penny Hardaway in Memphis.

瓊斯打出了一個傑出的大學錦標賽，並且花了一個夏天在孟菲斯和便士-哈達威一起訓練。

Larry Drew, a Lakers assistant coach, monitored the workout. Jones, 21, figured the Lakers brass wanted to see how Bryant physically matched up against a more developed player. "I think they got exactly what they were looking for, because he was a load," Jones said. Drew instructed the pair to first play a fullcourt game of one-on-one to four.

拉里-德魯，湖人助教，觀看了這次訓練。瓊斯，21歲，認爲湖人想看看科比能否在身體上匹配一個更加成熟的球員。“我想他們得到了他們在尋找的東西，因爲他是個夢魘。”瓊斯說。德魯指示他們先進行一個全場的1對1，打4分。

Bryant won.

科比贏了。

"You could just tell," Jones remembered. "You could see what his future was going to look like. I was amazed by just playing against him. I did what I was supposed to do, but that's a seventeen-year-old kid. That dude was determined to do some of the things he couldn't do and I guess I was an obstacle right there for him to try to figure out a way to chop down."

“你只能這麼說，”瓊斯回憶道，“你可以看到他的未來會是什麼樣子。我僅僅是跟他對抗就已經驚呆了。我做了我應該做的事情，但是這是一個17歲的孩子。這傢伙下定決心去做一些他不能做的事情，並且我想我成爲了那個立在其中的障礙，所以他嘗試揮起斧子從中砍出一條路。”

They played one-on-one to four from halfcourt. They played one-on-one, in which the offensive player had to go right and use only three dribbles before hoisting a shot. They transferred the same rules to a game on the left side of the floor. Jones got in a point and a game here and there.

他們在半場又進行了一次4分的1對1。他們的1對1要求進攻球員必須從右側進攻，在出手投籃前只能運三次球。他們又在球場左側重複了同樣的規則。瓊斯佔據了上風。

Some of the drills catered to him and his size advantage over Bryant. But it was the established college player trying to hold his own against a high schooler. Bryant's footwork and finesse were already beyond those of anyone Jones had ever played in college.

有些回合對他更有利，因爲他對於科比擁有身體優勢。但是這是一個大學籃球手嘗試在一個高中生面前保住自己的顏面。科比的步伐和技巧已然超過了瓊斯在大學遇到的所有人。

Bryant generally found the shot he wanted within those three dribbles. "You don't realize a seventeen-year-old could do all the things he was even attempting to do," said Jones, who became a first-round selection of the Knicks. The workout only lasted about 45 minutes. A dismayed Jones stretched out on the floor afterward. Meanwhile, West watched it all.

科比一般在三次運球后就可以找到他想要的出手機會。“你沒辦法意識到一個17歲的孩子可以做到全部他想做的事情。”瓊斯說，他後來在首輪被尼克斯選中。這次試訓僅僅進行了45分鐘。之後一個沮喪的瓊斯躺倒在地板上。

"You saw the incredible skills that he had for a young kid," West said. "The one thing that we all saw was that he had an immense desire to compete. He just didn't want to stop competing, and in an [hour-long] workout it was something to see."

“你看到了他作爲一個年輕孩子不可思議的技巧。”韋斯特說，“我們看到的一件事就是他擁有巨大的競爭慾望。他就是不想停下競爭。在一個小時的試訓中這就是我們看到的。”

The performance piqued West's interest. He wanted another look, this one to confirm his gut feeling. He approached John Black and Raymond Ridder, members of the team's public relations staff, and asked if they wanted to attend another of Bryant's workouts.

這樣的表現引發了韋斯特的興趣，他想再看看，以確認他的直覺。他聯繫了湖人公關部的兩名職員，約翰-布萊克和雷蒙德-萊德爾，並且問他們是否想參加科比的另一次試訓。

Mitch Kupchak, West's assistant general manager, piled into West's car, along with Black and Ridder. Bryant's second Lakers workout figured to be more challenging. Bryant would play against Michael Cooper at Inglewood High School.

米奇-庫普切克，韋斯特的總經理助理，也同布萊克和萊德爾一道坐進了韋斯特的轎車。科比的第二次試訓將會更有挑戰。因爲他將在英格爾伍德高中對抗邁克爾-庫珀。

Cooper, 40, had been retired from the NBA for five years, but maintained a slim, agile frame. He was a key part of the Lakers' "Showtime" championship teams and an in-your-face defender, described by Larry Bird as the best he had ever faced. Cooper did not think much of the workout entering the gym.

40歲的庫珀已經在NBA退役5個年頭，但是仍然維持了苗條的身材和敏捷的身手。他是湖人“表演時刻”冠軍隊的重要組成部分，並且是一個貼身防守專家，被拉里-伯德稱爲他面對的最好防守者。進入球館時庫珀並沒有對這次試訓有太多的想法。

West had requested it, telling Cooper that he wanted to see how a high school kid named Kobe would fare against him. Cooper learned that Bryant was actually Joe Bryant's son only a couple of hours before squaring off against him. Cooper and Joe Bryant had matched up before in games. "I almost had a flashback," Cooper said. "Now, if I would have done that, it would have been a different thing."

韋斯特對其有所要求，告訴庫珀他想要看看這個叫做科比的高中生如何在他的防守下發光發熱。庫珀在這次試訓開始前幾小時才得知科比實際上是喬-布萊恩特的兒子。庫珀和喬-布萊恩特曾經在比賽中有過對位。“我有了一點回憶。”庫珀說，“現在，如果我完成這個，這段經歷就與衆不同了。”

He arrived at a dark gym, almost gloomy. No matter. Bryant lit Cooper up.

他到達了這件昏暗的球館，幾乎看不見。但是不要緊，科比會將庫珀點燃。

They spent nearly the whole session playing one-on-one. Cooper played defense the bulk of the time. He tried using his physicality over Bryant. Bryant scored at will. He unleashed a full repertoire of fadeaway jump shots and drives to the baskets with reverse layups and dunks.

他們幾乎花了整個階段進行1對1。庫珀在大部分時間防守。他嘗試用自己的身體壓倒科比。而科比則隨心所欲的得分。他完美釋放了自己的後仰跳投，並且衝擊籃筐，通過上反籃和扣籃終結。

"He was playing like he had just graduated from college, twenty-one, twenty-two years old, and I think that was the most impressive thing about it," Cooper said. "All of us were very, very impressed with him and Jerry has that innate ability to see beyond what other people see at the moment and obviously, he saw greatness."

“他打得就像剛從大學畢業的球員一樣，21或者22歲，這是我認爲最讓我印象深刻的事情。”庫珀說，“我們中的所有人都對他印象非常非常深刻，傑裏擁有那樣天生的能力去看到未來，看到當下其他人看不到的東西。顯然，他看到了偉大。”

West turned to Black and Ridder about 25 minutes into the workout. "OK, I've seen enough," he said. "Let's go. He's better than anyone we have on our team right now." The trio rose from their seats. "Best workout I've ever seen," West continued.

韋斯特在試訓進行了25分鐘之後轉向布萊克和萊德爾，“OK，我看夠了。”他說，“我們走吧。他比我們現在隊裏擁有的任何人都要好。”他們三個人從座位上站起來。“我看過的最棒的試訓。”韋斯特補充道。

West walked past Cooper on his way out. "I thought you were supposed to guard him," West quipped.

韋斯特離開的途中路過庫珀身邊，“我想你本應該防住他的。”韋斯特打趣道。

The group returned to the Inglewood Forum. "We've got to do everything we can to get this guy," West said during the drive back, almost to himself.

考察團隊返回英格爾伍德論壇，“我們要盡一切努力確保我們能得到這個孩子。”韋斯特在回程的路上喃喃自語。

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