老牌宿敵

When LeBron James played his first game against Carmelo Anthony， the home opener in his rookie season in 2003， the Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a boxing-style promotional poster with the tag “Rivalry begins tonight!”

當(dāng)勒布朗·詹姆斯在2003年的新秀賽季揭幕戰(zhàn)中主場迎接卡梅洛·安東尼的時(shí)候，克利夫蘭的經(jīng)營者曾設(shè)計(jì)了一張以“經(jīng)典對抗始于今夜”的宣傳海報(bào)。

By 2005， every time James and Dwyane Wade played against each other， the game was ticketed for national television.

2005年里，詹姆斯和德韋恩·韋德的每一次交手都會(huì)登上全國直播的舞臺(tái)。

The desire to create a genuine duel between James and Kobe Bryant led Nike to create a series of commercials in which the puppet version of each would trash talking each other. Even if the men themselves showed little interest in doing it for real on the court.

將科比·布萊恩特和詹姆斯的比賽打造成經(jīng)典對決的想法甚至讓Nike為此策劃了一系列的商業(yè)活動(dòng)來塑造一場轟轟烈烈的對抗。哪怕他們本人并沒有對這些表現(xiàn)出太多的興趣。

For various reasons， these attempts to generate a rivalry for James failed. But he does have a less-publicized but legitimate rival， in a fierce competition that has been nurtured organically through postseason battles and periods of authentic dislike， genuine bad blood and some hard-won respect.

因?yàn)檫@樣或者那樣的原因，為詹姆斯塑造一個(gè)“仇家”的計(jì)劃最終沒能成行。但是其實(shí)，他有一個(gè)并不廣為人知的對手，這場激烈的角逐賽里夾雜著由于在季后賽里的纏斗和相互之間的厭惡、熱血甚至包括一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)得之不易得的尊重。

When the Eastern Conference finals open tonight， James will play his 19th career playoff game against Boston Celtics future Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. For the 19th time they will likely be each other’s primary defender. For the 19th time there’s probably going to be some hard stares， complaints to the officials about the other and perhaps even a few borderline dirty plays.

今晚(5月28日)東部決賽的號(hào)角即將吹響。勒布朗將生涯第19次迎戰(zhàn)皮爾斯的球隊(duì)——波士頓凱爾特人。他們倆在之前的對決里都是相互對位。這19次比賽可是不可避免的高強(qiáng)度防守、互相抱怨對方打球骯臟。

“Oh， we know each other，” James said.“More than any other matchup in the league. We know each other’s likes and dislikes.”

“我們都非常了解對方，”詹姆斯說。“我們是聯(lián)盟互相盯防最多的。我們知道彼此的喜惡。”

This is the fourth time in the five-year run of the Celtics’ Big 3 era -- starting when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Pierce in 2007 --that James will face Boston in the playoffs. The Celtics’ success partially willed James to form a competing triumvirate of his own. After losing in a seven-game series to the Celtics’ newly created super team in 2008， James sat on the podium in Boston and demanded his team make some move to improve its talent level. When his season ended again there in 2010， after a series of Cavs trades failed to produce a title， James proclaimed he and “his team”had a plan in place for his free agency.

這是詹姆斯在最近五年里第四次在季后賽和由加內(nèi)特、雷·阿倫和皮爾斯從2007年開始組建的三巨頭率領(lǐng)的凱爾特人對決。凱爾特人的成功模式也促成了詹姆斯自己組成了三巨頭。在2008年搶七大戰(zhàn)輸給凱爾特人后，詹姆斯當(dāng)場要求他的隊(duì)伍需要做一些改進(jìn)以便更好的發(fā)揮他的天賦。在2010年他的賽季再次結(jié)束的時(shí)候，在他的隊(duì)伍引援失敗之后，詹姆斯宣布他和他的團(tuán)隊(duì)打算試水自由市場。

The product of that plan is James’ arrival with the Heat， and they’ll be taking on the Celtics in the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

而這個(gè)計(jì)劃的結(jié)果就是前往熱火，并且在來年季后賽拿下凱爾特人。

\"[Pierce] is the closest thing to a rival， if LeBron has one，\" Wade said. \"They make it tough on each other.\"

“[皮爾斯]是最接近勒布朗的對手的人，如果勒布朗真的有個(gè)對手的話，”韋德說。“他們對彼此都很壓制。”

That James felt the need to partner up with Wade and Chris Bosh to compete with the Celtics is a sign of esteem. But the skirmishes between Pierce and James started long before they worked to create their own All-Star teams. At times， it has gotten so personal it has involved family members.

詹姆斯覺得與韋德還有波什湊在一起是能夠和凱爾特人抗衡的一個(gè)標(biāo)志。但是皮爾斯和詹姆斯之間的恩怨糾葛早在他們成為“全明星”隊(duì)友之前就結(jié)下了。很多時(shí)候這些事端都是由他們的家庭成員引起的。

The closest thing James has ever had to a fight in the NBA came against Pierce， though most may not remember it. It happened way back in 2004， during a preseason game at Ohio State. It took place during Game 2 of the World Series， when the Red Sox were on their way to their first title since 1918 and certainly no one in Boston was paying much attention.

詹姆斯在NBA唯一一次差一點(diǎn)打架的沖突對方就是皮爾斯。那是2004年在俄亥俄州進(jìn)行的季前賽。當(dāng)時(shí)正值MLB世界巡回賽的第二場，當(dāng)時(shí)波士頓紅襪正有機(jī)會(huì)奪取自1918年來的首次總冠軍時(shí)，沒人給這支NBA的波士頓的球隊(duì)太多的關(guān)注。

After things had gotten a little heated the night before during a preseason game between the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers at①M(fèi)ohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut， it boiled over when they played again in Columbus.

在康涅狄格州的金神賭場舉行的凱爾特人和騎士的季前賽前夜這件事情的火藥味愈加濃烈，而他們在哥倫比亞比賽的時(shí)候整個(gè)事情已經(jīng)炸開了。

There was already some beef starting between the two from the previous season， James’ first in Cleveland. Pierce had gotten into an in-game trashing talking war with ②Otis Carter.

其實(shí)早在在詹姆斯的新秀賽季里，倆人之間就已經(jīng)有了糾葛。皮爾斯跟奧蒂斯·卡特早就展開了口水戰(zhàn)。

After a Pierce hard foul on James， Carter started screaming at Pierce from courtside seats. It was part of the first great JamesPierce battle. James had 37 points that night， the second-highest output of his rookie year. But Pierce ended up scoring 41， burying the Cavs with a series of offensive moves and staring at Carter after each basket in the second half. He told James late in the game he needed to tell Carter to be quiet or he’d go for 50 points. Or at least that is how the story goes.

當(dāng)時(shí)，在皮爾斯對詹姆斯一次重手犯規(guī)之后，原本坐著的卡特憤而站沖著皮爾斯就開始咆哮。這是詹姆斯-皮爾斯之戰(zhàn)的開端。那天晚上詹姆斯砍下了37分，這是他新秀賽季以來的第二高得分。而皮爾斯則砍下了41分，在受到卡特的謾罵之后幾乎憑借一己之力在下半場手刃騎士。賽后，他告訴詹姆斯，如果卡特能安靜點(diǎn)那他就能砍下50分了。這是他們一系列矛盾的開端。

It wasn’t the only time Pierce would get into it with a James family member. During the 2008 playoffs， Pierce wrapped up James on a drive to the basket during Game 4 of the conference semifinals in Cleveland. The two spilled into the stands， where Gloria James， LeBron’s mother， got up from her seat and began yelling at Pierce. James famously yelled to his mother to “sit your [blank] down.”

這不是惟一一次皮爾斯跟詹姆斯的家人發(fā)生爭執(zhí)。在2008年東部半決賽第四場在克利夫蘭的比賽時(shí)，皮爾斯突破詹姆斯的防守直接殺到籃下得分。兩個(gè)人頂?shù)搅艘黄穑材匪沟膵寢尭衤妍悂喺酒饋頉_著皮爾斯咆哮起來。勒布朗那句著名的斥責(zé)就發(fā)生在此刻——“坐回你的座位去。”

In that 2004 preseason game at Ohio State， Pierce scored twice in a row on James during the third quarter. On the second hoop， he used a crossover dribble to shake James on the way to the basket and let everyone know he’d just beaten the young kid. James answered with a jumper and then picked Pierce’s pocket and ran to the other end for a dunk.

在2004年俄亥俄州的那場季前賽里，皮爾斯在第三節(jié)連續(xù)在詹姆斯臉上投中兩球。尤其是第二次拋投時(shí)，他在運(yùn)球突破中虛晃了一下詹姆斯并且讓所有人知道他教訓(xùn)了這個(gè)小家伙。作為回應(yīng)，詹姆斯先來個(gè)跳投，然后搶斷皮爾斯直沖籃下完成了一個(gè)暴扣。

Soon after the two got into each other’s faces and were hit with technical fouls. Then Pierce spit toward the Cavs’ bench， for which he was later fined $15，000. But that’s not where the fight almost happened; it was in the dressing room area after the game. The team locker rooms were next to each other and the tempers flared again in the hallway. Pierce’s teammates had to literally carry him away to prevent an altercation.

沒過多久，兩個(gè)人又互相杠上了，然后雙雙吃T。皮爾斯直接沖著騎士板凳席挑釁，這也讓他付出了15000美刀罰款的代價(jià)。然而，這還不是他們爭端的全部；真正的爭端是在賽后更衣室里面。兩支隊(duì)伍更衣室就隔著一個(gè)墻壁，兩人在半路就開始硝煙四起。隊(duì)友們只好攔住皮爾斯，以防橫生更多事端。

The two would eventually call for a truce at the All-Star Game the next year. Since then， their conflicts have all been centered on the floor. The rivalry， however， has only matured.

一直到第二年的全明星賽時(shí)兩人之間的關(guān)系才得到了緩和。從那兒之后，倆人之間斗爭才只會(huì)在場上發(fā)生，因?yàn)樗麄兌甲兊酶映墒臁?/p>

“I don’t think it is like or dislike， it is what it is，” Pierce said. “He’s been on some great teams， I’ve been on some great teams and we’ve had to face one another. After awhile it became a mutual respect for the things he’s done in this league and the things I’ve done in this league.”

“我不認(rèn)為這是喜歡或者不喜歡的問題，就是這樣，”皮爾斯說，“他身處一支偉大的球隊(duì)，我也是在一個(gè)偉大的球隊(duì)，我們都要面對對方。畢竟他在聯(lián)盟里做的讓人尊敬的成熟行為也是我在做的。”

During a game in 2006， they had another great battle in a doubleovertime game in Boston. James played 54 minutes， scoring 43 points with 12 rebounds and 11 assists in a Cavs win. That night Pierce did get his 50 points， the first Celtics player to do so since Larry Bird， and drew a foul on James in the final second of regulation to force overtime.

2006那年在波士頓打出了一場兩個(gè)加時(shí)的比賽。詹姆斯出場54分鐘，得到43+12+11，幫助球隊(duì)拿下了比賽。那個(gè)夜晚皮爾斯則砍下50分，這是這片場地自拉里·伯德之后第一個(gè)砍下這么多分的人，隨后他在最后時(shí)刻在詹姆斯身上造了一個(gè)犯規(guī)后將比賽拖入了加時(shí)賽。

In the 2008 playoffs， Pierce and James staged several more classic battles. In a pivotal Game 5， James’ 35 points weren’t enough as Pierce scored 29 points and Boston took a 3-2 series lead. After James forced a final game with a supreme performance in Game 6 with 32 points and 12 rebounds， Pierce carried the Celtics to a Game 7 victory. He scored 41 points and the Celtics outlasted James’45-point effort that Sunday afternoon at TD Garden， still ranking as the best head-to-head playoff battle of James’ career.

2008年季后賽兩人又上演了幾次經(jīng)典的爭斗。在當(dāng)時(shí)比較重要的第五場比賽里，詹姆斯得到35分卻難擋皮爾斯得到29分并率領(lǐng)凱爾特人拿下比賽以3-2的大比分領(lǐng)先。雖然第六場詹姆斯放手一搏，砍下32分和12個(gè)籃板拿下比賽。但在接下來的那個(gè)周日在TD北岸花園球館，皮爾斯率隊(duì)贏得了這一場搶七大戰(zhàn)。詹姆斯的45分在皮爾斯的41分面前黯淡無光，盡管那也是詹姆斯職業(yè)生涯最好的季后賽成績。

“He’s one of the best at his position and I’ve been considered one of the best at my position，” Pierce said. “It’s been a very competitive battle.”

“他是他位置上最好的球員之一，我也是我位置上最好球員之一。”皮爾斯說。“這是對抗性非常強(qiáng)的比賽。”

In the 2010 playoffs， Celtics coach Doc Rivers’ game plan was to have Pierce concentrate on defending James and not to put as much emphasis on his own offense. It was part of an overall strategy to be physical with James and keep him away from the basket. Over the last three games of the series， which the Celtics won to pull the upset against the top-seeded Cavs， Pierce averaged just 14.3 points. But his defense helped the Celtics hold James to averages of just 21.3 points and 34 percent shooting as the spectrum of the series completely changed.

2010年季后賽，道格·里弗斯計(jì)劃讓皮爾斯將比賽重心放在防守詹姆斯身上，以減少進(jìn)攻帶來的消耗。這個(gè)戰(zhàn)術(shù)，就是要讓詹姆斯遠(yuǎn)離籃筐。在這個(gè)系列賽的最后三場比賽里，凱爾特人再一次將常規(guī)賽頭號(hào)種子騎士擊敗。這樣的防守讓詹姆斯場均得分只有21.3分和34%的命中率，并改變了系列賽的走勢。

James finally got his victory over Pierce and the Celtics in 2011 after joining the Heat. In the game that essentially decided the series， Game 4， James and Pierce added another chapter to their rivalry. The Heat won in overtime in Boston， taking a 3-1 series lead (they eventually won in five). With the outcome still in doubt， James had 35 points and 14 rebounds， including the go-ahead basket in overtime. Pierce had 27 points and eight rebounds and made a hoop in the final minute of regulation that ended up forcing overtime.

一直到2011年加盟熱火之后，詹姆斯才得以在季后賽贏得對凱爾特人的系列賽。在系列賽中最重要的第四場比賽里，詹姆斯和皮爾斯將比賽拖進(jìn)加時(shí)。熱火在波士頓主場通過加時(shí)賽拿下了比賽，并且以大比分3-1領(lǐng)先(最終他們以五場比賽結(jié)束了系列賽)。詹姆斯貢獻(xiàn)了35分加14個(gè)籃板，包括在加時(shí)賽里打進(jìn)領(lǐng)先比賽的那個(gè)球。而皮爾斯的成績則是27分和8個(gè)籃板，是他的最后一次進(jìn)攻將比賽拖入了加時(shí)。

Two days later， when James and the Heat closed the series out， he fell to his knee in appreciation of the accomplishment after he scored 10 points in the game’s last two minutes. Playing the Celtics， and their captain Pierce， has in many ways defined this portion of James’ career.

兩天以后當(dāng)勒布朗和熱火拿下了這個(gè)系列賽，勒布朗在最后兩分鐘里砍下10分之后單膝跪地。凱爾特人以及他們的隊(duì)長皮爾斯，教會(huì)了勒布朗職業(yè)生涯很多東西。

There might not be a better way to define a rival.

下面這句話也許更能解釋什么叫做死敵。

“We understand how competitive each other are，” James said. “It’s always fun to go up against the best， and he’s one of them.”

“我們懂得相互競爭，”詹姆斯說，“和最好的球隊(duì)打球很有趣，他是這支球隊(duì)的一部分。”