波普的計劃

What Popovich has done goes far beyond guiding the Spurs to the best record in the league this season. He has created a template for NBA success. His influence extends so far that his presence is likely to be felt in the NBA Finals even if the Spurs don’t make it.

波波維奇所做的，已經遠遠超越了本賽季帶領馬刺拿到聯盟最佳戰績這一個范圍，他為NBA聯盟創造出了一個成功的樣本。他的影響力如此之遠，即便馬刺沒能走到最后，在總決賽上，你依舊能感受到他的存在。

If the Oklahoma City Thunder， Los Angeles Lakers or Los Angeles Clippers get in they all have key figures with significant ties to Popovich. For the Thunder it’s general manager Sam Presti， who got his start in the NBA working in the Spurs’ front office. For the Lakers and Clippers it’s coaches Mike Brown， who was an assistant， and Vinny Del Negro， who played for Popovich.

假如俄克拉荷馬雷霆、洛杉磯湖人或者洛杉磯快船打進總決賽，他們都與波波維奇有著密切的聯系。對于雷霆，那是他們的總經理薩姆·普萊斯蒂，他在NBA的第一份工作就是在馬刺的管理層。對于湖人和快船來說，邁克·布朗曾經是波波維奇的助理教練，而文尼·德爾·內格羅也在波波維奇手下工作過。

Nonplayoff teams that reflect the Popovich effect include the Phoenix Suns (general manager Lance Blanks)， the New Jersey Nets (coach Avery Johnson) and the New Orleans Hornets (general manager Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams).

還有些沒打入季后賽的球隊也和波波維奇有著千絲萬縷的聯系，這其中包括菲尼克斯太陽(總經理蘭斯·布蘭克斯)，新澤西籃網(主教練埃弗里·約翰遜)，以及新奧爾良黃蜂(總經理德爾·鄧普斯和主教練蒙蒂·威廉姆斯)。

\"You go work for him， it’s like going to school，\" said Brown， who was an assistant coach under Popovich. \"You learn a lot， not only on the coaching side， but on the frontoffice side.\"

“你為他工作，感覺就像去上學?！辈祭蔬@樣說道，他曾是波波維奇手下的助理教練。“你能學到很多，不僅是教練這方面的知識，還包括管理球隊的東西。”

Phil Jackson and Pat Riley have more rings， but Popovich has more ②progenies around the league. It’s because Popovich’s way is portable. Brown has \"tremendous respect\" for Jackson and Riley and considers them worthy Hall of Fame enshrinees. He just doesn’t think their success is as feasible to duplicate as Popovich’s.

菲爾·杰克遜和帕特·萊利有著更多的戒指，但波波維奇在聯盟擁有更多的門生。布朗對杰克遜和萊利抱有“無比崇高的敬意”，他認為這兩人都應當入選名人堂。但他只是覺得，他們的成功并不像波波維奇那樣，有復制的可能。

\"When you talk about Phil and Pat， they went to big-market cities where everybody wants to go， there’s tremendous amount of money and support of going and getting any guy you want， \" Brown said. \"And the teams were already， for the most part， halfway decent.

“當你說到菲爾和帕特，他們去了所有人都想去的大球市，他們有充足的資金和支持，能找到任何你想要的球員，”布朗說，“而且那些球隊基本上已經是很不錯的了?！?/p>

\"You look at Pop taking an underdog situation and turning it into a championship situation， similar to what Sam Presti has done in Oklahoma City and similar to what Danny Ferry [another Popovich offspring] was starting to do in Cleveland， and you relish that or want that. Because not all situations are the Lakers， Chicago， Miami， New York.\"

“你再看看波普，他接手了一個弱旅，然后把他們打造成總冠軍。薩姆·布萊斯蒂在俄克拉何馬做著類似的工作，丹尼·費里(另一個波波維奇的門生)也開始在克利夫蘭著手。你會欣賞或者希望這樣的情況，因為不是所有的球隊都像湖人、公牛、熱火或者尼克斯一樣?！?/p>

It makes sense for team-builders to emulate Popovich just as it makes more sense for the typical player to pattern his game after Kevin Love rather than Blake Griffin.

對于球隊建設者們來說，模仿波波維奇是更合理的，就像球員們會模仿凱文·樂福，而不是布雷克·格里芬一樣。

When you hear the alumni talking about Popovich’s success， you notice two things: They always call him \"Pop\" and they never talk about on-court strategy. Even though Popovich is a respected game coach， nothing from his playbook has entered the basketball lexicon the way you hear terms such as\"Princeton offense\" or \"UCLA cut.\" Besides， it wouldn’t make sense to copy a playbook when Popovich himself hasn’t adhered to it the past couple years， revamping the Spurs’ style and going up-tempo to reflect a changing roster and league.

當你聽那些門生們談論波波維奇的成功時，你會注意到兩件事：他們總稱呼他為“波普”，以及他們從來不會談論球場上的策略。盡管波波維奇的臨場指揮頗令人稱贊，但是他的戰術從來沒有像“普林斯頓進攻”或者“UCLA空切”那樣進入過籃球詞典。除此之外，連波波維奇自己在過去幾年都不再堅持自己的打法，而是改組了馬刺的陣容，以此應對聯盟變換的球風和人員，那么照抄他的戰術也就毫無道理了。

Whenever anyone talks about why the Spurs win so much it always comes down to a company-wide ethos.

無論什么時候，當任何人談論起為什么馬刺能確定這么多成功時，答案總會歸結到寬泛的所謂的氣質上來。

\"I think everyone that has had a chance to work for Pop and RC [Buford] would tell you that a lot of things that have the greatest impact are not necessarily basketball-related alone，\" Presti wrote in an email.\"There’s healthy disinterest in the path of least resistance and an authentic and humble appreciation for having the opportunity to be involved with the game at the highest level.

“我覺得所有有機會跟波普和RE(布福德)共事的人都會告訴你，很多能產生重大影響的，并不僅是跟籃球有關的。”普萊斯蒂在郵件中寫道，“他們對于最小的反正也沒有興趣，并且對于能在最高水平的籃球聯賽里獲得機會有著由衷的感激。”

\"Above all else， it’s clear that the organization itself is the most important thing; as Pop would say， everyone has to get over themselves and put the organization and team first. The endurance of their organization is uncommon， I feel fortunate for the opportunity to have been a small part of it.\"

“在此之外，顯然球隊本身是最重要的；就像波普會說的，每個人都要克服自我的觀念，把球隊放在第一位。他們球隊的持久力是不同尋常的，我感到很幸運，能有機會成為其中的一小部分?！?/p>

Del Negro said: \"They had a culture that was about doing it the right way and having the right people and character， and understanding your role and job. Pop kept everybody accountable. ’This is how we need you to play and this is what we need you to do.’\"

德爾·內格羅說：“他們有一種球隊文化，就是用正確的方法做事，尋找到合適的人和個性，理解你的角色和工作。波普讓每個人都負起責任來。‘這就是我們需要你打球的方式，這就是我們需要你做的事?！?/p>

Having that culture means putting a premium on players who fit that culture. No need to waste time looking at renegades who won’t fit in. The Spurs consistently bring in impact rookies -- most notably Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili -- even though they haven’t picked higher than 20th since they got Duncan.

擁有這樣的球隊文化意味著，能適應這種文化的球員會打出更高水平，而不需要在不適應球隊文化的人身上浪費時間。馬刺總能找到有影響力的新秀——最著名的當然是托尼·帕克和馬努·吉諾比利——即便在選擇鄧肯后，馬刺的選秀順位從來沒高過20順位。

\"When there’s a clarity of what works here and doesn’t work， hopefully it gives us the clarity to know when we’re looking for people，\" Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.\"Maybe it helps us reduce our pool.\"

“當你知道在這什么行得通什么行不通時，但愿這能讓我們清楚，什么時候該去尋找球員?！瘪R刺總經理RC·布福德說，“也許這幫助我們減少了薪金。”

It’s not just a culture. The term the Spurs keep using is program， as in a college program.

這不僅僅是球隊文化。馬刺一直在說的一個詞就是計劃，就像大學計劃一樣。

Example: \"Pop has brought the vision to our program，\" Buford said. \"Everyone who has come through our program understands the things that are important: character and selfless people who want to be part of a team. Want to be part of something bigger than themselves.\"

舉個例子：“波普對我們的計劃有著自己的看法，”布福德說，“那么所有經歷過我們計劃的人都知道這些是很重要的：個性，以及愿意成為球隊一部分的無私的人。想成為其中的一部分比這個人本身更重要。”

It has been Popovich’s show since 1994， when he was named the Spurs’ executive vice president of basketball operations. In December of 1996， with the Spurs off to a 3-15 start， Popovich fired Bob Hill and took over as coach -- timing the move with the return of David Robinson from a back injury that kept him out of the first 18 games.

自從1994年波波維奇被任命為馬刺籃球事務的執行副總裁后，他就開始了自己的表演。1996年12月，當馬刺打出了3勝15負的開局后，波波維奇炒了鮑勃·希爾的魷魚，親手接過主教練的教鞭——那時大衛·羅賓遜也正好從讓他缺席了18場比賽的背傷中恢復。

Two critical things happened that season that enabled Popovich to reach the status he has today.

那個賽季發生的兩件大事讓波波維奇有能力到達現在的狀態。

The first was veterans such as Robinson， Avery Johnson and Sean Elliott took Popovich seriously. That wasn’t a given for a man who had never played in the NBA and whose only head-coaching experience was at Division III Pomona-Pitzer College in Claremont， Calif.

第一就是像羅賓遜、艾弗里·約翰遜和肖恩·埃利奧特這樣的老將非常尊重波波維奇。對于一個從沒在NBA執教過，而且主教練的經驗僅僅是執教三級聯賽中的加州克萊爾門特的波莫納-皮策爾大學的波波維奇，這種尊敬并不是很容易得到的。

\"We had really good guys that were in the prime of their career that had been through a lot of stuff，\" said Del Negro， who played on that team. \"It was just the right mixture of people.\"

“我們擁有很多還在巔峰、經歷過不少陣仗的好球員。”德爾·內格羅說，他曾經是那支球隊的一員?！澳蔷褪呛线m球員的一種融合?！?/p>

The next career-altering moment came in the spring of 1997， when the Spurs won the lottery and drafted Tim Duncan. Not only was Duncan was a true franchise player， he was one of the lowest-maintenance superstars to ever enter the NBA.

而下一個改變職業生涯的一刻發生在1997年春天，馬刺拿到了樂透簽選下了鄧肯。不僅因為鄧肯是一個真正的王朝球員，他也是NBA歷史上最沒架子的超級巨星之一。

Popovich could harp on him without the relationship deteriorating to Dwight HowardStan Van Gundy levels. That gives Popovich the leeway to yell at players who are more likely to do yell-worthy things. There’s no double standard. Popovich can， as Monty Williams says， coach all 12 guys. Some coaches coach only 2-12 and let their superstar behave like Joffrey， the petulant teenage king in ③\"Game of Thrones.\"

波波維奇可以教訓鄧肯，而不用擔心兩人的關系會壞到霍華德和大范那種程度。這也給了波波維奇沖其他做了更該被訓斥的事的球員大聲斥責的理由。這里不會有雙重標準。就像蒙蒂·威廉姆斯說的，波波維奇可以管住全部12個人。有些教練只能管住2到12人，放任超級巨星像《權力的游戲》里那個任性的年輕國王喬弗里一樣。

Duncan， in turn， is \"a part of a lot of our decisions， too，\" Buford said. \"Manu and Tony， too.\"

反過來說，鄧肯也是“我們很多決定的參與者”，布福德說，“馬努和托尼也是”。

They’ll consult with Duncan on potential free agents. He’ll sit in on their draft discussions. And a long-standing tale in the NBA is the Spurs chose the location of their practice facility based on its proximity to Duncan’s house.

他們會就可能的自由球員咨詢鄧肯的意見，他會參與球隊的選秀討論。在NBA長久流傳著一個故事，他們說馬刺選擇訓練場地的位置主要是因為那離鄧肯的房子更近。

\"It’s not far from the truth，\" Buford said.“這和事實真相差得不多?！辈几５抡f。

The full story is that many players and coaches resided in the area.

事實真相是，很多球員和教練都住在那個區域。

\"It made sense to build it near where our players live，\" Buford said.

“建在離我們球員住的地方近一些是合理的。”布福德表示。

As for building a team， Popovich’s frontoffice background lets him think with a longterm perspective. He oversees most free-agent decisions， while leaving the drafting to Buford and the scouting staff. Most coaches need to think short-term， because their job status can change in the time it takes to refresh the NBA standings page on your web browser. Thinking long-term enabled Popovich to work long-term， to become the most tenured active coach in American major pro sports， to be so entrenched he easily survived a first-round exit from last year’s playoffs that would have sent many lesser coaches packing.

在打造球隊方面，波波維奇出身管理層的背景讓他能從長遠角度考慮問題。他監督著大部分自由球員簽約的決定，但是把選秀留給布福德和球員們。很多教練總會從短期目標出發，因為他們的工作狀態會隨著球隊排名的變化而變化?？紤]得長遠也讓波波維奇的任職時間變得很長，他已經成為美國職業體育中任職時間最長的現任教練。就是因為位置牢固，所以他才能輕松地從去年季后賽第一輪就出局的尷尬局面中解決，而這本來會讓很多教練卷鋪蓋走人。

\"Our program starts with our ownership， with Peter Holt and his group，\" Popovich said at the news conference to announce his coaching award. \"They set a tone for all of us， and I’m the beneficiary of all of their talents.\"

“我們的計劃開始于我們的老板，開始于彼得·霍爾特和他的集團。”在最佳教練的新聞發布會上，波波維奇表示，“他們為我們所有人定下了基調，而我則是他們所有智慧的受益者?！?/p>

That’s Pop， being all modest again. The attitude is so pervasive in the franchise that Buford even called back to make sure this article wouldn’t make the Spurs sound as if they were taking credit for a system that made them superior to everyone else. They want to assert that everything is player-based.

這就是波普，再一次展現了自己的謙遜。這種態度在球隊非常普遍，以致于布福德特意要來了演講稿，以確保這篇文章不會讓其他人覺得，馬刺得益于一種體系，而讓馬刺高于其他人。他們想說明，所有的一切都是以球員為基礎的。

\"The guys that played here are the reasons that our program has been allowed to be built，\" Buford said.

“那些在這里打球的人才是我們的計劃可以執行的原因?！辈几５抡f。

It’s not a 1 modesty. Popovich isn’t obsessed with credit. He thinks so little of individual accolades that he didn’t even wear a tie to coach the game when he was presented his trophy at half court.

這種謙虛沒錯，波波維奇也不癡迷于這種嘉獎。他對于個人榮譽看得很淡，當他在比賽中場時領取獎杯時，他在當場比賽中連領帶都沒打。

But make no mistake， it’s about Popovich.不過別搞錯了，這就是波波維奇。

\"His people-managing skills， they’re off the charts，\" Brown said. \"You watch how he handles different situations with people， whether it’s people in the front office or players 1-15 or people that work for him and you try to copy that， to a certain degree， if you can.\"

“他管理人的技巧，這是無法顯示在紙面上的?！辈祭收f，“你可以看到他如何應對不同人的不同情況，無論是管理層，還是1到15的球員，還是為他工作的人。如果可以的話，從某種程度講，你會試著復制他的做法?！?/p>