Hoops battles with Mom 泽北荣治的妈妈 Tel Aviv is arresting at dusk, the modern and ancient, the commercial and the charming, colliding along the Mediterranean seafront promenade of hotels, shops and cafes. The Old Clock Tower in Jaffa, perched like a sentry on the hilly southern tip of the picturesque stretch, casts its light in a northerly direction, illuminating the activity below. 黄昏时的Tel Aviv，现代感中又有古老的气息。地中海风格的饭店、咖啡厅林立的同 时，世界上最年长的钟楼也在南方的山丘上俯望这个城市，用他们的灯光照亮了以下的场 景。 Families barbecue on the lawn areas late into the night, their children scampering around, tossing Frisbees or kicking soccer balls. Joggers and skateboarders cruise along the pathway. Youngsters and adults alike make full use of the weight-training equipment that materializes every few hundred yards – a relatively recent addition to encourage physical fitness. 许多家庭在这薄暮时分聚集在草地上烤肉，小孩子们跳着蹦着，丢飞盘或是踢着足球 ，也有很多人在路上慢跑或是溜滑板。许多年轻人和成年人都喜欢去作重训，他们会善用 每几百码就有的重训器材，这是近来在鼓励下所增加的习惯。 While Casspi frequented the seafront establishments when he came of age, and admits a fondness for the night life, he cultivated his basketball passion about 15 miles to the south in Yavne, a quiet middle-class suburb of two-story houses, manicured lawns and the occasional hoop in the driveway. 在Casspi渐渐长大的同时，他也爱上了这里的夜间生活。而他的篮球生活则是成长於 15哩远的Yavne 南端，一个偏向郊区的地方，路边有着大量的草坪和许多临时的篮球架。 Invariably taller than his boyhood friends, Omri patterned his versatile game after former Kings star Hedo Turkoglu. 总是比同辈朋友高大的Omri，学习偶像Hedo Turkoglu一般在场上有多方面的建树。 Casspi's connection to the Kings is an unexpected bonus: Sherf, who coached Casspi with the national team and briefly with Maccabi, coached former King Peja Stojakovic during the small forward's final season in Greece. Casspi和国王还有另一个连结，他的国家队教练Sherf 在Peja Stojakovic 最後一个 希腊赛季时，也曾经教过他。 "Zvika always tell me, 'If you want to be great shooter, watch Peja,' " Casspi related with a chuckle. " 'Shoot, shoot, shoot.' All the time. 'Shoot, shoot, shoot.' He loves Peja." 「Zvika 总是告诉我：『想要当个伟大射手，就去看Peja』。射射射就对了！他爱死 Peja了。」Casspi笑着说。 "They are two different people, two different players," offered Sherf. "But both love the basketball." 「他们是不同的选手，但他们都爱篮球。」Sherf说。 While Shimon Casspi supervised his younger son's basketball endeavors, insisting that coaches play Omri away from the basket to develop his passing and play-making skills, it was his mother, Ilana, an elementary schoolteacher and accomplished player in her own right, who goaded him into endless one-on-one contests in the driveway. Shimon Casspi 是他小儿子篮球路上的监督者，但让小儿子发展出投射、传球、Play -making 技巧的却是妈妈Ilana 。这位小学老师和前女子球员和儿子的单挑是Casspi成长 的动力。 "She would throw up hook shots, play with her back to the basket," recalled Casspi. "She could beat me for a long time. Then the first time I won – I think I was 14 or 15 – she tell me, 'We don't play no more.' " 「她会钩射、背框单打，我被她电了超久，好不容易在我第一次赢球後（大约十四还 十五岁吧），她告诉我：『PK到此为止。』」Casspi回忆着。 Casspi soon set out on the path that preceded his selection by the Kings. At age 17, he made his professional debut with Maccabi. A few months later, he was loaned to Hapoel Galil Elyon in northern Israel, where he played extensive minutes for Kattash. He returned to Maccabi for the 2007-09 seasons, earning consideration for European Player of the Year (fourth) and recognition as Israel's premier small forward. Casspi接下来就朝着他的被选之路前进，十七岁的他进入Maccabi ，开始打职业篮球 。几个月後他被借将到Hapoel Galil Elyon打球，在那儿他获得了大量的上场时间。07到 09赛季他回到Maccabi ，获得了欧洲年度球员（第四名）的肯定，也成了以色列主力小前 锋。 Before submitting his name for the NBA draft, however, he had to secure his release from Maccabi and inform Sherf that he was unavailable for the European Championships in September. 在被宣布中选之前，他必须要确定Maccabi 放他走，还得通知Sherf 他没办法为球队 出战九月的欧冠赛。 Sherf was far from pleased. Sherf 很不爽。 "The national team is my life," the coach said. 「国家队是我的生命。」教练说。 Longtime Maccabi President Shimon Mizrahi, the most powerful basketball figure in Israel for the past 40 years, wasn't thrilled about his former star's decision, either. 长期担任Maccabi 总裁的Shimon Mizrahi，已经是以色列的篮球象徵长达四十年之久 ，他对Casspi的决定也是不怎麽开心。 Yet unlike Berkowitz and Kattash, one-time NBA prospects who pleaded unsuccessfully to be released from their Maccabi contracts, Casspi's deal included a $250,000 buyout clause, averting a potential crisis. 还好不像Berkowitz和Kattash一样，这两位在中选後都没办法前往NBA ，他们的合约 让他们得留下来，而Casspi的合约上则有一个二十五万的买断条款，让他可以避免这件事 。 "Nobody had an option (opt out clause) in their contract back when I played," Berkowitz said. "We didn't know better. I went to Mizrahi and said: 'The Atlanta Hawks want me. I can be first European and first Israeli in NBA.' They said no. 「我们那个年代还没有跳出条款，我们也不知道怎麽做，当时我就是告诉Mizrahi 说 ：『亚特兰大老鹰选了我，我可以成为第一个欧洲球员和以色列球员。』他们也只告诉我 这不可能。」Berkowitz说。 "So I took Maccabi to court. And you know what the judge said? 'Why do you want to go to America and be one of 11 players? In Israel, there is only one Berkowitz. I will not release you.' " 「所以我和Maccabi 闹上了法庭，你知道法官说什麽吗？『为什麽你要去美国当十一 位球员里的一人呢？以色列只有一个Berkowitz ，我不会放你走。』」 The matter still rankles. A trim and athletic figure at 54, Berkowitz sighed several times while telling his story. "Looking back on my career," he added, "the one thing I am missing is to make the NBA. The dream didn't come true. 这件事真的很令Berkowitz 伤心，现龄五十四岁的前运动员在提起此事时不停叹息， 「回顾我的篮球生涯，我错过的就是没法前往NBA ，梦想不能如愿。」 "But Omri … he made it." 「但Omri....他做到了。」 （待续） --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 125.224.131.208 ※ 编辑: santabrelai 来自: 125.224.128.61 (01/07 12:20)