Loyalty wins out as Thomas returns to the Big D http://0rz.tw/v1ziN If there ever was a summer to be a free agent, this was it. There were plenty of jobs to go around and teams looking to spend. Tim Thomas didn't want any part of the craziness. A few informal discussions took place here and there, but Thomas knew what he wanted. The Mavericks felt the same. "Loyalty is definitely the best word for it," Thomas told NBA.com in his first extensive interview since re-signing with Dallas on Aug. 18. Tim Thomas今年夏天成为自由球员，他有很多的选择，可以慢慢挑适合他的球队。但他 心意已决，而对小牛来说也是一样的。Thomas说:"忠诚是最大的原因。"这是他自从8月 中与小牛续约之後第一次的访谈。 Thomas missed most of last season, his first with Dallas. Knee surgery sidelined him initially before leaving the team in late January to deal with something much more serious. Thomas' wife, Tricia, had become ill and Tim requested a leave of absence to care for her and their family. He never returned. He also wasn't forgotten. Thomas said every one of his Dallas teammates reached out during the trying times, as did players from around the league. Even though he had only been with the Mavericks a few months and played just 18 games, the outpouring of support from all corners of the organization touched him deeply. Thomas与小牛的第一个赛季打打停停，先是膝盖伤势困扰着他，而後他的太太Tricia 生了重病，於是他向球队请假去照顾家人。他最後没有归队，但没有人忘记他，Thomas 表示每一个小牛的队员与其他联盟中的球员都曾在他最困难的时候与他连络，尽管他上 季只为小牛打了18场的比赛，但来自各方的支持让他打从心底感到感激。 "That was all I could ask for," said Thomas, who decided along with Tricia to keep the nature of her illness private. Thomas kept tabs on the Mavericks from their home in Los Angeles. Watching the first-round exit to San Antonio was especially hard. "It was about taking care of my wife, but I watched basketball as much as I could and I always kept up with what Dallas was doing," he said. "I reached out to everybody right before the playoffs and wished everybody well. "Of course I watched the playoff games and thought about situations where I could have helped. It was tough to know that the guys were going to war and I wasn't there to help, but at the same time everybody was reaching out with their prayers for my wife." "我别无所求了。"Thomas表示，他与妻子决定让她的病情状况保持隐私。Thomas在洛杉 矶的家中持续关注小牛季後赛的战况，小牛最後难堪的在第一轮被马刺淘汰，让他觉得 相当难受。他说:"我最关心的当然是我太太的病情，但我也会抽空看篮球并且想知道小 牛近况如何，我在季後赛以前跟队友们联络过，希望大家都好。我在看季後赛的时候也 想过我能够帮上什麽忙？大家都在拼战而我却无法伸出援手让我很痛心，但同时大家却 依然为我太太的病情祷告着。" When the offseason rolled around, Thomas' competitive juices were flowing again. Tricia had improved to the point where she could care for their two daughters and run the household again. Thomas was ready to give it another go. "I wanted to come back and help my team, but things happened in the household," he said. "The team allowed me to go and to try to work things out. When things started going downhill, they allowed me to stay home and take care of what's most important -- your family. I really appreciate that from them. I'm happy that everything worked out as far as my wife's health." 而随着休赛季的来临，Thomas的斗志慢慢燃烧，Tricia的病况好转，他可以独自照顾两 个女儿，也可以料理家里的事物了，Thomas决定给自己一个机会。他说:"我想要回来帮 助球队，球团允许我在情况危及的时候回去照顾我最重要的家人，我真的很感激他们， 我很高兴我的状况跟妻子的病况都步入正轨。" Thomas began to work out and talked to his agent, Bob Myers, about his options. Most teams were hesitant to look into the 14-year veteran with seven teams on his re'sume', though some were interested given Thomas' track record. The Mavericks were one of those interested teams. "There were a lot of talks, but nothing got as far as an actual contract," Thomas said. "When my agent talked to Dallas and Dallas said they would love to have me back, it was a no-brainer. I definitely wanted to put myself in a situation where you have a chance to win an NBA championship." Thomas开始努力练习，他也跟他的经纪人Bob Myers谈过了他的选项，很多球队对这位 待过7队、打过14年NBA的老将赶到犹豫，也有些球队对他过去的成绩感到有兴趣，当然 小牛也是其中之一。Thomas说:"这之间有很多次的谈判，但都还没有到签约的地步，当 我的经纪人与小牛联络时，他们说很欢迎我回来。我想都没想就决定为这支球队打拼一 座NBA总冠军。" The two sides agreed on the same contract Thomas signed last summer -- a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum ($1.35 million). Whether more money was out there, Thomas wasn't about to chase it. There was unfinished business and the chance to repay a debt in Dallas. Loyalty won out. "That's the right word -- loyalty," he said. "Everything I went through, the organization was just great. From being hurt and having surgery to my wife's health, they were just great. From the basketball side of it, they know what I'm capable of doing if I'm healthy and they know also I just want to sacrifice for the team. I just want to win. That's the bottom line." 双方对合约内容有了共识，就是跟去年夏天一样的1年老将底薪合约。Thomas不想追求 更多的钱，这是他欠小牛的，他要完成去年没做完的事情。而忠诚就是最後的答案。 Thomas表示:"忠诚是最正确的字眼，所有我经历过的事情让我觉得这个球团太棒了！ 对於我受伤动手术到我太太的健康问题的态度，他们真是太棒了！在篮球的专业上， 他们知道我可以做什麽来帮助球队，也知道我愿意牺牲自己来追求胜利，就这样。 The Mavericks are just glad to get Thomas back. "We knew it was tough on Tim and his family last year," owner Mark Cuban said. "Our policy is that family always comes first. So we certainly were trying to offer any help we could and to stay on top of the situation. With the new season getting ready to get started, we are excited to have Tim back. His size and ability to stretch the court will be a big help to us." Thomas isn't a difference-maker, but the Mavericks are counting on the 6-foot-10 forward to shore up some shortcomings that arose last season. He brings much-needed depth behind Dirk Nowitzki, giving Dallas length and the ability to space the floor with his 3-point range. 小牛也很乐意争取到Thomas的回锅，Cuban说:"去年对Tim与他的家人是相当困难的一 年，我们都认为家庭永远是第一要务，所以对於我们能做的任何帮忙当然义不容辞， 新球季即相开打我们很兴奋他能归队，他的身材跟能力可以给我们很大的帮助。" Thomas不是有能力只手遮天的球员，但球队依旧需要他这位6-10的前锋带来上季小牛 略显不足的地方，他可以担当Dirk衬职的替补，从禁区到三分线他都能有所贡献。 And while the absence was unintended, it did his body some good. Thomas, 33, has only played close to a full season once in the last five years. "I've had a long time off, so I have fresh legs, but then again it's been 14 years, so time will tell," he said. "I feel great right now. I'm ready to go and I want to get back into the whole flow of practicing and playing and being able to compete. I want to be around the guys and enjoy the game." When it came down to deciding where, Thomas couldn't imagine being anywhere else. "I just felt loyal to Dallas for what they did last year letting me take care of my family," he said. "I just want to give it another shot. I feel I can help. I keep going back to that word -- loyalty." Thomas的身体也在这段时间得到了足够的修养，33岁的他在过去5年之间只有一季几乎 打满整季。Thomas说:"我休息了很久所以我的脚很健康，但我也已经打了14个年头，岁 月不饶人啊。我现在感觉很好，我已经准备好要回来练习并且竞争，我想要跟这些家伙 一起享受比赛。"当他在决定要去哪队的时候，他无法想像如果他加入其他球队的样子。 他说:"小牛去年对我很忠心的愿意让我回去照顾我的家庭，我想要再试一次，我觉得我 做得到，而我也不断的在重述这个词－忠诚。" 有情有义汤玛斯!! -- 姓名 救援成功 救援失败 (0511止) 林岳平 　（统一） 　　11 0 --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 111.248.163.230 ※ leoliu0812:转录至看板 NBA 09/06 15:48 ※ 编辑: DM24Tim 来自: 111.248.160.140 (06/14 23:30)