A look at the lives and careers of controversial NBA players -- Ricky Davis & Lance Stephenson http://tinyurl.com/c7knktw A first dunk is like a first kiss. If you've done it right the first time, you'll never forget how it should be done. Ricky Davis's first dunk came when he was in the eighth grade at Wood Intermediate School in Davenport, Iowa, and it changed him forever. 第一次的灌篮就像初吻一样。如果你第一次做对了，你就永远不会忘记该如何完成它 。Ricky Davis的第一次灌篮是在他就读位於爱荷华州的伍德中学八年级时完成的，而这 个灌篮从此改变了他。 Dunking made him distinct, and better yet, popular. Davis had tried to slam it home for months, but never could stuff it. But on this day, he stole a pass and streaked up the court. As he leaped he felt his body climbing higher than ever, before raising the ball above the rim and crashing it through. "I didn't even really realize what I did until after I did it," Davis says. "I was in Iowa, so nobody was dunking in eighth grade. That was like history." 灌篮让他变得与众不同而且更好，然而却没有变得受欢迎。在这之前Davis曾经尝试 灌篮好几个月，却从来没有成功。但是就在这天，他抄到了一球并且在场上狂奔。之後他 纵身一跃，感到自己跳了前所未有的高度，将球高举过框并狠狠塞入其中。「一直到我灌 进去之後我才真正感受到我做到了，」Davis表示。「我人在爱荷华，所以没有人曾在八 年级时灌篮。这就像缔造历史一般。」 The dunk momentarily stopped the game — it was silent in the Wood gymnasium. The next morning, news of Davis's feat was broadcast over the PA system during the school announcements. It wasn't until later that day when an epiphany struck: During the game, Davis hadn't noticed a teammate ahead of him down the court, wide-open for an easy layup. When his teammate pointed it out to him at practice, he didn't think twice. "Somebody was wide open," Davis says, nonplussed. "I didn't even pass it." 那个灌篮让比赛暂时中断——伍德体育管里面鸦雀无声。隔天，在学校的朝会中， Davis的英勇事蹟透过广播系统被大肆宣扬。但同时当天也有件值得一提的事情：在那场 比赛当中，Davis没有去注意到他的前方有个拥有空档上篮机会的队友。而当他队友在练 习中向他指出这点时，他并没有多想。「有个人有个空档，」Davis觉得有些尴尬。「而 我没有把球传给他。」 That afternoon, Ricky Davis realized how fun it could be — not just scoring and dunking, but entertaining. They don't stop games for pretty passes. Assists aren't touted on the morning announcements. 那个下午，Ricky Davis了解到这是一件多麽快乐的事情——不只是得分以及灌篮， 而是那种愉悦感。大家不会为了妙传而中断比赛，而助攻并不会在朝会中被大肆宣扬。 That was the first of many dunks. A controversial and colossally entertaining 12-year NBA career followed — one that Davis hopes to relaunch soon. Born Tyree Ricardo Davis IV to a Midwestern military family, Davis has wandered much of his life. He's 33 years old and smarter now, but also gravity-bound. He's played in France, Turkey, China, Puerto Rico, and for the Development League's Maine Red Claws since his last stint in the NBA, 36 forgettable games with the Clippers three years ago. By then he was so hobbled by a left knee injury that Davis says he was no longer able to dunk. His explosiveness, the gift that made him so entertaining, was gone. He'd adapted as best he could, but like a slugger with a slowed bat, his one true talent had vanished. 那只是众多灌篮的其中之一。一个备受争议而且惊人的12年NBA娱乐生涯随之展开— —一个Davis很快就希望能够重头开始的生涯。成长在位於中西部的军人家庭，Davis生涯 大部分都在浪迹各地。他现在已经33岁而且变得更聪明，但同时失去了他的跳跃力。自从 他三年前在NBA为快艇出赛了36场无关紧要的比赛後，他到了法国、土耳其、中国、波多 黎各以及NBDL的缅因龙虾队打球。从那时开始他就为左膝伤所苦，而Davis自己也表示他 再也无法扣篮了。他的爆发力，那个让他话题十足的天赋已经成为过去式了了。他目前已 经竭尽所能，但是就像一位老化的打者一般，他的天赋已经消失了。 "I ain't got no game [without it]," he says. "That's it right there. My first step and my pull-up, elevating over people. I mean, I could still play. I could play with an injured leg. But I was ready to retire because I wasn't in the [right] mental state and I wasn't physically right." 「我那时候没办法去找握比赛，」他表示。「就是这麽回事。我的第一步和飞跃对手 的能力都没了。我还是能拖着受伤的脚打球。但是我当时已经准备要退休了，因为我没办 法调整好我的心理状态而且身体状况并不好。」 Davis tugs at his left knee as he explains, and demonstrates how, in order to keep it straight, he needed to lift his leg with his hand. NBA doctors, Davis says, misdiagnosed the injury as tendinitis. He recently learned that the injury was actually a patellar tendon tear, for which he underwent surgery and rehabilitation. Now he says he's ready to resume his NBA career. In January, he got a shot with a workout for the Timberwolves. But Minnesota passed on bringing Davis back. Davis一边解释一边拖着他的脚，以及示范如何让他的脚伸直——他需要用手抬起他 的脚。Davis说NBA的医生把他的受伤误诊成肌腱炎。他最近才知道他事实上是膝盖的肌腱 撕裂伤，因此他接受了手术以及复健。他现在已经准备好重返重返NBA。在一月的时候他 曾经参与过灰狼对的测试，不过最後并没有获得青睐。 "I might not be able to 360 on the fly, but I'm going to dunk that thing, definitely," Davis says. "It's still there and that's all I want to show. I know it's hard because what they've seen the last few years is garbage. You see a guy, 33, played 12 years, that might be it. I want to change their minds. But it's hard to change their minds if I don't ever get a chance." 「我可能没办法在空中做个360度什麽的，但是我当然还是有办法把球放进去，」 Davis表示。「我还仍然有一定水平，而那是我所想要展现的。我知道这很困难，因为他 们过去看到的几年毫无价值。你看到的是一个33岁，打了超过12年的人，大概是这麽回事 。我想要改变他们的心意。但是如果我连机会都没有就很困难。」 Over lunch at P.F. Chang's in L.A.'s Beverly Center, Davis appears at peace with his post-NBA life, but he's still hopeful for another opportunity. His trademark braids are shorn and his hair has been cropped into a short, even cut. Over lettuce wraps and apple martinis, Davis is reflective, repentant, hopeful, and self-aware. But, most important, he says he's healthy for the first time in years. 在位於洛杉矶贝维利中心的华馆用过午餐後，Davis心平气和地展现了他的退休生活 ，但是他仍然希望能够再获得一次机会。他剪掉了他的招牌辫子并且把头剃了个精光。在 享用完生菜卷和苹果马丁尼後，Davis给人一种老练稳重的感觉，并且看似痛改前非并非 常注重自己的身体状况。但最重要的是，他表示今年是他最强的一年。 （最後一句稍微乱翻一下lol） He's trying to get back into the NBA, a task that's nearly as hard as getting in. 他试着要重返NBA，一个难度和进入一样的任务。 There is a maximum of 450 roster spots for NBA players among the league's 30 franchises. Given some teams' preference for roster flexibility, that number can shrink by as many as 90. There are players in the Development League and overseas looking to break through. There are undrafted kids looking to catch on. There are veterans trying to get back in, while others are desperately hanging on. The competition is ruthless. And Davis knows that the NBA isn't the same as when he left. 在NBA30支球队里面最多会有450名球员。扣除掉给予球团操作阵容便利的名额，这数 字还可以再缩小90人。而有许多在发展联盟以及海外打球的球员也正想办法要挤进这里。 还有许多在选秀时未受青睐的球员在寻求机会。也有一些老鸟还想要再回来，更别提其他 怀有这种梦想的人。这竞争非常残忍，而Davis也知道NBA的生态和他离开时不一样了。 "[I could] go out hard the night before, then come out the next day and give you 40," Davis says. "You know why? I came in with Anthony Mason, Derrick Coleman, Eddie Jones. [They would tell rookies] 'You put the bags up. You better have the condoms. You better meet us.' That's what I came into." 「我可以出去荒淫一整晚然後隔天砍个40分，」Davis说。「你知道为什麽吗？我进 来的时候队上有Anthony Mason、Derrick Coleman和Eddie Jones这些前辈。他们对菜鸟 说：『收拾好你的家伙，最好带着套子，然後跟我们走就对了。』那是我的菜鸟洗礼。」 The roguish days of the NBA seem a distant memory, but Davis hasn't forgotten. 那些在NBA的风流往事看起来尘封已久，但Davis却从未忘记。 "It was instilled in me," he says. "Anthony Mason coming in with 50 shots of tequila. This was before they brought the bottles. The waitress coming out with 50 shots and I'm 17, 18 years old. So now when I'm 25, 26, I go out and hang out, kick it. The league changed so fast and so drastically. It was hard to change sometimes. This routine, I'm not used to that." 「这些都烙印在我脑海里，」他说。「Anthony Mason带着50杯的龙舌兰进来。而这 之後他们又带来好几瓶。而服务生离开的时候又留下了50杯左右，那时我只有17、18岁左 右。所以当我25、26岁的时候我也是如法炮制。尽管联盟改变得又快又急，但有些东西却 是很难改变的。像我并不是一开始就很熟悉这种日常公事。」 Davis says the league has grown up, but it's also lost a sense of camaraderie. Davis说联盟成长了，但同时也失去了一些男人味。 "Guys don't go out," he says. "Guys don't hang out. Guys aren't out as a team hanging out all together. You used to go to a club and you could see a whole team together. Now there's one or two guys. And I'm sure that's the guys who came in in the '90s. The other guys are playing Xbox together. It's different now. It went from No Boys Allowed to now, boys allowed. When I came into the league, those guys were grown men. I'm fighting against a 30-year-old. This is how he eats." 「球员们不再结伴了，」他表示。「球员们不再结伴出游。他们不再像一支球队一样 总是天天腻再一起。你如果去过夜店你会发现一整支球队的人都待在一起。但现在只剩下 三三两两的人。然後我相信这些人在90年代他们会全部待在一块儿。而现在没一起去玩的 其他人则是宅在一起玩Xbox。时代变得不一样了。以前这种小屁孩是没办法待在联盟的， 但现在可以了。当我进联盟的时候，前辈们全都像真男人一般。我现在正在和三十岁的年 纪对抗，而要这样做才吃得开。」 The NBA is more image-conscious than it was when Davis was in his prime. Teams are more sensitive and players are more business-oriented. The Malice at the Palace brawl in 2004 was the turning point. That image of Ron Artest maniacally hurdling over the stands played on an endless loop in David Stern's head, an infinite reminder of the need for change. 现在的NBA比当初Davis风光的时代还要更注重形象。球队变得更敏感，而球员也越来 公事公办。奥本山大乱斗是个转捩点。在David Stern的眼中，Ron Artest的形像比起其 他球员更加挥之不去，不断提醒他需要做出改变。 No franchise was more affected than the Indiana Pacers. The team methodically wiped its roster of every player involved in the fight, in a process that took years. "There's no question about it, the culture of the team is going to change and we're not done yet," then–team president Larry Bird told the Indianapolis Star in 2008. "We're going to continue to work on that through the summer. 没有球队比溜马受到的影响更大了。溜马花了好几年不断地将牵涉在大乱斗名单中的 球员弄出去。「这是无庸置疑的。这支球队的传统需要改变，我们只是尚未完成，」球队 总裁Larry Bird在2008年这样告诉星报。「我们会在这个暑假继续努力。」 "If you look at some of the guys in the proposed trades, they're a little bit older, went to school for at least three years. That's part of the change, more mature kids, some experience and getting guys that we think can come in here and play right away." 「如果你去注意那些被建议要交易过来的球员，你会发现他们都有些年纪，读过至少 三年的书。这是改变的一部分。更多成熟的年轻人，一些有经验的球员以及找一些我们认 为能够具有即战力的球员。」 But there comes a time when every organization needs to take risks, no matter how small. "This league is not a Sunday church picnic," says Mark Boyle, the Pacers' longtime broadcaster. "Almost every team that has any success in this league takes a chance on somebody sooner or later because that's just the way it is." 但有些时候每个组织都必须冒一些风险，不管风险是多麽小。「这个联盟不是像教会 办的礼拜天野餐会，」Mark Boyle，一名溜马的老面孔播报员表示。「几乎所有的球队都 多多少少会在某个人身上压注，这是理所当然的。」 Bird took that chance when he selected Lance Stephenson in the second round of the 2010 draft. Stephenson, a Brooklyn phenom, arrived with plenty of off-court baggage — his college recruitment had grown so sordid that then– Florida International coach Isiah Thomas bowed out of the process because he was so concerned that an NCAA investigation would follow a commitment from Stephenson. Bird在2010年的选秀会上决定压注在Lance Stephenson这名球员上。Stephenson，一 名布鲁克林的风云人物，和他的场外包袱一起加入了球队。他的大学招募情形实在是太悲 惨了——佛大的教练Isiah Thomas拒绝了他因为他担心NCAA观察协会将会为Stephenson召 开会议。 Now Stephenson, 22, has become one of this season's biggest surprises. He's on the short list for the league's Most Improved Player award after spending two seasons watching, waiting, struggling, and occasionally stoking controversy. 而现在，22岁的Stephenson已经变成本季最大的惊奇之一。在经过两年不停观察、等 待、挣扎与制造话题後，他本季被列在最佳进步球员的名单里。 Stephenson and Davis aren't the same kind of player. Stephenson's strength is his defense and ability to push the ball upcourt. Davis, in his prime, thrived on his silky jumper and trapezelike athleticism. But they have more in common than you might think. Stephenson和Davis并不是相同类型的球员。Stephenson的强项在於他的防守以及持 球推进能力。Davis则是以他柔顺的跳投与夸张的运动能力闻名。但是他们两人的相似之 处绝对远超乎你所想像。 （泥马现在才要进入重点，还有作者你应该没看过前两年兰斯的比赛，他的防守……） Some players are trying to get in. 有些球员试着要进入。 "I know what it takes to win games and I still feel like I'm in shape," Davis says. "I got it. It's just a matter of getting a workout, a 10-day." 「我知道该如何才能赢得比赛而我已经准备好了，」Davis表示。「我蓄势待发。只 要得到10天的测试机会有可以了。」 Some players are trying to stay in. 有些球员试着要久留。 "I've been waiting two years for this and I figured this was my only chance," Stephenson says. "Either I was going to play good now or be out the league." 「我已经等了两年了，并且了解到这是我唯一的机会，」Stephenson表示。「要嘛打 得好，要嘛走人。」 Lance Stephenson first dunked at an AAU tournament in sixth grade. From that point forward, he dunked whenever, over whomever, wherever he could. "Once I dunked once, I knew how to dunk," he says. Lance Stephenson的第一次灌篮是在六年级时AAU锦标赛上做到的。从那时开始，他 无时不灌、无人不灌、无处不灌。「当我成功灌了一次篮，我就知道该如何灌篮。」他 表示。 Stephenson didn't have a typical childhood. He was driven everyday and completely focused on basketball. He'd run up the Coney Island Beach steps, and challenge his father, Lance Sr., to push-up competitions. "Lance just wanted to be a kid, and he had to deal with it day in and day out," says Gary Charles, who coached Stephenson in AAU. "I think sometimes he got out of character because people expected [so much of him]." Stephenson的童年并不普通。他每天都被鞭策并完全专注在篮球上。他会在康尼岛海 滩上跑步，并且和他的老爸Lance Sr.打比赛。「Lance只是想要当个普通的小孩，但是他 却必须每天重复这样的例行公事，」他的AAU教练Gary Charles这麽说。「我认为他有的 时候行为脱序是因为人们给了他太多的期待。」 Stephenson always played above his age. He dropped 20 points as a fourth grader against eighth graders. He challenged O.J. Mayo, nearly three years his senior, and held his own. While still in junior high, he played on an AAU team with then–high school (and future NBA) players Danny Green and Joakim Noah. Stephenson played against Sebastian Telfair, another Coney Island product, when Stephenson was 10 years old. Lance Sr. hollered across the court at Telfair's uncles, bellowing that his son was ready for the spotlight right now. Telfair, five years older than Stephenson, was already a legend in New York basketball circles. Stephenson总是超龄打球。他在面对八年级时的比赛以四年级的身分砍了20分。他挑 战大他三岁的O.J. Mayo仍然维持水准。当他还在念国中的时候，他就在和当时的高中生 Danny Green以及Joakim Noah打AAU的比赛。Stephenson也曾和Sebastian Telfair放对过 ，另一位康尼岛的优良岛友，当他只有10岁的时候。Lance Sr.向隔着球场Telfair的叔叔 大声嘴炮，而场下他的儿子正准备好迎接镁光灯。Telfair，一名比Stepheson大五岁的球 员，当时已经是纽约篮球界的传奇人物。 "[He] killed me," Stephenson says. "But that experience right there, scoring on him, I felt like I could be like him one day." In 2006, a Rucker Park announcer noticed Stephenson's penchant for thriving against older competition. He nicknamed him "Born Ready." 「最後他把我电爆了，」Stephenson回忆。「但是那次的经验很棒，在他头上得分的 时候，我觉得自己有一天也能像他一样。」在2006年，一个洛克公园的播报员注意到了 Stephenson喜欢跨龄比赛的嗜好。他被赋予了绰号「Born Ready」。 "Whoever put somebody in front of me, I went after them," Stephenson says. "I felt like I was living up to the hype. I don't think it was bad hype." 「只要把别人放在我面前，我就会以他为目标，」Stephenson表示。「我觉得我有些 上瘾了。但我不觉得这是件坏事。」 http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0409/grant_g_stephenson01jr_576.jpg Stephenson was New York's first mega–prep star athlete whose high school career coincided with the rise of social media. He heard all the criticism and acclaim in real time. He heard it when he enrolled at Bishop Loughlin instead of nearby fabled Abraham Lincoln High School, setting off a maelstrom in Coney Island. He heard it when he abruptly transferred to Lincoln just two days after beginning at Bishop Loughlin, later citing the distance he had to travel to school. He heard it when he was suspended for five days in 2008 after a skirmish with teammate Devon McMillan. And he heard it when, later that same year, he and a teammate were arrested for groping a female student. He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Stephenson靠着中学的表现与社会媒体的大肆宣传，成为了纽约的第一个明日之星。 同时他也可以听到耳边的靡靡之音。当初他原本登记进入洛琳主教纪念学校而不是附近知 名的林肯高中时，马上康尼岛上的靡靡之音就传入他的耳中。而当他听到耳边靡靡之音时 ，他立刻在进入洛琳中学的两天後登记转学回林考高中，并马上标明学校距离的长短。他 也在2008和队友Devon McMillan打架被禁学五天时听到这些靡靡之音。同年，他又在和队 友被暴出涉嫌强暴女同学时听到这些靡靡之音。最後，他对於这些不检行为都只得认罪。 But on the court, Stephenson dominated. Lincoln captured four PSAL city titles during his reign. Telfair had won three. Stephon Marbury, another Brooklyn son and Lincoln graduate, only captured one. It seemed as if Stephenson played at Madison Square Garden as often as the Knicks. By his senior season, he'd surpassed Telfair's state scoring record of 2,785 points. 但是回到场上，Stephenson仍然主宰一切。林肯高中在他当家时期四度获得PSAL的首 席位置。Telfair只赢过三次。Stephon Marbury，另一个布鲁克林之子只赢过一次。感觉 就好像Stephenson以尼克球员的身分在麦迪逊花园广场打球一样。在他高四那年，他以总 得分2785分打破了Telfair的纪录。 Lincoln coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton remembers calling a play that Stephenson failed to run during a championship game. 林肯高中的教练Dwayne "Tiny" Morton仍然记得有一次在冠军战的时候他叫了一个战 术，但是Stephenson最终却没完成它。 "Lance, we just went over the play and you still didn't run what you were supposed to run," Morton said to him. 「Lance，我们刚刚叫了个战术但是你却没跑到该有的位置，」Morton这样告诉他。 "Coach, when I get in a groove, when I get out there, I don't remember plays. Just give me the ball and I'm going to score," Stephenson responded. 「教练，当我在兴头上的时候，当我在那种状态的时候，我没办法执行战术。把球给 我让我得分就对了。」Stephenson回答。 "That's what he used to do," Morton says. "And he scored a lot of points and we won a lot of championships." 「这就是他做的事，」Morton表示。「然後他得了一堆分数我们也赢了一堆冠军。」 But colleges were skittish about recruiting Stephenson. He was an enterprising kid in high school, with his eye on the big picture. Among his questionable choices: At Lincoln, he filmed an Internet reality show and toured an Under Armour facility run by a Terrapin booster on a trip to the University of Maryland. 但是大学对於招募Stephenson仍然举棋不定。他在高中时照片上是个双眼炯炯有神， 看起来非常具有进取心的年轻人。他曾有个选项：在林肯高中的时候，马里兰大学的赞助 商和知名的运动衣品牌UA帮他在往马里兰大学的旅途上拍摄了个实境秀。 Stephenson eventually landed at Cincinnati, where he averaged 12.3 points and 5.4 rebounds in a solid if unremarkable freshman season. He declared for the NBA draft shortly thereafter. On draft night, Stephenson gathered with family and friends in Manhattan. The Knicks, his hometown team, had back-to-back picks in the middle of the second round. With their first pick, the team chose Andy Rautins from Syracuse with the 38th selection. Then NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver began, "With the 39th pick, the New York Knicks select Lan … " The family rose to their feet, tension creeping into their throats, before Silver finished his sentence: "Landry Fields." 最後Stephenson去了辛辛那提大学，在那竞争力比较高，但或许对他不太重要的菜鸟 球季获得平均12.3分、5.4篮板。在不久之後他就决定投身NBA选秀当中。在选秀当晚， Stephenson在曼哈顿把所有的亲朋好友都邀到家里来了。他的家乡球队尼克在第二轮有连 续两眉选秀签。他们在第一枚以38顺位选了雪城大学的Andy Rautins。而NBA特派的发言 人Adam Silver继续唱名：「在第39顺位，纽约尼克选择了Lan……」他的家人脚抖了一下 ，紧张的情绪满到了喉头，直到Silver说完整句话：「Landry Fields。」 "Can you imagine?" says Albert Ebanks, Stephenson's agent. "Everyone jumped up." 「你能想像吗？」Stephenson的经纪人Albert Ebanks说。「所有人都跳起来了。」 But Stephenson didn't have to wait much longer after that — Bird and the Pacers grabbed him just one spot later. Ebanks says he knew that it didn't matter where Stephenson was taken, that he'd make a path for himself. "I would describe him as a three-dog, one-bone guy," Ebanks says. "You put three dogs in a ring and put a bone in the center, he's going to be the one to come back with that bone." 但是Stephenson并不需要等太久——Bird以及溜马队在隔了一枚签後就选了他。 Ebanks说他知道Stephenson被哪支球队选走并不重要，而是他自己又开辟了一条新的道路 。「我会形容他的情况像是『三只狗却只有一根骨头』，」Ebanks解释。「你把三只狗放 在圆周然後把骨头放在圆心，他会是那只最终咬着骨头的狗。 In a different era, Stephenson likely would have leaped to the NBA from high school. "I probably would," Stephenson says. "But I liked that one year of school. I learned a lot." 在不同年代的话，Stephenson可能会高中毕业直接参与NBA选秀。「我应该会吧，」 Stephenson表示。「但我很喜欢那一年的大学生活，我学到了很多。」 In a different era, Ricky Davis likely would have leaped to the NBA from high school. Davis felt he had outplayed NBA-bound Tracy McGrady at the 1997 Magic Johnson High School Roundball Classic. But Davis honored the commitment he made to his mother and the University of Iowa, averaging 15 points and nearly five rebounds per game in one season as a Hawkeye. 在不同年代的话，Ricky Davis大概也会高中弃学投身NBA。Davis觉得他自己1997年 在Magic Johnson的高中经典赛上把Tracy McGrady给电爆了。但是Davis没忘记要履行对 母亲的诺言，在爱荷华大学的那一年平均15分并且接近5篮板。 "I'm glad I didn't [go to the NBA right away]. Kind of," Davis says. "Because it helped me. I played center in high school. I had no idea about dribbling. I swear to you. When I went to college, they broke the game down. They showed me about playing defense." 「我有一点庆幸我没有直接投身NBA，」Davis表示。「因为这帮我很大。我高中的时 候打的是中锋。我对於运球一点都不了解。我跟你说真的。当我进大学之後，他们展现了 比赛的面貌。同时告诉我该如何防守。」 The Charlotte Hornets drafted an 18-year-old Davis with the 21st overall pick in the 1998 draft. Davis's parents, Tyree and Linda, lived with him during his first two NBA seasons. "If I would have went out there when I was 17, 18, I would have really been bad, probably getting DUIs, acting crazy," Davis says. 夏洛特黄蜂最後在1998年的选秀会上以第21顺位的签选了18岁的Davis。Davis的双亲 Tyree和Linda在头两年的NBA球季和他住在一起。「如果我在17、18岁的时候就独立一个 人，我可能会变坏，可能会酒驾或者做些荒唐事。」Davis表示。 He concedes that he wasn't NBA-ready — he even prepared by playing at a summer camp populated by free agents and NBA fringe guys. Then the lockout delayed his debut. Davis sat most of his rookie season, watching and simmering. Sometimes he boiled over. 他坦承他并没有为进入NBA做好准备——他甚至得要靠着在夏季联盟，一个主要是自由 球员和NBA边缘人打球的联赛来准备。然後接着封馆让他的初登板延误了。最後Davis新人 球季大半时间在坐板凳，一边观察一边学习。不过有时也有失控的状况。 "I was mad and I would cuss everybody out [over losing]," Davis says. "That's being 18, 19, 20, 21. I wasn't even old enough to buy liquor. But I got a million dollars." 「我那时候很屁孩然後输球的时候总是会对其他人碎碎念，」Davis说。「那就是太 年轻的问题。我甚至还没到可以合法买酒的年龄，但是我已经赚好几百万了。」 Charlotte dealt Davis to Miami in a nine-player deal during the summer of 2000 , but Davis tweaked his ankle and knee and only played in seven games for the Heat. That's when the clock started ticking. A player, no matter his potential, is only afforded so much time before being discarded. It didn't take long before he was moving again. Davis, in his third NBA season — and at 21 the Heat's youngest player — was traded to Cleveland in 2001. 黄蜂在2000年夏天的一场牵涉九名球员的交易案中把Davis交易到了热火，但是Davis 弄伤了他的脚踝和膝盖所以只出赛了七场。那时蛛丝马迹已经开始显露了。一名球员，无 论他有多大的潜力，在遭到挥弃之前总是没有太大的发挥空间。过不久他又继续颠沛流离 了。Davis在他的第三年职业生涯，同时也是热火阵中最年轻的21岁球员，再度於2001年 被交易到骑士。 But before he left, Davis says he found a mentor in Pat Riley. 但是在他离开之前，Davis说他找到了他的依靠，Pat Riley。 "I was out of control," Davis says. "I was a little firecracker. When I was 18, 19, I was a little firecracker. But I kept getting hurt. [Riley] kept giving me books and keeping me straight. [He gave] me life tips." 「我已经失去控制了，」Davis表示。「我就像个不定时炸弹。当我18、19岁的时候 就已经是个炸弹了，但是我仍然持续受到刺激。Riley他让我看了很多书并且让我没有误 入歧途。他给了我很多人生建议。」 Larry Bird is mentoring Lance Stephenson. 而Larry Bird则是Stephenson的心灵导师。 Bird resigned from his team presidency last summer, but he still texts Stephenson small notes of encouragement. "Force D-Wade left, don't let him go middle," he wrote before a recent game against the Heat. They talk at least a handful of times a month. Bird去年夏天辞去了他的总裁职位，但是他仍然传些讯息来鼓励Stephenson。「让 Dwyane Wade切左边，不要让他从中间切入。」在对热火的几场比赛前他这样告诉他。他 们在一个月里面总是会交流好几次。 "My impression is that Larry really went out of his way, really liked him as a player, thought he could be very good and that he made a conscious effort to talk to him all the time and took a specific interest in him," says Donnie Walsh, who resumed the Pacers' presidency when Bird stepped down. 「在我的印象里面，Larry常常专程去看他，非常喜欢他的球员身分，并总是认为他 能够变得非常棒。因此他总是给予一些心理上的帮助，和他聊聊天并且特别去注意他。」 去年夏天继任Bird总裁职位的Donnie Walsh表示。 "Larry just liked him as a player," Walsh says. "He understood what he had heard about him. So I think he took the attitude when he first came here of, You're not going to play. You're going to learn how to play. You better not get into any trouble. There was a lot of attention by Larry on the off-the-court stuff. This is how you act as a pro. I think that the kid listened, for the most part. From what I heard, it was rough in the first year. But we had good guys on the team, so they got involved and helped him." 「Larry非常喜欢他这名球员，」Walsh表示。「他之前听过Stephenson很多的传闻， 所以我认为他在Stephenson刚来的时候需要去矫正他的态度：『你不是来打球的，你是来 学习如何打球的，你最好不要惹上什麽麻烦。』Larry非常关心他的场外生活，这就是专 家的表现。我认为那个年轻人在大部分的时候都有听话。我记得他在第一年过得很辛苦。 但是我们队上有许多非常好的球员，所以他们每个人都帮了他一把。」 As Davis's parents had after he was drafted, Stephenson's parents moved to his new city with him. 就像Davis的父母一样，Stephenson的父母也和他一起搬到了新城市。 "The team did its best to vet him and to look into some of the scenarios or situations that you just sort of get into, and to see them for what they are worth — which is really, in the big picture of things, mischief more than malice," Ebanks says. "They weren't taking a flyer on him. They did their homework." 「这支球队尽他们的所能去照顾他，以及观察他的情形与状况并尝试着多参与其中， 看看有什麽是可以保留下来的——哪些看起来是无伤大雅的，哪些又是不成体统的，」 Ebanks表示。「他们不是随便呼拢他一下而已，他们是非常认真的。」 Morton says the Pacers called him before the draft and asked how Stephenson would react to acquiring money for the first time. Morton说Pacers曾经在选秀前问Stephenson说在赚到第一笔大钱之後有什麽规划。 "I told him it's a great question," Morton says. "Most of us, if we were born with a little money, if you give us a lot of money, it could change us. I wouldn't know what he would do with a lot of money. It would depend on his management team, I told him." 「我告诉他这是个好问题，」Morton表示。「我们大部分的人如果出身贫困，当我们 赚到一大笔钱的时候会有所改变。我不知道他会想怎麽做，我告诉他这将取决於他的管理 团队。」 But Stephenson's NBA journey was almost derailed before it began. In August 2010, he was accused of pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs during an argument. Bird, still in the process of redefining Indiana's identity, quickly released a statement. In it, he wrote that the Pacers had worked too hard "to permit the actions of one individual to reverse all of the positive strides that have been made as a franchise over the last couple of years or to hurt the image of the rest of the players on our team." Authorities dismissed the case in 2011. Stephenson's name hasn't appeared in the blotter since. 但是Stephenson的NBA之路差点在开始前就走歪了。2010年8月，他遭女朋友控诉说在 一场争执过他把她推下了楼梯。Bird当时仍然在执行重塑溜马形象的任务，因此他迅速发 表了一个声明。在声明之中，他表示溜马「在过去几年非常努力去防止单一球员的偏差行 为抹煞了整支球队为了良好形象所做的种种努力。」在2011年溜马当局对这个案件做出了 处分。Stephenson的名字之後再也没出现在登录名单上。 On the court, his game had stalled, too. Stephenson dismissed the constructive criticism of older teammates. He was aloof and moody. Jim O'Brien coached Stephenson when he broke into the league. "I'll pass," he simply replied when asked to be interviewed about Stephenson. 在场上他的表现也同样地荒腔走板。Stephenson完全不接受队上老大哥们给的批评指 教。他总是最周遭冷眼旁观并且郁郁寡欢。Jim O'Brien在Stephenson刚进联盟时负责是 他的教练。当媒体要求他谈论关於Stephenson的时候他只简单回答了一句：「我拒绝。」 Stephenson seldom played in his first two seasons. "We've had some guys here in the '90s that were older-school guys who would have snapped him in half by now," Boyle says. "I'm surprised that he's still in one piece. He agitates his own teammates during practices. Not that it's that bad. But day after day for six months, I imagine it gets on your nerves." Stephenson在他的头两年几乎没什麽上场机会。「我们曾经有些90年代的老朋友非常 传统，拉到现在的话八成会把他折成两段，」Boyle表示。「我很讶异他人现在还好好的 。他再练习的时候总是会挑起其他球员的情绪。当然应该没那麽糟糕，但是日复一日我想 那会让你非常不爽。」 （我突然可以想像兰斯练习前故意在防守和运球不太好的小邓面前疯狂耍球的模样……） Pacers assistant Dan Burke identified Stephenson as a talented player in need of some molding. He's the reason coaches want to coach, he thought. He also recognized that Stephenson's nickname, Born Ready, was far from accurate. 溜马的助理教练Dan Burke认为Stephenson是一个天才球员但是需要一些调整。他认 为他是教练之所以想当教练的的原因。他也认为Stephenson的绰号「Born Ready」也有点 名不符实。 "I think he thought he had to come in and show everybody he was the man by defying the vets, defying leadership," Burke says. "It wasn't defiance in an explosive or antagonistic way. It was just him trying to be himself. He needs a little bit of that bravado to perform, and I think he just needed to find out where he crossed the line, and that was something we had to tell him every day, that some of the things you are doing isn't helping the team. It could be something as mundane as keeping your locker clean and being a good neighbor." 「我认为他想要藉由蔑视他的学长以及他们的领导展现给所有人看他是个真男人，」 Burke这麽说。「这并不是因为情绪失控或者是敌对意识所引起的，而只是因为他想要做 自己。他需要藉由一点虚张声势来表现，而我认为他需要知道自己什麽时候做得太过火， 我们每天都得提醒他，让他知道他做的事并不是在帮助球队。在这里你需要当个好队友， 这就和你需要保持你的衣柜清洁是一样的道理。」 The transformation started, oddly enough, when Stephenson agitated LeBron James in last season's playoffs. Stephenson had watched the intensity of the playoffs, the way players bore down on defense, how every possession counted. He wanted to play, to do anything to help his team. Television cameras caught Stephenson making a choke signal after James missed a technical free throw in the third quarter of the series' third game. 改变开始了，但说也奇怪，是在Stephenson於季後赛挑衅了Lebron James之後。 Stephenson在季後赛期间感受到了那份紧张感，体会到球员如何突破防守以及把握每次的 进攻机会。他想要上场，去做任何事情来帮助球队。摄影机捕捉到当James於第三战第三 节时一颗技术犯规罚球没进之後，Stephenson对他做了一个掐喉的动作。 "I was trying to do anything to get into anybody's head on the floor," Stephenson says. "I felt like at that moment I got in his head and I made him miss that shot. That helped us win that game. I try to be involved even if I'm not on the floor." 「我试着进我所能让所有人都全神投入到场中，」Stepheson表示。「在那当下我认为 我在他脑海里留下了印象并让他那球没罚进。最终这帮助我们赢了比赛。尽管我不在场上 ，我仍然试着要投入比赛。」 That didn't sit well with Miami. 热火对此感到不耐烦。 "Lance Stephenson?" James asked incredulously. "You want a quote about Lance Stephenson? I'm not even going to give him the time." Old-school enforcement ensued. Veteran Juwan Howard aggressively approached Stephenson before the series' next game. Dexter Pittman, a reserve big man who played for Miami last season, clotheslined Stephenson during the waning moments of the fifth game. "I think you've got to stop and wonder at that point, Is it me or is it everybody else?" Burke says. 「Lance Stephenson？」James怀疑地问。「你要我对Lance Stephenson做出回应？ 我才不会把时间浪费在那家伙身上。」一些老传统的摩擦接踵而至。老将Juwan Howard在 下一战系列战前叫Stephenson踹共。而去年在热火坐冷板凳长人Dexter Pittman在第五战 最後的垃圾时间赏了他一个超大的拐子。「我认为你需要冷静地好好想一想，你是要让自 己演独脚戏还是真的让所有人都投入其中？」Burke这样对他说。 Stephenson is right. Indiana did win the third game and assumed a 2-1 series lead. But then James turned in a 40-point, 18-rebound, nine-assist masterpiece in the next game. Miami won the final three games on its way to a championship, and Stephenson learned something about tugging the tiger's tail. Stephenson是对的。溜马的确赢得了第三战并且有了二比一的系列战优势。但是接着 下一场比赛James拿下了40分、18篮板和9篮板的成绩。最後热火连赢三场并成功晋级， Stephenson则是学到一个教训：不要去惹恼James。 "It gave LeBron a little trigger," Stephenson says. "It made him go harder the next game. He responded well after I did that. Coach got on me a little bit and I just calmed down." 「这让James有些不爽，」Stephenson表示。「这让他下一场比赛更加全力以赴。他 对我的行为做了很好的回应。教练也特别关注了我一番而我最後冷静了下来。」 Stephenson still talks, especially at practice. But when an opponent talks back, he turns it up a gear. Stephenson仍然口无遮拦，特别是在练习的时候。但是当对手嘴炮回来的时候，他会 用实力去回击。 "That gets me motivated because when you talk junk that means that you got to score or you got to show that you're not just talking, you're playing hard too," Stephenson says. 「那让我有了动力，因为当你说垃圾话的同时，你必须要得分来证明你不仅是嘴上说 说而已，你必须要全神贯注。」Stephenson表示。 At a recent practice, Stephenson and teammate George Hill pressed Gerald Green after a defensive lapse. The badgering was harmless, yet persistent enough for Coach Frank Vogel to quietly ask them to stop. "He's young and a lot of guys grow up talking on the court," Walsh says. "Act like you've been there before. The less you say on the court to referees and other players, the more confident I think you are. It's kind of like, we all grow up in the city. After a while, you got to know that the guys who wolfed all the time weren't very tough. The guys who never said anything scared the shit out of me." 在最近的一次练习中，Stephenson和George Hill在一次防守中和Gerald Green产生 了一点小摩擦。这点小冲突不是什麽坏事，但是总教练Frank Vogel觉得有点过火了所以 要求他们停止。「他还很年轻，而且有很多年轻人是在球场上嘴炮长大的，」Walsh表示 。「表现的老练一点。你在场上向裁判以及对手碎碎念越少次，我就认为你的信心越强。 这就好像是我们在同个城市长大。但是时间一久你就知道那些常虚张声势的人实际上没什 麽料子，而沉默的家伙反而让我冷汗直流。」 Ricky Davis pissed Michael Jordan off. Like most everyone, he wanted to be like Jordan once upon a time. He wore number 23 and practiced acrobatic dunks. But Davis barely played in his first three NBA seasons and Jordan retired from the Bulls before they could face off. When he arrived in Cleveland in 2001, he started turning his garbage-time minutes into personal contests. If he played 10 minutes, he tried to get 15 points. If he played six, he tried to get 10. By the fifth game of the season, he started to discover his confidence, scoring 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Ricky Davis不喜欢Michael Jordan。像大多数的人一样，他曾经以Jordan为目标而 努力，他穿23号的球一并且练习花式灌篮。但是Davis在他的前三个球季没多少上场时间 ，而Jordan在他们有机会交手前就在公牛队退休了。当他2001年加入骑士队时，他开始把 垃圾时间转成自己的表演秀。如果他打10分钟，他会试着拿下15分。如果只有6分钟，他 也会想办法得个10分。在球季的第五场比赛，他找到了自信，以11投7中的成绩拿下了17 分。 He played even more after Cleveland dealt two veterans ahead of him, Lamond Murray and Wesley Person. Davis played in every game of the '01-02 season after combining for just 101 games in his first three seasons. He also finally got his chance to engage (and enrage) Jordan, who had recently returned to the NBA as a Washington Wizard. 在骑士交易来两名原本要取代他的老将，Lamond Murray和Wesley Person後，他反而 获得了更多的上场时间。Davis在前三年只出赛了101场比赛後，在01-02球季打满了整季 。同时他也终於找到机会和刚重新复出到华盛顿巫师队的Jordan对抗。 Davis outdueled him, too. Both scored 18 points, but Jordan missed 10 more shots and grew impatient with Davis's dunks at the end of an easy Cavaliers victory. Jordan told Davis that he would remember his performance the next time they played. "I started talking," Davis says. "I don't know why. Who wouldn't say something, you know? Then after the game, I think he felt it. I said, 'Hey, MJ. Can I get your shoes?' He just looked at me. He came back and tore my ass up." Davis也赢过了他。虽然两人同样都得了18分，但是Jordan多打了十次铁而且最後对 於终场Davis在骑士胜利前的一次灌篮感到很不爽。Jordan告诉Davis他会把这笔帐留到下 次见面再算。「我开始讲些垃圾话了，」Davis说。「我也不知道为什麽，你知道人总是 很难管住自己的嘴巴的。在比赛後我相信他感受到很不爽。我对他说：『嘿，MJ，我可以 跟你要一双鞋作纪念吗？』他瞪着我。结果下次交手时他把我给肛爆了。」 Later that season, the 38-year-old Jordan dropped 40 points on Davis. "He didn't say too much," Davis says. "Just, 'I've got your ass, young fella. I've got your ass.' That's what he said. When we stepped on the court, I didn't say nothing. I didn't want to wake him up no more. He came into the game and remembered that." 不久之後，38岁的Jordan在Davis头上砍了40分。「他没说什麽，」Davis表示。「他 只说：『我把你肛爆了，你这屁孩。从今以後一辈子都是好朋友了。』这是他对我说的。 当我们再度交手的时候，我嘴巴闭得紧紧的。我不想再让他升旗了。这件事他应该还意犹 未尽。」 （原文用字也蛮粗俗的，所以我也乱翻了一下lol） （典故请参阅：http://tinyurl.com/2d7cyhj） Davis cemented his role as a crowd-pleaser with the Cavs. He could go for 40 points on seemingly any night. He was the first player to have an in-game through-the-legs dunk. He posterized Steve Nash and Charlie Ward. He even wagged his index finger after blocking Dikembe Mutombo. "I got a tech too," he says. Davis had everything except wins. Davis在骑士队藉由取悦观众巩固了他的地位。他看起来几乎可以每场都拿个40分。 他也是第一位在比赛中完成跨下换手灌篮的球员。他在Steve Nash和Charlie Ward头上灌 篮。他甚至在盖了Dikembe Mutombo火锅之後对他摇手指。「我吃了技术犯规，」他回忆 。Davis几乎做到了任何事——除了赢球。 The Cavs were on their way to a rare victory over the Jazz on March 16, 2003, when Davis turned a blowout into a scene that's still debated to this day. During the game, Davis had been told by a teammate that he was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double. He had been close a few other times that season, but he could never seal the deal. "When I hear that, all I hear is Ice Cube [rapping], 'Mess around and got a triple-double,'" Davis says. "That's all I hear." 骑士在2003年3月16日对上爵士的时候取得了一场难得的胜利，但同时Davis干了一件 直到今天都还为人津津乐道的事情。在比赛中，队友告诉Davis说他只差两颗篮板就能拿 到大三元。他那一季达成过很多次微三元，但却从来没有成功过。「当我听到这消息的时 候，我感到有个声音在对我说：『就去随便干个大三元下来吧。』」Davis表示。「那是 脑海里唯一的想法。」 With time winding down, he grabbed one more rebound late in the fourth quarter. His line: 28 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds. 当时间快跑完的时候，他在终场前又抓了一颗篮板，他的数据已经到了28分、12助攻 和9篮板。 "Now I can't get a rebound to save my life and I'm talking about 30 seconds on the clock," Davis says. "I'm still thinking of a way to try and go get it." Davis motioned for teammate Jumaine Jones to inbound the ball to him in the closing moments. "They were about to foul me," Davis says. "I don't know why they were fouling. We were up 20 points. But they were still fouling at the end of the game. So when I caught the ball, I knew he was going to foul me. I caught it. I went and tried to go get that rebound and it stuck with me." 「我还差一颗篮板就能解脱了，而时间还剩下30秒，」Davis回忆。「我还在想说该 如何达成。」Davis叫队友Jumaine Jones最後读秒前发界外球给他。「对手很快就冲过来 要犯我规，」David表示。「我不知道为什麽他们要犯规。我们已经领先20分了。但是他 们仍然要冲过来犯规。所以当我要球的时候，我知道对手要过来了。我拿到球後往自家篮 框跑然後偷了一颗篮板。」 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XDtGHHnA9ms In an attempt to acquire that final rebound, Davis purposefully shot and missed at his own basket. (By rule, a player cannot be credited with a rebound for a miss on his own goal.) Then things got ugly. Old-school enforcement ensued when Utah's DeShawn Stevenson fouled Davis. Hard. Utah coach Jerry Sloan turned irate, telling reporters afterward, "I was glad that Shawn tried to knock him down. They can put me in jail or whatever they want for saying that, but that's the way it is." 在尝试完成大三元的时候，Davis故意自投自抢一颗防守篮板。（规则上写一名球员 自投自抢的时候该篮板是不算数的。）然後事情变得丑陋了。旧式的成规再度在场上被执 行，爵士的DeShawn Stevenson犯了Davis狠狠一规。爵士教练Jerry Sloan感到很火大， 赛後告诉记者们说：「我很高兴Shawn去呼伊死。大家可以因为我下的命令把我送进监狱 还什麽的，但是传统就是传统。」 The sequence ignited a fierce debate about individual achievement and results in sports. The Cavaliers fined Davis $35,000. Figures around the league denounced him and his selfish style of play. Davis has the advantage of a decade's worth of perspective now. He says he's surprised the stunt has stuck with him, but he also concedes it was all his own doing. 有关於球员的个人数据这件事情引发了一阵轩然大波。骑士队罚了Davis三万五千美 金。而他的自私行为也使得那颗篮板最终被联盟取消。Davis现在多了十年的沧桑。他说 他很惊讶自己以前会这麽爱耍球，但是他也面对了他自己不堪的一面。 "I had thought I got the rebound," he says. "I was so in my selfishness that I wasn't thinking of the whole perception of what could happen. When you're so young, you don't think about what will happen later. And me coming from where I'm coming from, playing in the park all day … I'm going to get in trouble? Why would I get in trouble? We're up by 20. That's what I'm thinking in my head. We're up by 20. Why would I get in trouble? But there's more politics involved. There's more than being a little kid and playing in a grown man's world." 「我当时认为我完成了那次大三元，」他表示。「我当时实在是太自私以至於没有去 想说这样做会有什麽後果。当你还年轻的时候，很难去三思而後行。而我以前就是如此， 成天在公园打球……我会惹上什麽麻烦吗？为什麽？我们领先20分耶。我当时脑袋里面只 有在想这些东西。我们领先20分，为什麽我会惹上麻烦？但是这里面有很多的潜规则包含 在其中。一个小屁孩和一个大人的世界是差很多的。」 Coaches from John Lucas to Keith Smart to Paul Silas came and went in Cleveland. Davis says that Lucas told him that the organization planned to lose as many games as possible in order to better position itself to acquire James in the 2003 draft. John Lucas、Keith Smart和Paul Silas陆续执教了骑士队。Davis表示Lucas告诉他 说球团希望输越多越好，这样才有更大的机会来选中2003年的状元James。 "When I came in, I was young," Davis says. "I learned from the older guys. The older guys didn't take no shit. That kind of stuck with me the older I got. I was kind of stubborn, wasn't listening. When I was in Cleveland, they were trying to lose all the games. Who wouldn't be mad? Would you be mad as a player if the coach wanted to lose all the games? You would. But you've got to blame it on somebody. They wanted to lose all the games and get LeBron. I wasn't happy. I didn't like it." 「当我进联盟的时候，我还很年轻，」Davis表示。「我从前辈们的身上学习。那些 老家伙们根本不把那当一回事。当我吸收更多之後我变得更老练。我有点固执，不太鸟这 些话。当我在骑士的时候，他们想要输掉全部的比赛。谁不会不爽？你是球员，教练要你 输球你不会不爽吗？不可能。但是你只能向其他人发泄。他们想要摆烂然後拿到LeBron。 我很不爽，我不喜欢这麽做。」 The Cavaliers won just 17 games in the 2002-03 season. They drafted James first overall that summer. 骑士最终在2002-03球季只赢了17场比赛。他们在那年夏天以状元签选了James。 http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0409/gl_g_ljrdts_576.jpg "One-two punch" is how Davis imagined himself playing with James. "Then Silas came in," he says. "Me and Silas had a past in Charlotte. I don't know why Coach Silas was mad, but I'm thinking it was all about LeBron and the transition of trying to make him the number one. I mean, I was ready to ride with him one-two 'cause I was doing my thing." 「双剑合璧」是Davis对於自己和James打球的期待。「然後Silas来上任了，」他表 示。「我和Silas在黄蜂队有段过去。我不知道他为什麽不爽我，但我知道这大概和把 James拱上天的计画有关。我的意思是，我想要和他来个『双剑合璧』，然後我自顾自地 履行我的想法。」 "They were kind of messing with me because I didn't need no plays. I was on fire, but they wanted LeBron, so it kind of got weird. They started taking me out, started labeling me, saying I was talking crazy to LeBron. It got kind of weird." 「他们想要开始搞掉我因为我不在他们的计画之中。我当时状况正好，但是他们想要 栽培的昰LeBron，所以事情变得有些诡异。他们开始疏远我，给我贴上标签，说我带坏 LeBron，这真的很诡异。」 Cleveland traded Davis to Boston that season, where he joined Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce. Davis worked on his craft, solidifying his rebounding and jumper, as the Celtics qualified for the playoffs. He became a fan favorite in Boston and continued his high-flying antics and penchant for showboating. He tried his through-the-legs dunk again against the Lakers. 之後骑士在那个球季把Davis交易去了塞尔提克，让他和Antoine Walker以及Paul Pierce打球。Davis持续精进球技，强化他的篮板和跳投能力，并且帮助塞尔提克打进了 季後赛。他在波士顿成为一个受到粉丝喜爱并且持续他的空中特技以及花式表演。他还在 对上湖人的比赛中尝试一次跨下换手灌篮。 "But I moved too fast," Davis says about the attempt. "I went from the wrong angle and I messed up. So I got it back and I did a 360." The play was Davis in a nutshell: the ambition, the athleticism, and the waywardness all on full display. 「但是那次我跑太快了，」Davis回忆起那次尝试。「我起跳的角度不对并且没能把 球扣进去。所以我又重新来并且改成360度灌篮。」那一球展现了Davis的本质：一个具 有野心、运动能力以及难以捉摸的好表现性格。 Even players with the most irrational sense of confidence need to start somewhere. Stephenson found his against Sacramento in November. When the Kings forced Indiana into overtime, Stephenson was surprised to find himself still on the floor. It was only the third game of what he considered his make-or-break season. He had never played serious minutes when it mattered this much. But he was unfazed, connecting on a 3-pointer in overtime, helping to force a second overtime. The Pacers won easily in the second OT. 即使是信心爆棚的球员也得要明白千里之行始於足下。Stephenson在十一月面对国王 的时候找到了他的自信。当国王迫使溜马进入延长加赛时，他非常讶异自己还留在场上。 那只是他认为他能够爆发的那个球季的第三场比赛而已。他从来没有打过如此关键的时刻 。但是他无所畏惧，在延长赛中投进一颗三分球，帮助球队进入第二度延常加赛。最後溜 马在二度延长中轻松击败国王。 （个人稍为讲一下，兰斯在投进这颗三分球的时候帮助溜马取得94比91的领先，但是他最 後防守漏掉了M.Thornton才是球队被逼到二度延长的主因……never mind） http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0409/gl_g_lancests_576.jpg Stephenson had spent two years studying Danny Granger, Paul George, and others who played ahead of him. They knew the defensive signals, the calls, when to shoot a gap, how to trail a shooter. This was all new for him. Cincinnati mostly stuck to zone defense. Its offense was unsophisticated. But in the NBA, you can't tell your coach you're in a zone and can't be pestered with plays. 在这之前Stephenson向Danny Granger、Paul George以及其他轮替顺位在他之前的人 学习。他们知道防守的阵型、战术走位、制造空档以及紧盯射手。这些对他来说都是新的 事物。辛辛那提大多数时候使用区域防守，而进攻也不太有系统。但是在NBA，你不能告 诉教练说你想守区域而且不太会跑战术。 "You can't be too wild in this league because everybody's smart," Stephenson says. Assistant coach Brian Shaw kept telling Stephenson that players like Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady did not arrive in the NBA as All-Stars. 「你在联盟里不能太狂妄，因为每个人都很聪明。」Stephenson表示。助理教练 Brian Shaw不停提醒他像是Kobe Bryant或者是Tracy McGrady也都不是一进NBA就是全明 星。 "He always had the ball skills, the bravado," Shaw says. "That was a big part of his game, but like a lot of young players, you get in this league and you are playing against grown men. Now you're not the biggest, strongest guy anymore. Offensively, he needed to get confidence in his perimeter game, which he has now. But he had to learn how to guard scorers at his position. That was probably the weakest part of his game. At that position, you have to learn how to guard the best scorers night in and night out." 「他一直都身怀球技以及胆识，」Shaw如此评价。「这是他比赛的一部分，但是就像 其他年轻球员一样，你进到这个联盟并且和更年长的人竞争。现在你在也不是最强大的球 员了。在进攻端，他需要在外围更加自信，而他现在的确做到了。但是他必须要学会如何 防守其他的得分好手。这是他目前急待加强的一部分。在他的位置，他需要去学会如何每 次比赛都守住对方最好的得分手。」 Granger has missed the bulk of the season with a knee injury, so Stephenson was added to the starting lineup in the season's seventh game. George slid down to small forward to make room for Stephenson as Indiana's shooting guard. He's started every game since. "I don't ever want to come off the bench," Stephenson says. "I want to be known as a starting player. So, I've got to keep working. If I keep doing that, the sky's the limit." Granger因膝伤缺席了大半的比赛，因此Stephenson在球季的第七场比赛加入了先发 阵容。George则是转打小前锋来把得分後卫的位置让给Stephenson。从此之後他就成了固 定先发球员。「我从来都不想从板凳出发，」Stephenson坦承。「我想要以先发球员的身 分闯出名号。因此，我会继续加油。如果我持续努力，那就没有极限。」 Vogel points to another game, against Denver, when Stephenson made little impact. Vogel told Stephenson that when he was not at his best, neither are the Pacers. "That's when he realized how important he is to this team and that he's not a fill-in for Danny Granger and keeping his seat warm," Vogel says. "He's a major factor at both ends of the ball in our success this year." Vogel曾经指出一场对上金块的比赛，一场Stephenson打得像人形立牌的比赛。Vogel 告诉Stephenson他和整队溜马都没进入状况。「那让他知道他对於整支球队是多麽的重要 ，而不是只是Danny Granger休息时的替代品。」Vogel表示。「他在攻守端的表现是我们 本季成功的重要因素。」 The Pacers are undeniably better with Stephenson on the floor. His averages of eight and a half points and four rebounds per game may not impress, especially for New York City's all-time leading high school scorer. But he has already succeeded where other phenoms have failed. 溜马无庸置疑地在Stephenson上场时打得比较好。他平均每场8.5分以及4篮板的成绩 可能不是那麽让人印象深刻，尤其是他身为纽约市高中的得分纪录保持人的身分。但是当 其他优良校友都失败的时候他已经成功了。 "Particularly in New York, he was made out to be the savior," says Walsh, a native who presided over the Knicks when Stephenson played in high school. "To a degree, he came into this league very, very young. He's still very young. I think he has made the adjustment to being a great talent and trying to get his game ready for the NBA game. A lot of guys can't [escape] the tag. This kid has gotten out of it and he realizes what he wants to do." 「在纽约的时候，他特别被塑造成一个救世主的形象。」Walsh，一位当Stephenson 在高中打球时担任尼克总裁的当地人表示。「在某种程度上，他加入联盟时非常非常地年 轻。他现在也还是。我认为他已经为打NBA的比赛做好调整了。很多人都没能摆脱身上标 签的束缚，这个年轻人已经成功摆脱并且明白他的目标了。」 The Pacers, amazingly, have not missed a beat without Granger, a smart and collected leader on the court who emerged as the face of the franchise after the brawl. But Stephenson helped make the transition without him easier. Now, the Pacers are again eyeing a rematch with Miami in the playoffs. This time, Stephenson will have a chance to actually influence the outcome on the court. 令人惊讶地，溜马并没有在少掉Granger，一位聪明并且在大乱斗後成为领导人的球 员时一蹶不振。Stephenson弥补了这个重大的损失。现在，溜马再度以在季後赛向热火复 仇为目标。这一次，Stephenson中於友机会成为一个在场上具有影响力的球员。 "He's still Lance," center Roy Hibbert says. "He still does the things that he does, but he does it in an aggressive nature." 「他仍然一如既往，」中锋Roy Hibbert表示。「他仍然做好他自己的本分，但是是 以一种更积极的态度去面对。」 http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2013/0409/gl_g_awalkts_576.jpg And Ricky is still Ricky. 而Ricky也是一如既往。 He bounced from Boston to Minnesota in 2006 before reuniting with Miami in 2007. After Dwyane Wade injured his knee and shoulder, Riley reacquired Davis to pair him with Shaquille O'Neal. "I made the mistake of trading him," Riley told reporters. "He's a very talented kid. He was not a problem here. We just needed to move and get bigger players at that time." Davis's knee ached by then. But he played on it anyway — he was in a contract year. It's hard to find a place in the NBA for a jumper who cannot jump. Davis's outspoken, reckless reputation was secure by then, but the league will overlook anything if you can play. If you can't, though? 他在2006年离开塞尔提克前往灰狼，2007年时又加入了热火。在Dwyane Wade的膝盖 和肩膀受伤後，Riley再度要求Davis和Shaquille O'Neal搭档。「交易掉他是个错误，」 Riley向记者坦承。「他是个非常有天分的年轻人，并且不会制造麻烦。我们当时只是需 要引进更强的球员而已。」Davis之後的膝盖开始出了状况，但是他仍然带伤上阵——当 时正值他的合约年。一名跳投为主的球员失去跳跃力後很难在NBA找到立足之地。Davis的 直言不讳的个性以及鲁莽的性格在当时已经非常收敛。不过这个联盟在当你能打的时候这 些才会是需要审视的部分。如果你不能打，这些能当饭吃吗？ Davis departed Miami for the Clippers. Then he became a global basketball wanderer. But he's not satisfied with how things ended, or ready to be relegated to the history books like other troubled stars. Davis离开了热火并加入了快艇。然後他成了浪迹世界各地的球员。但是他不满意这 个结局，也不想要在标记问题球星的记事本上被记上一笔。 "That's my whole dream now," he says. "I'm not taking nothing for granted. I still got it. Just seeing where I'm at and how many guys of my talent are out — A.I. [Allen Iverson], Big Dog [Glenn Robinson], the same type of caliber guys — when they did that to them, I don't know. Certain guys like that, trying to get in. [Latrell] Sprewell — of course he asked for too much money. But for the guys who don't do nothing wrong, like me — just hurt. Just forgotten. It's cool to be forgotten because I played like shit the last two years, but I was hurt. So it's cool. I understand that." 「这是我现在全部的梦想了，」他说。「我现在不会把任何事情当作是理所当然。我 已经觉悟了。在看到一些和我一样有天赋的球员消失——像是Allen Iverson和Glenn Robinson；时，我不太能明白为何他们的天赋反倒成了绊脚石。像他们也仍然在为了重返 NBA而努力。Latrell Sprewell——当然我知道他要求太多钱了。但是从来没做错事的人 ——像我，只是单纯的受害者。忘了他吧。被遗忘或许不是件坏事，因为在最後两年我打 得一无是处，但是我真的很受伤。所以就这样忘了他吧。」 "I don't got a DUI, none of that. I might have got in the drug program. But who ain't did that? But 'Why?' is my question. Why can't I get back in? They don't look at it like, 'You've almost got 10,000 points.' I just want that 10,000 points. I'm about 80 points away from 10,000. Is that normal?" 「我从来没有酒驾过，从来没有。我曾有一些药物滥用的问题。但是谁都有可能那麽 做吧？但是『为什麽这麽做』才是重点。为什麽我不能够重新洗心革面？他们并没有以一 位『几乎拿了一万分了的球员』的方式来看待我。我想拿到一万分。我还差80分就可以完 成了。这样的理由够正当吗？」 Lance Stephenson, the boy they called Born Ready, is just starting to get born. Meanwhile, the man who witnessed a profound transformation in the league believes he is again prepared for the NBA. Lance Stephenson，一位被称作Born Ready的年轻人，正准备要发光。而同时，一位 见证联盟重大转变的男人再度为了回到NBA作好准备。 "I'm ready," Davis says. "That's it. Ain't no ifs, ands, or buts. I'm ready." 「我准备好了。」Davis表示。「就这麽回事，没有什麽其他条件，我准备好了。」 （完） --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 114.47.137.211 ※ 编辑: k960674 来自: 218.173.154.206 (04/21 22:22) ※ 编辑: k960674 来自: 218.173.154.206 (04/21 22:23)