The Greatest 最伟大的球员 By Harvey Pollack http://www.nba.com/encyclopedia/pollack_wilt.html As one who has seen every player in my 60 years in the NBA, there is no doubt in my mind who is the greatest player in the league's history. Yes, without any reservations I award that distinction to Wilt Chamberlain. 做为一位已经在 NBA 待了六十年、看过这些年所有球员的人来说，在我心目中 联盟历史上哪一位最伟大是毫无疑问的。是的，不须预约他就拥有我心目中的 地位，他就是张伯伦。 I had the good fortune to be the publicity director of the Philadelphia Warriors and the publicity director of the Philadelphia 76ers during Wilt's two periods in this city. He and I became great friends during those times, and his relationship continued right to his untimely death. 在张伯伦的两段费城岁月里，我很荣幸地曾在费城勇士队和费城七六人队担任过 公关部主任。他和我在那段岁月里是很好的朋友，而与他的关系一直到他英年早 逝为止。 A look at the NBA record book and a count of the number of times Wilt is still listed as holding NBA records is positive proof of his stature. Remember he last played in 1972 and almost 35 years later his name dominates the record book. He dwarfs the totals of such luminaries as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and the like. My statistical yearbook annually shows the superiority of Wilt over Russell in every statistical category except championships. But the comparison of Wilt with any player on a statistical basis leaves little room for argument. 翻翻 NBA 的纪录本、算一算 Wilt 在名单上出现的次数，仍旧保有的 NBA 纪录 是他典范永存的最佳例证。记得 1972 年是他最後一个球季而 35 年後的今天他 的名字仍然在纪录上无人出其右。他让那些杰出的球员，包括 Michael Jordan、 Larry Bird、Bill Russell 等全都显得矮小。我的数据年报每年都告诉我除了冠 军次数外， Wilt 是如何地在每项栏位胜过 Russell。在数据的比较上，Wilt 从 来没给其他球员有争论的空间。 Wilt was an individual who loved to win regardless of the type of competition involved. He was a special expert in the many card games with his teammates on bus, train or airplane trips. It's been well know that he had an unbeatable night the evening that he scored his famed 100 points in Hershey, PA. Owner Eddie Gottlieb made it a habit to get to Hershey many hours before game time so the players whiled away their time in the arcade in the building. Naturally there was lots of betting going on and Wilt cleaned up both on pinball machines and in shooting down clay pigeons. Wilt 是不管在何种竞争里都想要获胜的人。在球队巴士、火车、飞机上和队友一起玩 的扑克牌游戏，他同样是顶尖高手。他在 Hershey 球场那个所向无敌的晚上得到 100 分的故事已经广为人知，当时的球队老板 Eddie Gottlieb 还会提早在比赛前几个小时 到球场让球员能够在拱廊下消磨一些时光。而在 Wilt 横扫弹珠台和射倒陶模企鹅的 同时，旁边出现一堆人下注也是很自然的事。(译按：难道他也是夜市小游戏之王吗？) Yet he was outstanding elsewhere as a high jumper at high school and at Kansas. When he retired from basketball, volleyball became his forte. Some say he could have been an NFL superstar as a wide receiver. He also was on the verge of fighting Muhammad Ali to demonstrate his boxing skill but fate intervened and the bout never came off. 在肯萨斯州的高中时期，他就以一个跳跳人而家喻户晓。当他从篮球场上走下来时， 排球变成他的专长。有些人说他也可以当外接员在 NFL 成为超级明星。他同时也在 拳王阿里的热潮时展现他的拳击技巧，但是命运的安排使得他的拳击试合始终没开始 。 Wilt as also quite a speaker, and he demonstrated that at the many public appearances he made. I accompanied him repeatedly on those jaunts, and he was at ease in front of audiences of youngsters or adults. He handled every question and never refused to give his opinion on any subject. When he visited children's hospitals, you can imagine the open-eyed reaction of the youngsters as they saw this 7'1" giant come to their bedside and engage in conversation or sign autographs or bring gifts from the team to distribute. Wilt 也是相当好的演说者，而且他在许多公开场合展现过演说能力。我屡次在那些 公开场合看他应对轻松，无论对象是年轻人或成年人。他掌握了每个问题并且从未 拒绝发表意见。当他造访儿童医院时，你可以想像当一个七尺一的巨汉出现在他们 床边、与他们谈话或签名或给他们球队提供的礼物时，那些小孩们张大眼睛的神情。 Wilt was a student of the game and observed closely his opponents while he was a player and after his retirement. We had many lengthy phone conversations about statistics in the periods when he was writing his books. One time he asked me, "Do you know that Michael Jordan can't shoot past 15 feet?" I asked him how he knew that. His response: "Don't you watch the games?" Wilt 无论在球员时期或是退休之後，他都像个学生般地仔细研究它的对手。在他写 书的时候，我们有过多次的长时间通话，聊关於数据方面的事。有一次他问我："你知 道 Michael Jordan 不能在超过 15 尺的地方射篮吗？" 我问他如何得知。他回答： "难道你都没看比赛吗？" "Not that closely," I said. "没...没那麽仔细啦！"我这麽回答。 He challenged me to prove otherwise. So I gathered material to show what Jordan did that season on every shot he took and from what distance. Guess what? Wilt was right. Jordan shot about 36% from the 15-foot mark back. That taught me not to doubt the big guy again. 他接着说如果我不信，就证明给他看。所以我开始蒐集资料来看 Jordan 该季每一个 投篮和出手的距离。你猜怎麽着？ Wilt 是对的。 Jordan 在十五尺外的投篮命中率 大约是三成六而已。这告诉我不能再怀疑这个大个子了。 I do remember the only time I beat him. Wilt used to complain and rightly so, that he never was credited with his rebounds on the road especially, but even at his home court where I was the statistician. So unknown to me, one night at Philly's Convention Hall, he had his close friend, Vince Miller, keep track of his rebounds in that game. Eddie Gottlieb was in on the ruse. So when the game as over, Gotty came to me at the press table and asked me how many rebounds I had awarded Wilt. He said, "Don't distribute the box scores until I return." Then he got Miller's totals and went up to the Warriors' dressing room and he asked Wilt, "Whose rebound totals do you want to be official, Miller's or Harvey's?" Wilt promptly said, "Miller's of course." Gotty replied, "Well Harvey gave you more than Vince did." That was the last and only time Wilt ever questioned me. 不过我确实记得我惟一胜过他的那一次。 Wilt 总是自认理所当然地抱怨他不但在客 场抢篮板没被记录，即使在我当记录员的主场也是如此。因此，在不让我知情的情况 下，有一个晚上在费城的 Convention Hall，他交代他的好朋友，Vince Miller，纪 录他抢了几个篮板。Eddie Gottlieb 也是同谋之一。所以在比赛之後， Gotty 来到 记者席问我 Wilt 抢了几个篮板。他说："在我回来前先别把分数盒子发布出去。"接 着他得到 Miller 的总计并且到勇士队的更衣室，然後他问 Wilt："你要把谁的总计 当做官方数据？Miller 的或是 Harvey 的？" Wilt 立刻说："当然是 Miller 的！" Gotty 回道："Harvey 比 Miller 多给你一个哟！" 自此之後他再也没怀疑过我。 But I decided to help Wilt in another way. So I went to a Boston-Warriors game in the Boston Garden and secretly kept track of the rebounds of both Wilt and Russell. When the game ended, I went to the press table and asked what the rebound totals were for Wilt and Russell. The response: "Russell 35, Wilt 22." My response, "Well my totals are Wilt 34, Russell 21." They sat open mouthed when I produced my evidence of the time and type of every rebound that each player had. A Sports Illustrated writer nearby heard the conversation and asked me what it was all about. I told him and the next week SI had a story about the incident. Wilt and I chuckled on reading it, but Red Auerbach didn't. For many years thereafter he didn't talk to me, but how we were reconciled is another story that doesn't concern Wilt. When Wilt was writing his book, he often called me for information. In fact, if you look at his books, you'll find me credited. He loved talking with me and most times he was the one that initiated the call. I'd love to have the money those phone calls cost him. 不过我决定用另外的方式来帮助 Wilt。因此我到波士顿花园去看 Celtics 对 Warriors 的比赛，并且秘密地纪录 Wilt 和 Russell 的篮板数。当比赛结束时，我到记者席 问Wilt 和 Russell 的篮板总数。得到的回应是"Russell 35，Wilt 22" 我回答道： "哦？我记的是 Wilt 34，Russell 21" 他们在我展示我的证据--包括时间以及每个 篮板及每个球员拿到的方式时--张大了嘴。一个正好在附近的运动画刊记者听到我们 的对话系篧L来问发生了什麽事。我告诉他，然後下个礼拜 SI 就把这个意外的故事 刊出来。 Wilt 和我看着报导咯咯笑着，不过他们的教头 Red Auerbach 可就笑不出 来。而且好几年之後他还是不跟我说话，我们如何合好那是另外一个故事了。(译按： Red Auerbach 还活着。) 当 Wilt 在写他的书时，他经常打电话问我。事实上，如果 你看他的书，你会找到感谢我的部份。他喜欢跟我聊天而且大部分是他打给我。我真 希望能够拥有等同那些电话费的钱。 He never forgot me. When the NBA had a big anniversary party in New York, he called the NBA and requested that I be invited. That resulted in me being in a hotel room with George Mikan, Julius Erving, Bill Russell and Wilt. My only regret in life is that I didn't have a tape machine to record all the stories that were told about their NBA careers. Wilt was the butt of one of Russell's stories. I just sat there and listened. Finally I asked if I could tell one anecdote. They all agreed. So I said, "Wilt do you remember who you posted your 55 rebounds against?" Wilt said, "I think it was against New York." 他从未忘记我。当 NBA 在纽约有个盛大的年度派对，他打电话给 NBA 当局要求我 必须被邀请。那使我与 George Mikan、Julius Erving、Bill Russell 和 Wilt 同 房间。我这一生唯一的悔恨就是没用一个录像机把这些球星谈论他们 NBA 生涯的故 事给录下来。Wilt 是 Russell 故事里嘲笑的对象其中之一。我只是坐在那静静听着 。最後，我问到是否可以说个秘闻。他们都同意了。因此我说，"Wilt，你记得你抓 下五十五个篮板的对手是谁吗？" Wilt 说 "我想是纽约吧？" "Wrong Wilt, it was Russell," I said. Wilt exploded from his seat and stood up and pointed at Russell's face and yelled, "Now I remember it was you," and everybody in the room roared in laughter. "错了，Wilt，是 Russell" 我说道。接着Wilt 从他的椅子上跳了起来并且指着 Russell 喊道，"现在我记得是你了！" 然後房间里的其他人哄堂大笑。 There are many other portions of Wilt's life to relate and perhaps if I ever write my book on my 60 plus years in the NBA, I'll include them. For the moment, I'm satisfied to go on record as labeling Wilt the greatest and wish he hadn't retired so soon at the age of 35. We couldn't take advantage of the introduction of blocked shots the year after he called it quits. Imagine how many triple doubles he would have had in points, rebounds and blocked shots and how many quadruple doubles he would have in 1967-68 when he led the league in assists. 还有许多 Wilt 生命中的故事与我有关，如果我要写一本关於我这六十余年的 NBA 岁月，我一定会将他们写入。在此刻，我对於将 Wilt 标示为最伟大的球员感到满 足，并且多麽希望他没有在35岁就退休。我们在他退休之後的那一年在阻攻方面占 不到任何便宜。想像他会有多少个大三元--在得分篮板和阻攻方面，会有多少个大 四喜，在 1967-1968 他助攻领先全联盟的那个球季。 Happy 70th, Wilt! 七十岁生日快乐,Wilt！ --

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