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 2009-09-12 00:07  #1
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Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

By Johnny Ludden, Yahoo! Sports 30 minutes ago

The assignment was standard fare for a high school sophomore government class: Write a letter to your state representative about an issue that stokes your political passions.

Some students lobbied opposite sides of the abortion debate. Others wanted the drinking age lowered, or the freedom to buy Guns N Roses’ “Appetite for Destruction” without their parents’ permission.

I wanted David Robinson.

As a young NBA fan in San Antonio, already scarred by the trade of George Gervin, these were the darkest of days. The Spurs were coming off a 28-win season that, at the time, qualified as the franchise’s worst. Walter Berry would soon run down a Red Lion hallway chasing Alvin Robertson with a butter knife. I didn’t need another two years of David Greenwood. I needed a savior.

So I wrote my state rep, and suggested he petition the Navy to commute Mr. Robinson’s service commitment. Anyone who had watched those dreadful Spurs teams would understand this was clearly a matter of civic duty.

David Robinson, former Spurs owner Angelo Drossos announced at the time, “is more important to San Antonio than the Pope.”

Twenty-two years later, Robinson goes into the Hall of Fame alongside the game’s greatest player. Robinson wasn’t Michael Jordan, but he meant as much to the city of San Antonio as Jordan did to Chicago. He saved San Antonio’s only major pro sports franchise from relocation. He gave the city an identity, then some much-needed self-esteem. He helped win two championships, but also built a private school with an enrollment made up primarily of underprivileged children. After his playing days ended, he started ministering at a local church.

The Pope? He also delivered a memorable sermon or two in San Antonio. But he didn’t dunk.

History has a way of forgetting that David Robinson could have passed on San Antonio. Drafting him was a no-brainer. Signing him was the challenge. Because Robinson was obligated to spend two years in the Navy, he could refuse to sign with the Spurs then become a free agent when his commitment ended before the 1989-90 season. The Los Angeles Lakers would be waiting with big-city money. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar retiring, they also would have an opening for a franchise center.

Robinson, however, didn’t wait on L.A. A trip to San Antonio after the 1987 draft helped convince him to make South Texas his next home. So did his own logic: After all, hadn’t the Spurs drafted him? It just wouldn’t seem fair to not show them any loyalty.

This would become a popular theme with Robinson. The same sense of duty that made him such a noble figure, such a perfect fit for an old military town, also likely kept him from becoming an even greater player. Robinson was never ruthless. He was responsible.

The Spurs couldn’t say the same of some of the teammates who surrounded Robinson in the early ’90s. Willie Anderson. Rod Strickland. David Wingate. J.R. Reid. Dwayne Schintzius. Some stayed out too late. Others were lazy. Some just couldn’t play. Robinson didn’t publicly complain about any. Other franchise stars would have wisely demanded better talent. Robinson played with the hand he was dealt, and played well enough to become one of the game’s dominant players.

The league had never seen anyone like him during those early years. He stood 7-foot-1 with a body built like a wasp: narrow waist, broad shoulders, muscles rippling on top of muscles. He protected the rim as well as anyone in the league, but also ran the floor like a guard. He’d track down a rebound 18 feet from the basket, spin on his heels and sprint back for a devastating dunk. John Lucas(notes) once canceled practice after watching Robinson walk halfway across the court on his hands. By the final season of his career, Robinson was still wearing size 30 jeans. Even now, he looks like he could go for 18 and 10.

Long before fantasy sports made stat-watching a billion-dollar industry, Robinson filled up the box scores. His numbers have continued to hold up against time. Basketball blog The Painted Area recently did a post that ranked Robinson’s career Player Efficiency Rating of 26.18 as fourth all-time. IBM devised a different statistical formula to rate the NBA’s best player each season, and Robinson won the award five times.

Of course, Robinson was also the only player who didn’t need an IBM to do the formula’s math. Say this much for the Admiral: Basketball never defined him. He took college computer classes at age 14. He played the piano and saxophone. He caddied for Corey Pavin. After the first game of his career, he correctly used “impunity” in a sentence. Years later, Robinson admitted he had learned the word from a Hulk comic book.

Through it all, Robinson stayed true to his family, his faith and San Antonio. Later in his career, it wasn’t unusual to see one of Robinson’s three sons accompanying him on road trips. He and his wife, Valerie, poured their money and time into building the Carver Academy, a private school whose enrollment is now almost completely scholarship-based.

“Sometimes I feel bad for David,” former teammate Danny Ferry once said. “It’s hard having to be perfect.”

Robinson wasn’t perfect, nor did he portray himself that way. His inability to lift the Spurs to the NBA Finals clung to him until Tim Duncan(notes) arrived. Even some Spurs fans pointed to his varied interests as reason for his failures. Jordan nicknamed Robinson “The Negotiator” during the 1992 Olympics because Robinson always had a question or a plan or something.

The role for which Robinson will always be remembered outside of San Antonio is that of Hakeem Olajuwon’s foil in the ’95 West finals. Another lasting image from that series that few people ever saw: Dressed in a suit, water splashing at him, Robinson waded into the Rockets’ shower to congratulate Olajuwon after the final loss. He was a beaten man, and big enough to admit it.

Duncan’s arrival changed everything, of course, and even that was born from Robinson’s commitment. Slowed by a hernia during the 1996 Olympics, Robinson pushed the mass back into his abdomen long enough to lead the United States in scoring during the gold medal game. Back problems followed soon after. Robinson missed the start of the season, returned for six games, then broke his foot. The lost season allowed the Spurs to win the right to draft Duncan.

After shouldering the burden of carrying the Spurs alone for so many years, Robinson welcomed the help. Duncan became the team’s go-to guy while Robinson anchored the defense and rebounding.

“I’ve never been a Michael Jordan type of player,” Robinson said. “That’s not my game. So I guess in some ways Tim kind of let me find my own place.”

Robinson returned the favor. When Duncan was close to leaving the Spurs for Orlando in the summer of 2000, Robinson flew in from Hawaii and helped talk him into staying. Robinson took his turn at free agency the following year. The Spurs made an initial lowball offer to buy themselves some time to gauge Chris Webber’s(notes) interest, wounding Robinson’s feelings in the process.

“This is the first time in my career I thought I wouldn’t finish as a San Antonio Spur,” he said.

The following day, angry callers overloaded the Spurs’ phone system. “Get the deal done,” Spurs chairman Peter Holt ordered his front-office staff. “We’re not losing David – and half our fans.”

I never heard back from my state rep. No postcard. No form letter. Out of the 20-odd students in my sophomore government class, I was the only one whose letter failed to generate any response.

I lived. It took two more long years, but David Robinson eventually arrived. For the Spurs – for San Antonio – he was worth the wait.
香瓜现在在线   引用
 2009-09-12 00:07  #2
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

原文地址:http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-robinsonhall091109&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

终于等到了 Johnny Ludden 写的 Admiral 文章了……
香瓜现在在线   引用
 2009-09-12 00:33  #3
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

这篇文章非常赞,推荐阅读。

Ludden 因为从小就是马刺球迷,后来连续九年担任马刺的随队记者(现在他在雅虎工作),写出的这篇文章非常有感情和感染力。

文章几乎没有提到什么数据什么荣誉,所以很赞。

如果没人翻译的话,我来动手吧。
香瓜现在在线   引用
 2009-09-12 01:52  #4
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

呵呵,瓜哥要出手了
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Riverwalkman离线中   引用
 2009-09-12 17:43  #5
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

瓜哥在翻译么?如果没有我可以试试
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Riverwalkman离线中   引用
 2009-09-12 17:58  #6
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

引用:
“I’ve never been a Michael Jordan type of player,” Robinson said. “That’s not my game. So I guess in some ways Tim kind of let me find my own place.”

实在人啊
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Riverwalkman离线中   引用
 2009-09-12 18:46  #7
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

引用:
作者 Riverwalkman:
瓜哥在翻译么?如果没有我可以试试


翻译了一小部分,几个词句感觉翻译的不到位。那你来翻译吧。

我翻译的部分:

-----------

在我读高二那年,政治课上有这样一个任务:给州议会议员写一封信,来表达你的政治兴趣。

有些学生在信中讨论堕胎话题,有些人想让政府降低法定喝酒年龄,还有人希望不经由父母许可就能自由购买枪与玫瑰乐队的《毁灭的欲望》专辑(注1)。

我在信中写的是我想要大卫-罗宾逊。

作为圣安东尼奥的一名年轻NBA球迷,我经历了乔治-格文交易带来的创伤,而当时马刺正处于最困难的时期,他们在那个赛季结束后才赢了28场比赛,那可是当时队史最差记录。在下一个赛季刚开始不久,又发生了臭名昭著的打架事件:沃尔特-贝里(Walter Berry)在红狮旅馆抄起餐刀就和埃尔文-罗伯特森(Alvin Robertson)动起手来了(注2)。我也不需要再等待大卫-格林伍德(David Greenwood)两个赛季来证明乔治-格文的交易是划算的。我需要的是救世主。

所以我在信中请愿海军学院能缩短罗宾逊的兵役时间。对于那时受够了糟糕透顶的马刺队的人们来说,这无疑是每个人的义务。

前马刺老板安吉洛-德罗索斯(Angelo Drossos)当时说,“对圣安东尼奥来说,(大卫-罗宾逊)比罗马教皇还重要。”

20年后,罗宾逊和篮球史上最伟大的球员一起入选了奈史密斯篮球名人堂。罗宾逊和迈克尔-乔丹不一样,但是他对圣安东尼奥的贡献就像乔丹对芝加哥的贡献一样。他拯救了圣安东尼奥的唯一一支主要体育项目职业球队。他给予这座城市标识和自尊。他不仅帮助这座城市赢得了两座总冠军奖杯,还建立了私立学校给穷苦孩子们提供接受教育的机会。在他结束职业打球生涯后,他开始担任当地教堂的牧师。

至于罗马教皇,他在圣安东尼奥也有一两次让人难忘的布道说教。但他并没有像罗宾逊那样深入民心。?????

--------------------------------------------------


人们习惯于忘记大卫-罗宾逊曾经可能不会来圣安东尼奥。虽然马刺毫不犹豫的用状元签选中他,但是签下他却是个挑战。因为罗宾逊还要在海军学院服役两年,他可以拒绝和马刺签约,这样在1989-90赛季前服完兵役后他就成了自由球员。而洛杉矶湖人就可以用大城市合同来等待罗宾逊加盟。在贾巴尔(Kareem Abdul-Jabbar)即将退役之际,湖人有机会得到一名招牌中锋。

然而罗宾逊并没有等待洛杉矶。1987年选秀大会后,他参观了圣安东尼奥,这最终让他决定与马刺签约。这就是他的逻辑:毕竟马刺选中了他,不是吗?如果不向他们表示忠心,这样似乎不公平。

这本来会成为围绕罗宾逊生涯的热门话题。

This would become a popular theme with Robinson. The same sense of duty that made him such a noble figure, such a perfect fit for an old military town, also likely kept him from becoming an even greater player. Robinson was never ruthless. He was responsible.







--

注1:枪与玫瑰乐队 (Guns N' Roses) 是著名的硬摇滚乐队,《毁灭的欲望》(Appetite for Destruction) 是史上最伟大的摇滚乐专辑之一。详见»
注2:1987年10月31日,在马刺打季前赛的路上,当时的马刺球员沃尔特-贝里(Walter Berry)和埃尔文-罗伯特森(Alvin Robertson)在蒙大拿州米苏拉的红狮旅馆发生冲突,贝里抄起餐刀在旅馆里追赶罗伯特森,好在被一名队友拦住,也没有人受伤。当时距离球队大巴启程前往大瀑布城只有15分钟。事情导火索是罗伯特森斥责贝里不参加训练,贝里当时右膝盖裹着冰袋。详见»
香瓜现在在线   引用
 2009-09-12 18:53  #8
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

OK
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Riverwalkman离线中   引用
 2009-09-12 22:46  #9
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回复: Ludden: Spurs set sail with Admiral aboard

周一之前交工吧。
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2012,马刺遭遇史上最偏黑哨,没有之一!
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