零起點上崗

Howard Beck

Steve Kerr was roaming Oklahoma City on Tuesday， near the midpoint of the U.S. map—a fitting position for the man who just became the center of the NBAs 2014 coaching pageant.

周二，史蒂夫·科爾漫步在俄克拉荷馬城，這里幾乎接近美國版圖的正中央——對于這位2014年NBA教練爭奪戰(zhàn)的中心人物而言，這的確是一個恰如其分的位置。

Thirteen hundred miles to the northeast， Phil Jackson was lobbying Kerr to coach the New York Knicks. Thirteen hundred miles to the west， the Golden State Warriors were quickly assembling a candidate list， with Kerrs name near the top.

1300英里之外的東北方，菲爾·杰克遜正在說服科爾擔(dān)任紐約尼克斯的主教練。1300英里之外的西邊，金州勇士迅速列出了一份候選名單，科爾的名字排在非常靠前的位置。

Other teams are making inquiries， making Kerr the most popular target of the offseason， the first domino in the hiring cycle. To borrow a phrase from George Costanza①， its looking like the Spring of Steve.

還有其他球隊在打聽科爾的情況，這讓他成了休賽期最熱門的目標(biāo)，也是備選主教練多米諾骨牌的第一張。借用喬治·克斯坦扎的一句話，如今就好像史蒂夫的春天一樣。

We should mention here that Kerr， a color commentator for TNT， has never coached at any level.

在這里我們需要提醒一下，作為TNT的評論員，科爾至今沒有任何執(zhí)教經(jīng)驗。

We should mention， too， that no one seems altogether concerned about that.

我們還要提請各位注意的是，似乎沒有一個人對此表達過憂慮。

That itself is a noteworthy development in NBA coach-hiring annals.

在NBA聘請教練的歷史上，單單這一點就值得關(guān)注。

Last summer， the Brooklyn Nets were second-， third- and fourth-guessed for choosing Jason Kidd as their head coach， just weeks after he retired as a player.

去年夏天，布魯克林籃網(wǎng)在是否聘請賈森·基德?lián)沃鹘叹殨r就反復(fù)了多次，那時距離基德結(jié)束球員職業(yè)生涯只過去了幾周時間。

Three years ago， the Warriors raised eyebrows by plucking Jackson—with zero bench experience of any kind—from his comfy seat in the commentator booth.

三年前，當(dāng)勇士找來當(dāng)解說正開心、且毫無指教經(jīng)驗的杰克遜時，也引來了不少爭議。

Fourteen years ago， it was Doc Rivers， jumping from TV analyst to Orlando Magic head coach， who raised the doubts and concerns.

十四年前，那時是道格·里弗斯從電視評論員成為奧蘭多魔術(shù)主教練的時光，他也曾引來了懷疑和擔(dān)心。

But Kerr？ The discussion is focused solely on where he will coach， not whether he can.（Kerr， who was in Oklahoma City to call the Thunder-Clippers series， declined to comment for this story.）

科爾呢？現(xiàn)在所有的討論只集中在他會去哪里執(zhí)教，而不是他有沒有能力執(zhí)教。（在俄克拉荷馬城解說雷霆對快船系列賽的科爾拒絕對此發(fā)表評論。）

There are a lot of factors in play here—including a universal high regard for Kerr in NBA circles—but the most significant might be this： Experience is no longer considered an absolute prerequisite.

這其中摻雜了很多因素——NBA圈內(nèi)人普遍對科爾有很高的評價——而最重要的一點則是：經(jīng)驗已經(jīng)不再是決定因素。

The emerging new view： Find a strong leader with high basketball intelligence and great communication skills， and they will find a way. That model also applies to the Celtics bold decision last year to hire Butlers Brad Stevens， who did have head coaching experience， but none at the NBA level.

聯(lián)盟當(dāng)下正在成為主流的新觀點是：找一個籃球智商高、并且有超強溝通能力的領(lǐng)袖，他自然會找到辦法。這一模式同樣適用于去年凱爾特人聘請巴特勒大學(xué)的布拉德·史蒂芬斯，史蒂芬斯確實有執(zhí)教經(jīng)驗，但他卻沒有執(zhí)教過NBA球隊。

"I think it allows people to look a little broader than they once did，" Nets general manager Billy King said. He nevertheless cautioned， "I think each situation is different.”

“我想這讓人們有比過去更開闊的眼界，”籃網(wǎng)總經(jīng)理比利·金如是說道，不過之后他還是比較謹(jǐn)慎地表示，“我覺得每個情況都是不一樣的?！?/p>

Still， the fact that Kerr has become this years hottest candidate speaks to how quickly things have changed.

盡管如此，科爾成為今年最熱門的候選人還是說明了事態(tài)的變化之快。

Credit Kidd， Rivers， Mark Jackson and Larry Bird for nudging along that evolution of thought.

這種觀念的轉(zhuǎn)變要歸功于基德、里弗斯、馬克·杰克遜和拉里·伯德。

Bird guided the Indiana Pacers to the Finals in 2000， just three years after becoming head coach with no prior experience.

伯德在2000年把印第安納步行者帶進了總決賽，那時他才執(zhí)教了三年，而且之前沒有任何經(jīng)驗。

That same season， Rivers went from heavily scrutinized rookie coach to Coach of the Year for coaxing a .500 record out of a thoroughly anonymous Magic team. Eight years later， Rivers took the Boston Celtics to the championship， cementing his place among the NBAs elite.

同樣的原因，里弗斯從一個被放在顯微鏡下觀察的菜鳥教練，變成了把一支名不見經(jīng)傳的魔術(shù)帶成勝率超過五成的年度最佳教練。八年后，里弗斯帶領(lǐng)波士頓凱爾特人拿到了總冠軍，確立了自己NBA頂級教練的地位。

Kidd looked overmatched in the fall， but he recovered quickly， earned two Coach of the Month awards and now has the Nets in the second round of the playoffs.

去年秋天，基德看上去不堪一擊，不過他很快就恢復(fù)了，并贏得了兩次月最佳教練的榮譽，而籃網(wǎng)現(xiàn)在也打進了季后賽第二輪。

And Jackson？ Well， he was fired Tuesday—apparently for alienating the entire Golden State front office—but he did mold the Warriors into an elite defensive team and preside over their best season in 20 years.

至于杰克遜？好吧，他在周二被解雇了——顯然整個勇士管理層都站在了他的對立面，但他確實把勇士打造成了一支防守強隊，而且?guī)ш牬虺隽?0年來的最佳成績。

You can fault Jackson for his uninspired playbook. You can make the case that he still has much to learn， as any young coach does. But Jackson has proven himself a capable bench leader， and he probably wont be unemployed for long.

你可以因為杰克遜不怎么出色的戰(zhàn)術(shù)而責(zé)怪他，你可以說他還有很多要學(xué)的，就像任何年輕教練那樣。但杰克遜已經(jīng)證明自己是一位稱職的球隊領(lǐng)袖，他失業(yè)的時間想來也不會太長。

That the Warriors would pursue Kerr， whose resume today is nearly identical to Jacksons in 2011 （player-turned-commentator， no coaching experience） underlines how quickly things have changed.

勇士也會追求科爾，科爾今天的情況和2011年的馬克·杰克遜非常相似（都是球員轉(zhuǎn)電視評論員，沒有執(zhí)教經(jīng)驗），這也進一步強調(diào)了當(dāng)下的形勢變化之快。

Then again， some of the Kerr phenomenon is attributable solely to Kerr. He has been analyzing the game on TV for eight of the last 11 years， so his aptitude， insight and sharp mind have been on display for some time. He is immensely personable and well networked among team executives， coaches and players.

需要強調(diào)的一點是，科爾現(xiàn)象有一部分還是要歸功于科爾本人的。過去11年，他有8年在電視臺做比賽解說，所以他的才能，他對比賽的深刻見解和敏銳的思維已經(jīng)在公眾面前展示了一段時間。他非常受人喜歡，在球隊管理層、教練和球員之間也有著極好的人緣。

Kerr also spent three seasons as general manager of the Phoenix Suns， so he is well versed in team operations. His championship experience as a player—three rings with the Chicago Bulls， two with the San Antonio Spurs—only enhances Kerrs standing as a winner. He has learned from two of the greatest coaches of all time， Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich.

科爾還在菲尼克斯太陽做過三年總經(jīng)理，所以他很熟悉球隊的操作流程。球員時期他的總冠軍經(jīng)歷——包括和芝加哥公牛三次贏得總冠軍，和圣安東尼奧馬刺兩次贏得總冠軍——只會進一步提升科爾作為勝利者的形象。他有兩位歷史上最偉大的教練做自己的導(dǎo)師，菲爾·杰克遜和格雷格·波波維奇。

So while Kerr is unproven， few doubt that he has the right makeup for the job.

所以，即便科爾還沒有證明自己，也不會有人質(zhì)疑他是否適合教練工作。

The most difficult decision here is the one Kerr will make. Although multiple teams have reached out to Kerr， NBA sources say he is focused strictly on the Warriors and the Knicks， each with a unique set of pros and cons.

最艱難的決定，其實要由科爾來做。盡管很多球隊都接觸了科爾，但有消息源表示，他的興趣只集中在勇士和尼克斯，這是兩支特點和缺點都很突出的球隊。

The allure of working for Phil Jackson， Kerrs longtime friend and mentor， is strong， according to associates of both men. Kerr knows he has much to learn， and having Jackson nearby would be a huge comfort. The New York stage is always a draw.

據(jù)和科爾、菲爾·杰克遜都有聯(lián)系的人表示，對能為自己長久以來的朋友和導(dǎo)師菲爾·杰克遜工作，科爾非常向往?？茽栔雷约哼€有很多要學(xué)的，無疑，有杰克遜在身邊，這將是巨大的便利。而且，紐約的這個大舞臺也一直很有吸引力。

But if Kerr wants to contend immediately， the Warriors offer a much better opportunity—a roster that just won 51 games， and a backcourt tandem （Stephen Curry， Klay Thompson） that ranks among the NBAs best. The Warriors are young， talented and brimming with potential.

但是，如果科爾想立刻帶領(lǐng)球隊成為總冠軍競爭者，勇士則會是更好的選擇。他們的陣容剛剛贏下了51場比賽，后場組合（史蒂芬·庫里和克萊·湯普森）也在NBA排名前列，他們年輕、富有天賦，未來更光明。

The Knicks rotation is aging， flawed and locked in place for another year. They will have cap room in 2015， but their franchise star， Carmelo Anthony， could leave as a free agent this summer. （Kerr has never been a big fan of Anthonys game， in any case.） The specter of James Dolan， the meddling， ham-handed Knicks owner， always looms as a concern.

尼克斯陣容則是老化、有缺陷的，而且未來一年也不會有大變化。他們在2015年會得到薪金空間，但球隊招牌球星卡梅洛·安東尼今年夏天卻可能以自由球員身份離開。（科爾一直不是特別喜歡安東尼）此外，愛插手球隊管理的老板詹姆斯·多蘭，始終是一個威脅。

Then again， the Eastern Conference is so weak that the Knicks could jump back into playoff contention with just a few tweaks. The West， by contrast， is stacked with great teams， and the Warriors expectations are so high that they just fired a coach who won 98 games the last two years.

但是，東部聯(lián)盟實在太弱，尼克斯只需要一些小改動就能重回季后賽。相比之下，西部卻是強隊云集。勇士的期望值也非常高，他們剛剛炒掉了一個在過去兩個賽季總共為球隊贏下了98場勝利的教練。

There are personal considerations in play， as well. All three of Kerrs children are in California—a daughter attending Cal and two sons in San Diego （one in high school， one in college）， where the family lives. When Kerr left the Suns in 2010， it was largely because he felt he was missing too much time with his family.

同樣，這其中還摻雜了一些私人考量?？茽柕娜齻€孩子都在加州，女兒在加州大學(xué)讀書，兩個兒子住在圣迭戈（一個上高中，一個上大學(xué)），他的家也在這里。2010年科爾離開太陽時，其中很大一部分原因在于他感覺自己錯過了太多和家人在一起的時光。

With two kids in college， Kerr has said he is now ready to return to the NBA grind. But he strongly prefers to stay close to home， according to sources.

兩個孩子上大學(xué)后，科爾才說他做好了重回NBA的準(zhǔn)備。但據(jù)消息源表示，他非常希望能離家人更近些。

Wherever he ends up， Kerr will present the next fascinating case study， the next test of how much experience matters on the bench. Twelve years ago， George Karl， then coaching the Milwaukee Bucks， bemoaned the quick elevation of Rivers and made the case that coaches are better off working their way up， after spending time as an assistant. It is a belief still held by most in the coaching profession.

無論最終在何處落腳，科爾都將成為下一個完美的研究案例，通過他來研究執(zhí)教經(jīng)驗是否重要。12年前，那時還是密爾沃基雄鹿主教練的喬治·卡爾曾經(jīng)對里弗斯的快速轉(zhuǎn)變頗為不滿，他說教練最好是一步一步來，他們先要做一段時間助理教練。這種想法至今在教練領(lǐng)域仍是主流。

"Steve Kerr， I think， is a very good basketball guy，" Karl， who is now working as an ESPN commentator， said in a telephone interview.

“史蒂夫·科爾，我覺得是個非常好的籃球人?！爆F(xiàn)在在ESPN擔(dān)任評論的卡爾在電話采訪里表示。

"Very good. Very talented brain. Very good instincts. A championship pedigree. But every young player， and I really feel every young coach， has a growing-up period. Some guys will do it in a year. Some guys will take two.”

“非常好，非常聰明，有非常好的直覺，他有冠軍經(jīng)驗。但就像年輕球員一樣，我真心覺得年輕教練也需要成長的過程。有些人需要一年，有些人需要兩年?！?/p>

Karl added， "I think Steve knows enough about an 82-game season that he understands it. But living it is totally different than understanding it. And New York， the heat in the kitchen is way higher.”

卡爾補充道，“我想史蒂夫完全理解82場比賽是怎么回事，但以此為生和理解完全是兩回事。還有紐約，那里壓力實在太大了?！?/p>

Everyone in the NBA who knows Kerr—which is to say， most of the NBA—views him as engaging， intelligent， affable and a skilled communicator. As a TV analyst， he ranks among the best.

任何在NBA里認(rèn)識科爾的人——其實也就是大多數(shù)NBA從業(yè)者，都把他視為一個投入、聰明、親切且高水平的溝通者。在電視解說行業(yè)里，他就是最好之一。

A great coach？ We dont know yet. Kerr doesnt know yet. But were going to find out pretty soon.

他是否是好教練？我們現(xiàn)在還不知道?？茽栕约阂膊恢?，但我們很快就會知道了。