紐時賞析／雖然提前放暑假 NBA超級球隊熱潮不減

Superteams？ More Like Super Flops.

雖然提前放暑假 NBA超級球隊熱潮不減

The game was over, and the crowd at Barclays Center in New York was chanting

“M-V-P.” The fans wore NBA jerseys in all of the team’s colors, and their

star raised his arms to acknowledge their praise.

比賽結束後，紐約巴克萊中心的人群高呼「M-V-P」。球迷們全部身穿這個NBA球隊相同顏色的球衣，他們的球星舉手感謝他們的讚揚。

But Kyrie Irving was already headed to the locker room. So, too, was

Kevin Durant. Ben Simmons wasn’t even in the building. This was not a

celebration for the Brooklyn Nets, who play their home games here.

It was for the Boston Celtics, for their star Jayson Tatum and for

the team that had just accomplished a once-unthinkable feat: a

four-game sweep of the Nets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Nets superteam the Celtics faced, built around Irving and

Durant to win a championship in June, didn’t even make it to May.

但厄文已經去了更衣室，杜蘭特也是，西蒙斯甚至不在場館裡。這不是為了幫主場球隊布魯克林籃網隊慶祝，而是為了波士頓塞爾蒂克隊，為了他們的球星泰托姆，為了這支剛完成曾經難以想像壯舉的球隊：季後賽第一輪四場比賽橫掃籃網隊。塞爾蒂克面對的是由厄文和杜蘭特組成、打算在6月贏得總冠軍的籃網超級隊，但他們甚至未能撐到5月。

It was a dismal scene to end a season that started with outsize

expectations in October. The Nets had three of the best players

on the planet, a cast of characters that was the NBA’s version

of “Ocean’s Eleven.” Team executives around the league feared

them. In fact, in a preseason poll by NBA.com, 72% of the league’s

general managers predicted that the Nets would win the title.

The Los Angeles Lakers finished second, with 17% of the vote,

proving that nobody knew much of anything: The Lakers did not

make the playoffs at all.

這是一個令人沮喪的場景，結束了從去年10月以過高期望值展開的球季。籃網隊擁有地表上最好的三名球員，這一陣容堪稱NBA版的「瞞天過海」。全聯盟球隊高層都很怕他們。事實上，在NBA官網季前民調中，72%的聯盟總經理預測籃網會贏得總冠軍。洛杉磯湖人隊以17%得票率位居第二，這證明了沒有人什麼都懂：湖人隊根本沒能夠打進季後賽。

Yet when the season started, there was a big question: What could

prevent those two teams from meeting in the NBA Finals? Who else

but LeBron James could possibly stop Durant from delivering the

Nets their first NBA title? And who besides Durant could impede

James’ march to a fifth championship?

但球季開始時，有個大哉問是：有什麼能阻止這兩支球隊在總決賽相遇？除了詹姆斯，還有誰能阻止杜蘭特為籃網帶來他們首個NBA總冠軍？除了杜蘭特，還有誰能阻止詹姆斯獲得第五個總冠軍？

It turned out, plenty would get in their way.

事實證明是，阻止他們的有很多人。

The Nets and the Lakers failed — spectacularly — at creating

successful superteams, although the failures had different roots.

For the Nets, it was a mix of the absurd: a star who wouldn’t get

vaccinated against the coronavirus; another star who wanted out

after forcing his way to the Nets in the first place; a replacement

star who didn’t even show up for the elimination game.

籃網和湖人都未能創造出成功的超級球隊，儘管他們令人驚訝的敗北原因不同。對籃網來說，這是個荒謬的混合體：一個球星不願接種新冠疫苗，另一個球星一開始硬要進入籃網，之後又想離開，還有一個替補球星季後賽根本沒出現。

For the Lakers, it was pure Hollywood: an aging former All-Star

who wanted the ball for himself when his coach wanted him to share;

a crew of has-beens hoping for one last hurrah; the A-list star

trying to carry the team, but unable to do it the way he had so

many times before. Young opponents laughed at them, openly, and

reveled in precipitating their demise.

對湖人隊來說，這十分好萊塢。一個上了年紀的前明星賽球員只想自己拿球，儘管教練要他分享；一群過氣人物希望獲得最後一次勝利的歡呼；那個A咖球星試圖帶領球隊，卻無法以他過去做了很多次的方法做到。年輕對手們公開嘲笑他們，並以加速他們的滅亡為樂。

文／Tania Ganguli and Scott Cacciola 譯／陳韋廷

說文解字看新聞

【陳韋廷】

美國職籃（NBA）季後賽（playoffs）如火如荼進行中，陣中名將如雲的籃網和湖人兩支超級球隊卻提早放暑假。論超級球隊，2003-2004球季的湖人堪稱開山祖師，當時找來「郵差」馬龍和「手套」裴頓兩大球星，輔佐「小飛俠」布萊恩與「俠客」歐尼爾，四大巨星號稱F4，一路殺進總冠軍賽，最後不敵底特律活塞。本季的湖人連季後賽的邊都沾不上，籃網則是在第一輪被直落四橫掃出局。

Sweep可指比賽的全勝或選舉的大勝，例：The opinion poll suggests a clean sweep for the Democrats. To be on a winning/losing streak指比賽的連勝或連敗。NBA為了增加季後賽（postseason games）的看頭，以往正規賽季（regular season）結束後東西區前八名自動晉級，改成附加賽（play-in tournament），由分區排名第七到第十的球隊捉對廝殺，四選二。總決賽（the finals）結束後到新賽季開打前的這段時間，稱為offseason。