扎克拉文:吾乃"狼族三少"之一

Even now, on some walks into the locker room postgame, Zach LaVine knows what's waiting: phone messages from his dad. LaVine's the son of former NFL player Paul LaVine, who still dissects the Minnesota Timberwolves guard's every move and every shot.

甚至現在，在賽後走回更衣室的那段路程裏，扎克-拉文知道什麼在等着他：來自他父親的電話留言。拉文是前NFL球員保羅-拉文的兒子，而保羅仍然會去詳細分析這位明尼蘇達森林狼隊後衛的每一個動作以及每一次投籃。

Zach calls his father his best friend, the deliverer of instruction and trash talk.

扎克稱他父親是他最好的朋友，是他的人生導師和垃圾話老師。

"If I have a bad shooting day, my dad will take me to the gym," LaVine told The Vertical. "He'll talk [expletive] every day. He can be my worst critic.

“如果我哪天的投籃很糟糕，我父親會帶我去到球館，”拉文跟The Vertical說道，“他每天都在念叨，他是我最大的批評家。

When I was younger, he would always post me up when we played one-on-one… 6-5, 300 pounds, strong like an ox. I used to say, 'Yo, this is unfair.'

當我還小的時候，我們一對一斗牛時他總是會在低位背打我……[他]身高6尺5，體重300磅，強壯得像一頭公牛。我過去常說，‘喲，這真不公平。’”

"He can't do it anymore. I just ascend to block his shots now."

“他再也不能那樣做了，現在我會躍起給他送出大帽。”

LaVine has ascended from those rugged backyard games to the NBA court. He has sharpened his skills, worked to reduce deficiencies and created bigger and bigger performances this season.

拉文已經將他的比賽從崎嶇不平的後院上升到了NBA的賽場。他提升了他的技巧，努力去填補缺陷，並且在本賽季打出越來越驚人的表演。

LaVine joins Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns as the Timberwolves' burgeoning young stars – the "core three" as coach Tom Thibodeau refers to them – who could help the team become the NBA's next championship contender.

拉文與安德魯-威金斯和卡爾-安東尼-唐斯一同成爲森林狼隊冉冉升起的三顆新星——主教練湯姆-錫伯杜將他們稱作“三核心”——他們能夠幫助球隊成爲NBA的下一個總冠軍有力競爭者。

LaVine graduated high school in Washington in 2013 and became the 13th overall draft pick out of UCLA in 2014. His family members ask him: Where has the time gone? LaVine finds appreciation in the summer nights in the gym and the winter days spent honing his jump shot and his handle.

拉文在2013年從華盛頓州的一所高中[巴薩爾]畢業，在UCLA讀了一年後，2014年參加選秀，在第13順位被球隊選中。他的家人[時常]問他：時間都去哪兒了？拉文不計夏夜冬日投入時間去打磨他的跳投和控球，以找到心中燈塔。

"I've always been a very confident person and I know how important it is to take advantage when life gives you opportunity," LaVine told The Vertical.

“我一直以來都是一個非常有自信的人，我也深知利用好生活給予你的機會是多麼的重要，”拉文跟The Vertical說道。

"I try to let my game speak for itself. There are a lot of critics out there, a lot of people that you want to prove wrong. But that's what your hard work is for in the offseason, spending hours and hours in the gym.

“我努力去讓我的比賽爲我說話。你想要證明外界的很多人以及他們的批評是錯誤的。而這正是你在休賽期努力訓練、在球館裏泡上一個又一個小時的原因。”

"I like proving people wrong about me."

“我喜歡證明人們對我的看法是錯誤的。”

LaVine, averaging 21 points on 47.3 percent shooting, is one of the best young guards in the league. Wiggins and Towns will forever carry the clout of former No. 1 overall picks, but LaVine, 21, has been the best of the three on some nights.

拉文——目前場均21分，投籃命中率爲47.3%——是聯盟中最好的年輕後衛之一。威金斯和唐斯的身上永遠攜帶着前狀元秀的影響力，但是21歲的拉文，在某些夜晚交出的表現已經變成三人中最優秀的。

As one team executive said: "He genuinely loves basketball, and perhaps that aspect was overlooked with his other traits as he entered the draft. That [2014] draft was extremely talented, and he could end up being one of the best players."

正如某支球隊的主管說道，“他由衷地熱愛籃球，或許在參加選秀時這個方面被他的其他特性掩蓋了。2014屆選秀是非常有天賦的一屆，而他最後能成爲最好的球員之一。”

LaVine plays third option on most nights alongside Wiggins and Towns, but has emerged as a candidate for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, adding 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game to his scoring production while also leading the team in minutes at 37.7.

大部分夜晚裏，在威金斯和唐斯的身邊，拉文是球隊的第三進攻選擇；但是，他已經脫穎而出成爲NBA進步最快球員獎項的候選人之一，場均得分產出增幅巨大[接近6分]，外加3.1籃板3.1助攻，同時也有領銜全隊的37.7分鐘上場時間。

He entered the league with a need to improve his outside shot and now shoots 40.8 percent from 3-point range on seven attempts per game.

他初進聯盟時的外線投籃被人詬病，現在他場均出手7次三分球，三分命中率達40.8%。

LaVine has the balance of humility and maturity, of desire and a drive for greatness. He enjoys running the pick-and-roll with Towns and relishes running the break with Wiggins.

拉文能夠很好地平衡謙遜和成熟，平衡對於偉大的渴望和幹勁。他喜歡跟唐斯打擋拆戰術，享受與威金斯一起跑快攻。

Around the NBA, executives are closely monitoring the futures of Towns, LaVine and Wiggins, the latter two being eligible for extensions in July.

在NBA範圍內，各位主管正在密切觀摩唐斯、拉文和威金斯這三人的未來，後二者將會在[2017年]7月有資格簽下延長合同。

Within the Timberwolves' locker room, players have heard the comparisons to the oldOklahoma City Thunder trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Only this time, they hope the core three stay together.

在森林狼隊的更衣室內，球員們已經聽說過了這種與以前的俄克拉荷馬城雷霆隊三少——凱文-杜蘭特、拉塞爾-威斯布魯克和詹姆斯-哈登的對比。但是這一次，他們希望這三位核心能夠同時留隊。

"OKC is a comparison that we get a lot and hear a lot," LaVine told The Vertical. "Toronto back when they had Vince [Carter] and [Tracy McGrady] together is another that we hear.

“我們得到了、也聽說了很多與OKC的對比，”拉文跟The Vertical說道，“我們也聽說了與那時還有文斯[-卡特]和[特雷西-麥克格雷迪]的猛龍隊[的對比]。

We try to be our own people. Those groups of guys on those teams are future Hall of Famers, MVPs, MVP candidates. We try to duplicate that, but mostly get wins under our belt.

我們試圖成爲自己。那些球隊組合的傢伙都是未來的名人堂成員、最有價值球員、最有價值球員候選人。我們努力去複製他們，但最重要的是將勝利納入囊中。

"We're all really close. Me, Andrew and Karl. We just take it day by day."

“我們三人都非常親近。我、安德魯和卡爾。我們就是一天一天地融在一起。”

Timberwolves explored several trade options in June, including for Chicago starJimmy Butler, but Thibodeau, also Minnesota's president of basketball operations, now sounds as committed as anyone in the franchise to his young trio.

森林狼隊在[2016年]6月曾探討過幾種交易選項，包括了芝加哥球星吉米-巴特勒，但是錫伯杜——同時也是明尼蘇達的籃球運營總裁——現在跟球隊的其他人一樣對他的“三少”充滿了堅定。

Outside the organization, executives wonder about Minnesota's inclination to keep all three. But within the franchise, there is no question: management and owner Glen Taylor will do whatever it takes financially in order to win.

而其他球隊的主管們則是想知道明尼蘇達留下全部三人的傾向如何。但在球隊內部，這點是毫無疑問的：球隊老闆格倫-泰勒爲了取勝會去做任何經濟上需要做的事情。

"I love our core three guys, and what I love most is their work ethic, their dedication to work," Thibodeau said. "They understand the level we need to reach, particularly defensively, and their work shows that they will work to get it right.

“我大愛我們的三名核心球員，並且我最喜愛的是他們的職業道德、他們對於工作的忘我精神，”錫伯杜說道，“他們知道我們需要達到的層次，尤其是在防守端，並且他們的工作表明瞭他們爲了取得好成績會去努力訓練。

We understand that it's going to take some time and we need to work at it each and every day."

我們明白這個過程會花上一些時間，我們每一天都需要爲之而付諸努力。”

Thibodeau delivered a winning culture in five seasons with the Chicago Bulls, built upon continuity and rigid, disciplined defenses. Minnesota is 10-22 and is concentrating on cleaning up late-game execution and lapses on defense

錫伯杜在芝加哥公牛隊時的五年時間裏傳達了一種贏球文化，這種文化是基於連續性以及紀律嚴明的防守。明尼蘇達現在10勝22負，正專注於清除比賽末端防守端的執行力和失誤的不良現象。

Thibodeau is still searching for these Timberwolves to find an identity defensively and, as he says, "winning habits." LaVine specifically has the tools to succeed as a defender: elite athleticism, long arms, a strong core and disposition to listen.

錫伯杜仍在爲這支森林狼隊找尋他們的防守特性以及——如他說的——“贏球習慣。”拉文特別地擁有成爲一名出色防守者的條件：精英級別的運動能力、一雙長臂、一副強壯的核心部位以及願意聆聽的性情。

"We show flashes of our defensive commitment, but that's one of the harder things for us right now," LaVine told The Vertical. "We need to get used to that, playing consistently hard every play. We have to keep working at it.

“我們展現了我們防守端承諾的閃現，但這仍然是我們目前最艱難的事情之一，”拉文跟The Vertical說道，“我們得去習慣這些，每一回合都持續地拼盡全力。我們必須繼續在防守上下功夫。

We know we're capable at it. We're spectacular athletes. We have to be able to translate that from our offensive game to the defensive end.

我們明白我們能夠做好防守。我們都有着令人驚歎的運動能力，我們要能夠將其轉換到我們攻防兩端的比賽中去。”

"It's a challenge but we're up for it."

“這是一個挑戰，但我們會爲此而奮鬥。”

Those messages from LaVine's father still come, and even a 40-point performance – as LaVine accomplished against Sacramento on Dec. 23 – can use a little guidance and critique outside of Thibodeau's office.

那些來自於拉文父親的信息仍然會來，甚至是在一次40分的表演後——拉文在12月23日（當地時間）對陣薩克拉門託時完成這一壯舉——他也會在錫伯杜的辦公室外收到他父親的一些小指導、小批評。

Three seasons in, and LaVine's determination has everyone around him inquiring how everything has come so swiftly so soon.

處於職業生涯的第三個賽季，拉文的決心讓他周圍的每個人都想知道這一切是如何來得那麼迅猛、那麼飛快的。

"People are surprised at how fast it's going," LaVine said. "It's already my third year, and I remember being in high school like it was yesterday. I've come a long way since my rookie year. I want my game to show everyone for itself."

“人們驚歎於我進程的迅猛，”拉文說道，“這纔是我的第三年，而我還記得高中彷彿昨日。

I've come a long way since my rookie year. I want my game to show everyone for itself."

自從我的新秀賽季以來，我已經取得了很大的進步。我想讓我的比賽爲自己代言。”

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