[外電] 以色列來的男孩（續）

看板Kings (沙加緬度國王)作者santabrelai時間16年前 (2010/01/04 20:53)推噓23(23推 0噓 21→)

留言44則, 14人參與討論串1/1

Hoops battles with Mom 澤北榮治的媽媽 Tel Aviv is arresting at dusk, the modern and ancient, the commercial and the charming, colliding along the Mediterranean seafront promenade of hotels, shops and cafes. The Old Clock Tower in Jaffa, perched like a sentry on the hilly southern tip of the picturesque stretch, casts its light in a northerly direction, illuminating the activity below. 黃昏時的Tel Aviv，現代感中又有古老的氣息。地中海風格的飯店、咖啡廳林立的同時，世界上最年長的鐘樓也在南方的山丘上俯望這個城市，用他們的燈光照亮了以下的場景。 Families barbecue on the lawn areas late into the night, their children scampering around, tossing Frisbees or kicking soccer balls. Joggers and skateboarders cruise along the pathway. Youngsters and adults alike make full use of the weight-training equipment that materializes every few hundred yards – a relatively recent addition to encourage physical fitness. 許多家庭在這薄暮時分聚集在草地上烤肉，小孩子們跳著蹦著，丟飛盤或是踢著足球，也有很多人在路上慢跑或是溜滑板。許多年輕人和成年人都喜歡去作重訓，他們會善用每幾百碼就有的重訓器材，這是近來在鼓勵下所增加的習慣。 While Casspi frequented the seafront establishments when he came of age, and admits a fondness for the night life, he cultivated his basketball passion about 15 miles to the south in Yavne, a quiet middle-class suburb of two-story houses, manicured lawns and the occasional hoop in the driveway. 在Casspi漸漸長大的同時，他也愛上了這裡的夜間生活。而他的籃球生活則是成長於 15哩遠的Yavne 南端，一個偏向郊區的地方，路邊有著大量的草坪和許多臨時的籃球架。 Invariably taller than his boyhood friends, Omri patterned his versatile game after former Kings star Hedo Turkoglu. 總是比同輩朋友高大的Omri，學習偶像Hedo Turkoglu一般在場上有多方面的建樹。 Casspi's connection to the Kings is an unexpected bonus: Sherf, who coached Casspi with the national team and briefly with Maccabi, coached former King Peja Stojakovic during the small forward's final season in Greece. Casspi和國王還有另一個連結，他的國家隊教練Sherf 在Peja Stojakovic 最後一個希臘賽季時，也曾經教過他。 "Zvika always tell me, 'If you want to be great shooter, watch Peja,' " Casspi related with a chuckle. " 'Shoot, shoot, shoot.' All the time. 'Shoot, shoot, shoot.' He loves Peja." 「Zvika 總是告訴我：『想要當個偉大射手，就去看Peja』。射射射就對了！他愛死 Peja了。」Casspi笑著說。 "They are two different people, two different players," offered Sherf. "But both love the basketball." 「他們是不同的選手，但他們都愛籃球。」Sherf說。 While Shimon Casspi supervised his younger son's basketball endeavors, insisting that coaches play Omri away from the basket to develop his passing and play-making skills, it was his mother, Ilana, an elementary schoolteacher and accomplished player in her own right, who goaded him into endless one-on-one contests in the driveway. Shimon Casspi 是他小兒子籃球路上的監督者，但讓小兒子發展出投射、傳球、Play -making 技巧的卻是媽媽Ilana 。這位小學老師和前女子球員和兒子的單挑是Casspi成長的動力。 "She would throw up hook shots, play with her back to the basket," recalled Casspi. "She could beat me for a long time. Then the first time I won – I think I was 14 or 15 – she tell me, 'We don't play no more.' " 「她會鉤射、背框單打，我被她電了超久，好不容易在我第一次贏球後（大約十四還十五歲吧），她告訴我：『PK到此為止。』」Casspi回憶著。 Casspi soon set out on the path that preceded his selection by the Kings. At age 17, he made his professional debut with Maccabi. A few months later, he was loaned to Hapoel Galil Elyon in northern Israel, where he played extensive minutes for Kattash. He returned to Maccabi for the 2007-09 seasons, earning consideration for European Player of the Year (fourth) and recognition as Israel's premier small forward. Casspi接下來就朝著他的被選之路前進，十七歲的他進入Maccabi ，開始打職業籃球。幾個月後他被借將到Hapoel Galil Elyon打球，在那兒他獲得了大量的上場時間。07到 09賽季他回到Maccabi ，獲得了歐洲年度球員（第四名）的肯定，也成了以色列主力小前鋒。 Before submitting his name for the NBA draft, however, he had to secure his release from Maccabi and inform Sherf that he was unavailable for the European Championships in September. 在被宣佈中選之前，他必須要確定Maccabi 放他走，還得通知Sherf 他沒辦法為球隊出戰九月的歐冠賽。 Sherf was far from pleased. Sherf 很不爽。 "The national team is my life," the coach said. 「國家隊是我的生命。」教練說。 Longtime Maccabi President Shimon Mizrahi, the most powerful basketball figure in Israel for the past 40 years, wasn't thrilled about his former star's decision, either. 長期擔任Maccabi 總裁的Shimon Mizrahi，已經是以色列的籃球象徵長達四十年之久，他對Casspi的決定也是不怎麼開心。 Yet unlike Berkowitz and Kattash, one-time NBA prospects who pleaded unsuccessfully to be released from their Maccabi contracts, Casspi's deal included a $250,000 buyout clause, averting a potential crisis. 還好不像Berkowitz和Kattash一樣，這兩位在中選後都沒辦法前往NBA ，他們的合約讓他們得留下來，而Casspi的合約上則有一個二十五萬的買斷條款，讓他可以避免這件事。 "Nobody had an option (opt out clause) in their contract back when I played," Berkowitz said. "We didn't know better. I went to Mizrahi and said: 'The Atlanta Hawks want me. I can be first European and first Israeli in NBA.' They said no. 「我們那個年代還沒有跳出條款，我們也不知道怎麼做，當時我就是告訴Mizrahi 說：『亞特蘭大老鷹選了我，我可以成為第一個歐洲球員和以色列球員。』他們也只告訴我這不可能。」Berkowitz說。 "So I took Maccabi to court. And you know what the judge said? 'Why do you want to go to America and be one of 11 players? In Israel, there is only one Berkowitz. I will not release you.' " 「所以我和Maccabi 鬧上了法庭，你知道法官說什麼嗎？『為什麼你要去美國當十一位球員裡的一人呢？以色列只有一個Berkowitz ，我不會放你走。』」 The matter still rankles. A trim and athletic figure at 54, Berkowitz sighed several times while telling his story. "Looking back on my career," he added, "the one thing I am missing is to make the NBA. The dream didn't come true. 這件事真的很令Berkowitz 傷心，現齡五十四歲的前運動員在提起此事時不停嘆息，「回顧我的籃球生涯，我錯過的就是沒法前往NBA ，夢想不能如願。」 "But Omri … he made it." 「但Omri....他做到了。」（待續） -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 125.224.131.208

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