扎克拉文:吾乃"狼族三少"之一（在线收听）

　　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.

　　甚至现在，在赛后走回更衣室的那段路程里，扎克-拉文知道什么在等着他：来自他父亲的电话留言。拉文是前NFL球员保罗-拉文的儿子，而保罗仍然会去详细分析这位明尼苏达森林狼队后卫的每一个动作以及每一次投篮。

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

　　扎克称他父亲是他最好的朋友，是他的人生导师和垃圾话老师。

　　"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.

　　“如果我哪天的投篮很糟糕，我父亲会带我去到球馆，”拉文跟The Vertical说道，“他每天都在念叨，他是我最大的批评家。

　　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.'

　　当我还小的时候，我们一对一斗牛时他总是会在低位背打我……[他]身高6尺5，体重300磅，强壮得像一头公牛。我过去常说，‘哟，这真不公平。’”

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

　　“他再也不能那样做了，现在我会跃起给他送出大帽。”

　　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.

　　拉文已经将他的比赛从崎岖不平的后院上升到了NBA的赛场。他提升了他的技巧，努力去填补缺陷，并且在本赛季打出越来越惊人的表演。

　　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.

　　拉文与安德鲁-威金斯和卡尔-安东尼-唐斯一同成为森林狼队冉冉升起的三颗新星——主教练汤姆-锡伯杜将他们称作“三核心”——他们能够帮助球队成为NBA的下一个总冠军有力竞争者。

　　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年从华盛顿州的一所高中[巴萨尔]毕业，在UCLA读了一年后，2014年参加选秀，在第13顺位被球队选中。他的家人[时常]问他：时间都去哪儿了？拉文不计夏夜冬日投入时间去打磨他的跳投和控球，以找到心中灯塔。

　　"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.

　　“我一直以来都是一个非常有自信的人，我也深知利用好生活给予你的机会是多么的重要，”拉文跟The Vertical说道。

　　"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.

　　“我努力去让我的比赛为我说话。你想要证明外界的很多人以及他们的批评是错误的。而这正是你在休赛期努力训练、在球馆里泡上一个又一个小时的原因。”

　　"I like proving people wrong about me."

　　“我喜欢证明人们对我的看法是错误的。”

　　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——目前场均21分，投篮命中率为47.3%——是联盟中最好的年轻后卫之一。威金斯和唐斯的身上永远携带着前状元秀的影响力，但是21岁的拉文，在某些夜晚交出的表现已经变成三人中最优秀的。

　　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."

　　正如某支球队的主管说道，“他由衷地热爱篮球，或许在参加选秀时这个方面被他的其他特性掩盖了。2014届选秀是非常有天赋的一届，而他最后能成为最好的球员之一。”

　　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.

　　大部分夜晚里，在威金斯和唐斯的身边，拉文是球队的第三进攻选择；但是，他已经脱颖而出成为NBA进步最快球员奖项的候选人之一，场均得分产出增幅巨大[接近6分]，外加3.1篮板3.1助攻，同时也有领衔全队的37.7分钟上场时间。

　　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.

　　他初进联盟时的外线投篮被人诟病，现在他场均出手7次三分球，三分命中率达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.

　　拉文能够很好地平衡谦逊和成熟，平衡对于伟大的渴望和干劲。他喜欢跟唐斯打挡拆战术，享受与威金斯一起跑快攻。

　　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范围内，各位主管正在密切观摩唐斯、拉文和威金斯这三人的未来，后二者将会在[2017年]7月有资格签下延长合同。

　　狼三少

　　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.

　　在森林狼队的更衣室内，球员们已经听说过了这种与以前的俄克拉荷马城雷霆队三少——凯文-杜兰特、拉塞尔-威斯布鲁克和詹姆斯-哈登的对比。但是这一次，他们希望这三位核心能够同时留队。

　　"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.

　　“我们得到了、也听说了很多与OKC的对比，”拉文跟The Vertical说道，“我们也听说了与那时还有文斯[-卡特]和[特雷西-麦克格雷迪]的猛龙队[的对比]。

　　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.

　　我们试图成为自己。那些球队组合的家伙都是未来的名人堂成员、最有价值球员、最有价值球员候选人。我们努力去复制他们，但最重要的是将胜利纳入囊中。

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

　　“我们三人都非常亲近。我、安德鲁和卡尔。我们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.

　　森林狼队在[2016年]6月曾探讨过几种交易选项，包括了芝加哥球星吉米-巴特勒，但是锡伯杜——同时也是明尼苏达的篮球运营总裁——现在跟球队的其他人一样对他的“三少”充满了坚定。

　　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.

　　而其他球队的主管们则是想知道明尼苏达留下全部三人的倾向如何。但在球队内部，这点是毫无疑问的：球队老板格伦-泰勒为了取胜会去做任何经济上需要做的事情。

　　"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.

　　“我大爱我们的三名核心球员，并且我最喜爱的是他们的职业道德、他们对于工作的忘我精神，”锡伯杜说道，“他们知道我们需要达到的层次，尤其是在防守端，并且他们的工作表明了他们为了取得好成绩会去努力训练。

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

　　我们明白这个过程会花上一些时间，我们每一天都需要为之而付诸努力。”

　　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

　　锡伯杜在芝加哥公牛队时的五年时间里传达了一种赢球文化，这种文化是基于连续性以及纪律严明的防守。明尼苏达现在10胜22负，正专注于清除比赛末端防守端的执行力和失误的不良现象。

　　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.

　　锡伯杜仍在为这支森林狼队找寻他们的防守特性以及——如他说的——“赢球习惯。”拉文特别地拥有成为一名出色防守者的条件：精英级别的运动能力、一双长臂、一副强壮的核心部位以及愿意聆听的性情。

　　"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.

　　“我们展现了我们防守端承诺的闪现，但这仍然是我们目前最艰难的事情之一，”拉文跟The Vertical说道，“我们得去习惯这些，每一回合都持续地拼尽全力。我们必须继续在防守上下功夫。

　　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.

　　我们明白我们能够做好防守。我们都有着令人惊叹的运动能力，我们要能够将其转换到我们攻防两端的比赛中去。”

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

　　“这是一个挑战，但我们会为此而奋斗。”

　　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.

　　那些来自于拉文父亲的信息仍然会来，甚至是在一次40分的表演后——拉文在12月23日（当地时间）对阵萨克拉门托时完成这一壮举——他也会在锡伯杜的办公室外收到他父亲的一些小指导、小批评。

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

　　处于职业生涯的第三个赛季，拉文的决心让他周围的每个人都想知道这一切是如何来得那么迅猛、那么飞快的。

　　"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."

　　“人们惊叹于我进程的迅猛，”拉文说道，“这才是我的第三年，而我还记得高中仿佛昨日。

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

　　自从我的新秀赛季以来，我已经取得了很大的进步。我想让我的比赛为自己代言。”