平凡中綻放偉大！Caruso受訪暢談公牛、新隊友以及LeBron 精選

當芝加哥公牛本季進行陣容翻新時，他們首先想到的就是球隊疲弱的後場防線，先是找來了Lonzo Ball為先發候場奠定了基調，至於替補陣容上的另一把鎖就是Alex Caruso。
公牛與這位27歲的後衛簽下一份4年合約，而球季進行不到20場，他們就知道這份合約給得非常值得。公牛已經徹底撕去過去幾年的爛隊標籤，Caruso以他的強硬防守和靈敏抄截身先士卒做出貢獻，當然還穿插著一些讓人驚呼的灌籃與傳球，不知不覺中已經成為教練團最信賴的球員之一。


美媒採訪了Caruso，暢談公牛在賽季初的成功、他與LeBron James之間的關係，以及休賽期間是如何決定轉戰公牛的。

媒體：我看到Gary Payton II提到你是激勵他的人，實際上你是第一個以雙向合同從發展聯盟被徵召到NBA的球員。你覺得現在成為G聯賽球員的偶像是什麼感想？當您反思自己走過的道路時，你的G聯賽經歷有何幫助？

引用Caruso：這是一個有趣的事實，Alex Caruso：第一個雙向合約招喚上NBA的球員。我為Payton特別感到高興，因為我們在為南灣湖人隊效力時是非常好的朋友。我和他有幾次在球場外閒逛並一起度假，他是個好人，我真的為他感到興奮，因為他找到了屬於自己的定位。他確實有著特殊天賦和才能，他終於在勇士隊證明了這點，他一直在打球只是需要找到一個合適的環境。當你是像我或他這樣的角色球員時，只需找到一個可以讓你最大限度發揮天賦的團隊。

最近公牛對上湖人時，你和LeBron擁抱在一起。去年LeBron曾幫你取了個暱稱“GOAT”，你還記得他第一次這樣叫你的時候嗎？你和LeBron的友誼是怎麼樣的？

引用我不記得他是什麼時候開始叫我“GOAT”的，但我想是在第一個賽季的某個時候，我簽下了NBA合同，那也是我們的冠軍年。那支球隊的偉大之處在於我們是一支充滿活力的球隊，你可以做自己，我就是我。我沒有為那支球隊或我身邊的人改變任何事情。我上場打球，我知道如何打球，我上場為勝利做出貢獻。我認為當比賽開始時他開始信任我，因為我總是會去鎖定我的競爭對手。

當他開始這麼叫我時引起了比應有更多的關注，因為我們在洛杉磯而且還是LeBron。他就是他，當LeBron和湖人參與某個話題時，人們總是會特別關注。他是個很棒的傢伙，是我的兄弟。我在洛杉磯期間的所有人，尤其是那支冠軍隊，我們仍然保持著聯繫。我仍然希望他們每場比賽都好運，除了對上公牛的時候。

我聽說前幾天你在排隊時得到了MVP呼聲的讚美，當你在湖人隊的時候就發生過很多次了，這一點也延續到了公牛隊，你覺得聽起來如何？

引用那不會影響我什麼，第一次發生在洛杉磯，我忍不住笑起來，微微的笑著。現在它可能發生得太頻繁了，我只是在打我的比賽，做我自己，我無法影響球迷鎖要做的任何事情。我對此有一種輕鬆的幽默感，我肯定看到了全部這些東西，他們大多數都很有趣。

Arturas Karnisovas與Marc Eversley為首的新管理層在今年夏天度過一個很棒的休賽期，簽下了你和Lonzo，也完成了對DeMar DeRozan的先簽後換，你認為芝加哥有天會像洛杉磯和紐約那樣對自由球員產生類似的吸引力嗎？

引用是的，我認為AK和Marc在將團隊整合在一起方面做得非常出色。顯然到目前為止，它在球場上展現出來了。我們有很棒的人出現並妥善完成工作，球隊讓每個人都自由的做自己，這很像洛杉磯的那支冠軍球隊。在NBA中，擁有一支能夠產生良好化學反應並將其轉化在球場上的球隊就已經成功了一半。

就自由球員目的地這點來說，我認為所有來到這的人都非常適合。我認為這是個機會，球員想為彼此效力。我知道Lavine是個好人。我知道Vucevic是個好人，我對Lonzo有點了解。當我做出決定時其實是相當容易的。我認為這是一個不錯的選擇，以DeRozan為主，我們組建了一支非常出色的球隊。

我想問問你關於Billy Donovan，聯盟中似乎有很多人喜愛他，我很好奇你認為他做為領導者和教練的表現如何。

引用我認為Donovan是我在聯盟期間遇過最好的溝通者之一。他會告訴球員們期望是什麼，讓球員對他們的水平和對勝利的渴望負責，同時也要保持一切運轉順暢。確保我們的心態正確進入比賽。確保我們了解為什麼要這樣做，以及我們需要做什麼才能變得更好，我認為他在這方面做得很好。

他能夠與球員建立這些關係和信任，他有點像退役球員知道如何與球員交談，也知道要說些什麼才能讓球隊發揮出最好的水準。我認為他對這支球隊來說很棒，到目前為止非常適合，我很高興能繼續和他一起工作。

這支公牛隊有什麼讓你聯想起冠軍湖人嗎？

引用應該是我們所擁有的化學反應。這是我在冠軍球隊時意識到的：你需要那種化學反應，需要那種信任，需要在拉鋸戰比賽時彼此之間的信賴。這能夠幫你贏得勢均力敵的比賽，因為你知道其他人將帶來什麼以及他們將如何在關鍵時刻跳出來。

要成為冠軍爭奪者必須非常出色並有很強的執行力，這是我們需要不斷改進的事情。成為冠軍隊也要一點運氣，你需要保持健康，在需要的時候贏下比賽。

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引用來源

引用AC: That’s a fun fact to write down for your next holiday sports trivia tournament: Alex Caruso, first two-way call-up. I’m especially happy for GP because me and him are still really good friends from when we played for the South Bay Lakers. Me and him have hung out outside of basketball a couple times, taking vacations together, taking some time away from the game just to hang out. He’s a great guy. I’m really excited for him that he found a role on a team. I think he does have some special gifts and special talents that are elite. He’s finally getting to show that with Golden State. He’s always had this game, he just had to find a good fit. That’s so much of what the NBA is about when you’re a role player like myself or like him. Just finding a team that you can maximize your gifts on.

引用來源2

引用I don’t take for granted any of the time I got spend playing with him. I don’t remember when he started calling me “GOAT” but I think it was sometime that first season that I was on a regular NBA contract, the championship year. I think it was sometime then. The great thing about that team is that we had a team full of guys where you were able to kind of be yourself when you show up. I am who I am. I didn’t change anything for that team or who I was around. I was just myself. I went out and played basketball how I know how to play basketball. I went out and affected winning. I think he started trusting me a little bit when games were on the line because I was always locked in being the competitor that I am.

So when he started calling me that, I think it garnered a lot more attention than it should have because we were in LA and it was LeBron. He is who he is and people always pick up on that stuff when LeBron is involved and the Lakers are involved. Now all of the sudden I’m thrown into that stuff as well. He’s a great dude. That’s my brother. All the dudes from my time in LA, especially that championship team, I still keep in contact with. I still wish them luck every game except when they play the Bulls.

引用來源3

引用That doesn’t bother me. The first time it happened in LA, I got a little chuckle out of it, a little smile. Now it probably happens too frequently — which is not that frequent, but probably still too frequently. Me just playing my game and being who I am, I can’t change anything fans do.

The memes are pretty funny. I have a light-hearted sense of humor about it. They always seem to find their way to my group text with my boys back home. I definitely see all of them. Most of them are pretty funny. I don’t put too much thought into it.

引用來源4

引用

Yeah, I think AK and Marc have done a tremendous job putting the team together. Obviously it’s showing a little bit on the court so far. Even within the organization, what people can’t see is we just have great relationships on the team. We have great people. Players who show up and do their job. Let everyone kind of be free and be who they are. It’s a lot like that championship team in LA. That’s half the battle in the NBA is finding a team that can have great chemistry and translate it to the court.

As far as a free agent destination goes, I think all the guys that came here, it was just a good fit. I think it was the opportunity, the financial availability, and then a little bit of desire, guys want to play for each other. I knew Zach is a good dude. I knew Vuc (Nikola Vucevic) is a good dude. I knew Lonzo a little bit. When I made my decision, it was fairly easy when it came down to it. Because of all the things that went into it, I thought it was a great choice. Throw DeMar on top and we put together a really good squad.

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引用來源5

引用I think Billy Donovan is one of the best communicators that I’ve had as a coach in the league. Just as far as telling guys what the expectations are, holding guys accountable to their level and their desire to win. But also keeping everything in perspective. Making sure our mentality is right going into games. Making sure we understand why we did this, why we did that. What we need to do to get better. I think he’s done a great job with that. He’s able to build those relationships and that trust with players because he’s so personal, because he’s a little bit of a former player, he knows how to talk to guys. He knows certain things to say to get the best out of the team. I think he’s been great for this team, great fit so far, I’m excited to continue to get to work with him.

引用來源6

引用The chemistry we have. That’s something I realized when I was on the championship team: you need that chemistry, you need that trust, you need that reliability for each other when you get in close games. To be able to win close games because you know what the other guys are going to bring and how they’re going to step up in crunch time. I feel like we have a little bit of that going. I still think to be a championship contender you have to be really good and execute and be able to almost do it in your sleep. That’s something we need to keep getting better at. There’s a little bit of luck too that goes into being that last team standing. You need to stay healthy, you win games when you need to, hit a couple shots. There’s a lot of stuff that goes into it. From a non-basketball perspective, I think we have the chemistry and comradery to try and grow and see where we can go.