[外絮] 頂級高中球員Jalen Green選擇從G League前進NBA

Top high school player Jalen Green enters NBA/G League pathway
頂級高中球員Jalen Green選擇從G League前進NBA

https://es.pn/34GUwRB by Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski

California high school star Jalen Green, the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 ESPN
100, is making the leap to a reshaped NBA professional pathway program -- a GLeague initiative that sources say will pay elite prospects $500,000-plus andprovide a one-year development program outside of the minor league's
traditional team structure.

加州的高中明星球員Jalen Green，ESPN 2020年高中生百大排行中第一的潛力新秀，決定選擇不同樣貌的NBA職涯道路 -- 也就是全新的G League企劃。根據消息來源指出，這個為期一年、獨立於傳統小聯盟球隊架構以外的培養計畫中，預計將會提供潛力新秀們50萬鎂以上的薪水。

Green -- a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft -- announced
Thursday that he is bypassing college to become the professional pathway's
first participant, a decision that likely clears the way for more commitmentsfrom elite prospects.

Green -- 2021年選秀狀元的潛在人選之一，在本週四宣布了他選擇不用大學做為開啟職涯的第一步，這個決定很可能將為其他的潛力新秀們開啟了全新的道路。

His decision to join the NBA and G League's development program for the
2020-21 season has broad implications for the future of the NCAA and NBA
landscapes. NBA commissioner Adam Silver and G League president Shareef
Abdur-Rahim have worked to eliminate two massive hurdles to convincing
players uninterested in college basketball to pass on the lucrative National
Basketball League of Australia by providing a massive salary increase and a
structure that doesn't include playing full time in the G League.

他選擇加入NBA跟G League在2020-21賽季的發展計畫的決定對於未來NCAA與NBA之間的關係有非常重大的意義。NBA主席Adam Silver與G League總裁Shareef Abdur-Rahim攜手合作，致力於消除阻礙，讓那些對大學籃球沒興趣的球員願意跳過有利可圖的澳洲職籃NBL，並且不需要在G League全職出賽。

Once top 2020 draft prospects LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton chose to play
professionally in Australia this year, Silver became more determined in
pushing Abdur-Rahim to explore a financial and basketball structure that
enticed top American prospects. Green represents a massive breakthrough for
the NBA's long-standing goal of gaining access to top prospects who want an
alternative to the NCAA.

在今年2020選秀梯的潛力新秀LaMelo Ball跟RJ Hampton選擇去澳洲打職籃以後，Silver開始十分堅定的要求Abdur-Rahim必須找出一個在財務以及籃球上足夠吸引美國潛力新秀的制度。而Green這次的決定便象徵了NBA一個長期目標的重大突破，成功的提供頂級新秀們在NCAA以外的選擇。

"That's a real program that the NBL has," Abdur-Rahim told ESPN. "It's
appealing. We have kids leaving the United States -- Texas and California andGeorgia -- to go around the world to play, and our NBA community has to
travel there to scout them. That's counterintuitive. The NBA is the best
development system in the world, and those players shouldn't have to go
somewhere else to develop for a year. They should be in our development
system."

「這是一個NBL他們實際在執行的計畫。」Abdur-Rahim告訴ESPN：「它確實很有吸引力，我們有些孩子離開了美國 -- 德州、加州和喬治亞 -- 去世界的其他地方打球，而我們NBA的團隊就得跑到那邊才能觀察他們，這件事真的很違反直覺。NBA就已經有全世界最好的養成系統了，那些球員不該跑到其他地方去養成一年，他們應該要留在我們的體系內。」

The NBA's talks remain stalled with the National Basketball Players
Association on an agreement to end the one-and-done draft model, leaving thisrevamped pro pathway program as a bridge to what is believed will be the
eventual elimination of the rule requiring American players to wait a year
after high school graduation before entering the draft.

先前NBA與球員工會之間為了消除one-and-done選秀模式的談判有所停滯，而這次提出的職涯計畫將會扮演橋樑的角色，來促成刪除要求美國球員必須在高中畢業後隔一年才能參加選秀的規定。

Green is committing to become part of a yearlong developmental program with GLeague oversight that will include professional coaching, top prospects and
veteran players who will combine training and exhibition competitions againstthe likes of G League teams, foreign national teams and NBA academies
throughout the world, sources said.

Green所參加的這個一年期的發展企劃中，包含了G League提供的職業教練執教，潛力新秀與老將們將會一起訓練，並且在表演賽中對上其他G League球隊、外國國家隊以及NBA在世界各地的學院隊伍。

The season could include 10 to 12 games against G League teams that wouldn't
count in standings, sources said. The primary objective will be assimilation
and growth into the NBA on several levels -- from playing to the teaching of
life skills.

這一季預計將會與其他G League球隊打上10-12場左右，比賽結果不影響排名。最主要的目標在於讓他們在各種層面上獲得成長並與NBA產生歸屬 -- 從打球到生活的各種技能都是。

The salary bonus structure in Green's contract, for example, is expected to
include financial incentives for games played, completing community events
and attending life skills programs coordinated by the G League's oversight ofthe program, sources said.

在Green合約的獎金架構中，舉例來說，他的激勵獎金預計將會包含出賽數、完成的社群活動以及參加由G League官方所舉辦的生活技能課程。

The NBA's plan is to stock this team with veteran pro players who would be
willing to balance mentorship of Green and other prospects with the personal
opportunities that might emerge because of the intense NBA scouting exposure
that will come with these teams.

NBA計畫放一些樂於指導新人的老將進入這支球隊，他們會扮演Green以及其他潛力新秀
的導師，協助他們把握在NBA球探的密集觀察中所得到的機會。

Former NBA Coach of the Year Sam Mitchell is expected to be considered as oneof the candidates to lead the team, sources said.

前NBA年度教練，Sam Mitchell預期將會是這支球隊的教練人選之一。

Abdur-Rahim and G League executive Rod Strickland have spent over a year
communicating with families of top prospects about changes that would be
needed in the NBA's original plan to deliver a viable alternative to college
basketball and other global professional leagues.

Abdur-Rahim和G League執行長Rod Strickland已經花了一年的時間和這些潛力新秀的家庭做溝通，了解他們一開始的計畫中哪些部分需要做調整才能變成足以和大學籃球以及國外職籃競爭的選項。

Abdur-Rahim reported back to Silver on the factors that he believed needed
altering for the program to become viable. First, the $125,000 salary lagged
significantly behind mid-six-figure offers in Australia. Also, those advisingplayers had a trepidation about top high schoolers losing draft value by
getting overmatched on G League rosters against older, more mature players,
as well as the mentally and physically taxing minor league lifestyle. The
idea of getting dropped into remote G League cities as a teenager concerned
families too.

Abdur-Rahim向Silver回報了計畫中的哪些部分需要改變才行。首先，12.5萬鎂的薪水完全比不上澳洲50萬鎂上下的薪水。另外，這些高中生如果在和年紀更大、更成熟的G League球員們對陣時被打爆，他們十分擔憂這會影響到他們的選秀身價，還有直接進入小聯盟式的生活對於球員生理和心理上的考驗。如果讓青少年們跑到遙遠的G League球隊城市的話也會讓他們的家庭擔心。

"When you look around the world at the market that's been created, where we
started at $125,000 wasn't enough -- certainly not in itself," Abdur-Rahim
told ESPN. "There was also uncertainty about where I would be playing [in theG League]. There was uncertainty about whether an affiliated team would be
incentivized to develop me. All of that made the program in its original formtougher. You can't isolate any of that. For a top kid with options, that was
a tough sell."

「看了全世界目前的市價之後，我們一開始訂在12.5萬鎂的確是不夠的。」Abdur-Rahim告訴ESPN：「對於會在哪個G League城市打球的不確定性，對於一支有母隊的球隊來說是否願意栽培潛力新秀的不確定性；這些都讓我們一開始的計畫對他們來說過於艱難。你不能把這些考量擺到一邊去，對於一個有選項的頂尖孩子來說，這會讓你打動不了他。」

Another prospect in discussion to join the G League professional pathway is
McDonald's All American Isaiah Todd, the No. 13 player in the 2020 ESPN 100.
He decommitted from Michigan this week. Other uncommitted prospects,
including Makur Maker, Karim Mane and Kai Sotto, could be candidates to join
Green in the program, sources said.

另一個在討論是否要加入G League職涯計畫的是麥當勞全明星賽的Isaiah Todd，2020
ESPN百大高中生排行第十三，他在本週決定取消前往Michigan大學。其他尚未決定去處的潛力新秀中，包含Makur Maker、Karim Mane和Kai Sotto，可能也是和Green一起加入這計畫的人選。

With the NBA season shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic and the
league losing significant money by the day, the timing of the financial
investment in the program is an even more dramatic decision. With the
uncertainty surrounding college sports environments for the coming year in a
pandemic, the professional pathway program could represent a controlled
environment that more ensures development and care for the NBA's most prized
resource: its young talent.

當NBA本季因為武漢肺炎而停賽的現在聯盟損失了大量的金錢，此刻對這計畫的投資變成了更加戲劇性的決定。明年的大學運動環境依然有著被疫情影響的不確定性，這個職涯計畫可以提供更加受控的環境，能夠確保NBA最珍貴的資產 -- 年輕的天賦 -- 可以得到培養與照顧。

Without the restrictions of NCAA amateurism rules, players are free to hire
agents, profit from likenesses and pursue marketing deals from sneaker
companies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hampton signed a shoe deal
with Chinese sneaker company Li-Ning as part of an endorsement deal he signedafter committing to the Australian NBL.

在沒有NCAA業餘化規則的限制之下，球員能夠自由的雇用經紀人、藉由自己的人氣來獲利並且與球鞋公司簽下價值不菲的合約。RJ Hampton在確定去NBL打球之後，就和中國球鞋公司李寧簽下了合約。

Green is expected to be in line for a seven-figure shoe deal this year,
sources said. He could have been the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft if
he was eligible, and he already has a significant social media footprint and
following.

Green被認為今年將能夠簽下七位數的球鞋合約，他甚至被認為若是能參加2020選秀的話會是選秀狀元，現在的他已經在社群媒體上十分活躍並且有許多支持者。

A native of Fresno, California, Green won gold medals with USA Basketball at
the FIBA U17 and U19 World Championship in 2018 and 2019. Auburn, Memphis,
Oregon, Florida State, USC and Fresno State were some of the college programsvying for Green's commitment.

來自加州Fresno的Green在2018、2019分別在美國隊的U17跟U19拿下金牌。Auburn、
Memphis、Oregon、Florida State、USC和Fresno State都提供獎學金希望讓他加盟。

心得：

能夠成功延攬目前的高中第一人加入這個全新的G League計畫對於NBA來說是一大勝利，NCAA不再是頂級高中生的唯一選擇。

Jalen Green高中Highlight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XT7TWYxu1vU

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