夜空中最亮的 孤獨的星
The NBA is in the midst of a scoring boom as necessary as it is glorious.
如今的NBA，絢爛的得分表演比比皆是。NBA需要這樣的表演。That's because pro basketball, already the most predictable of the major American sports, has only gotten easier to forecast in the super-team era.
職業籃球本已經是美國主流體育賽事中最容易預測的項目，而如今在超級球隊林立的時代，其結果的預測變得更加簡單了。Barring injury or acts of god, the Cavaliers will likely meet the Warriors in the Finals this June.
只要沒有傷病，或者不出現什麼超神的表現，騎士應該將在今年六月面對勇士。
I mean, obviously having two, three, or even four star scorers and being a conference-finals-level team is preferable. But, barring that, what's better? Nothing.
雖然讓兩個、三個甚至四個超級得分手組隊併成爲總決賽級別的球隊，也能讓球迷滿意，但是除此之外，還有什麼更好的劇情嗎？並沒有。Eight teams—the Warriors, Cavs, Bucks, Timberwolves, Suns, Trail Blazers, Raptors, and Wizards—have multiple players averaging at least 20 a game. And more than a dozen teams pin their hopes, night to night, on a single net-shrefgbing(?) scorer.
勇士、騎士、雄鹿、森林狼、太陽、開拓者、猛龍和奇才等8支球隊，都擁有至少兩位場均20+球員。還有超過12支球隊每晚都把得分希望寄託在一個一次次命中投籃的球員身上。Below is a guide to the four different kinds of Lone Stars in the NBA, along with their historical patron saints.
後者就是那些獨自閃耀的球星。下文將介紹NBA中4種這樣獨自帶領球隊的球員，同時也會介紹歷史上對應各個類型的先驅者。The Force of Nature
自然之力The Force of Nature is a player who was already a widely acknowledged MVP-level talent when a systemic shift in team philosophy pushes him to a surreal level of performance and lifts his team to a surprising level of relevance.
自然之力，指一個本就有着公認MVP水平的球員，由於球隊體系的變化，其自身表現達到了不可思議的級別，同時也出人意料地提升了整支球隊的表現。Patron Saint: Point God Michael Jordan, March-May 1989 (32.1 points, 9.2 assists, and 8.3 rebounds)
先驅者：“打控衛的神”邁克爾-喬丹，1989年3月-5月（32.1分，9.2助攻，8.3籃板）The second half of Michael Jordan's 1988-89 season is one of the great road-not-taken stretches in NBA history. MJ's air-walking, high-scoring exploits had already made him a pop culture sensation.
邁克爾-喬丹1988-89賽季的後半段，是NBA歷史上前無古人的偉大表演之一。在當時，他的空中漫步和得分表演，己經讓他成爲了流行文化中的標誌人物。Current Practitioners: Russell Westbrook (30.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 10.3 assists); James Harden: 28.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 11.7 assists
實踐者：拉塞爾-威斯布魯克（30.7分，10.5籃板，10.3助攻）；詹姆斯-哈登（28.4分，8.3籃板，11.7助攻）We all know that the Thunder once had three stratospheric stars, including Russ and Harden.
我們都知道，包括威少和哈登，雷霆曾有三個同等級的球星。What good does it do to revisit how OKC used to contrast Russ's relentless "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds" attack with the Beard's loping, off-kilter cerebralism.
當年的雷霆，既有威少不停地咆哮“我是死神，我要毀滅地球”的狂攻，也有大鬍子跳躍而脫線的抽象風格。So much has already been written about the absurd seasons that these two are having and their intertwined career histories.
對於他們本賽季不科學的表現，和他們雙子星一般糾纏的職業生涯，如今已經有很多文章稱讚他們了。They've been empowered to run their teams as, essentially, coaches on the floor. And, as a result, each player is putting up numbers that look like deranged hallucinations beamed in from an alternate reality that operates by video game rules.
他們都獲得了場上教練的權力以帶領球隊前進。所以，兩位球員都打出了夢幻的數據，他們的數據就像是籃球遊戲世界照進三次元的一縷瘋狂的幻象。The Rebel
叛逆者The Rebel is sort of like a potentially to MUYDc Force of Nature. He puts up top-5-player-esque raw numbers, but, due to a variety of reasons, it's unclear whether you would actually want him on your team.
叛逆者，大概就是有着潛在危害的自然之力。他能拿到聯盟前五級別的數據，但由於各種原因，你可能不一定會希望他來你的主隊。Maybe the player's statistics curdle under a more rigorous analysis. Maybe the player takes an, at best, part-time interest in defense.
也許是因爲在更加深入分析之後，他的數據站不住腳。也許是因爲他最多隻會偶爾認真防守。Perhaps the player's personality or off-the-court predilections are a distraction, or his team loses a lot. It could be all of the above.
也許是因爲他的人品，或者場下的愛好削弱了你的喜愛。也許是因爲他的球隊輸得太多了。以上這些都有可能是原因。Patron Saint: Allen Iverson, 1999-2004 (28.7 points, 4.1 assists, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals)
先驅者：阿倫-艾弗森，1999-2004 (28.7分，4.1籃板，5.2助攻，2.5搶斷）The two emblematic plays of Iverson's career—rookie A.I. crossing up Michael Jeffrey Jordan during a regular-season game, and MVP-season A.I. stepping over the crumpled body of Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals—tell you everything you need to know about his particular place in NBA history.
艾弗森生涯當中的兩個經典鏡頭——新秀AI在一場常規賽中晃過邁克爾-傑弗裏-喬丹，和MVP賽季的AI，在2001年總決賽第一場跨過敗北的泰倫-盧——能夠表明他在NBA歷史中有着多麼獨特的地位。Iverson didn't simply want to compete against Jordan and the Lakers, he wanted to embarrass both of them. He was a figure of rebellion, a countercultural force.
艾弗森不僅僅是想和喬丹、湖人比賽，他想做的是羞辱他們。他是叛逆的標誌，代表着反傳統的勢力。To be an Iverson fan was to state yourself in opposition to traditions and all who espoused them. Unfortunately, in the long run, those traditionalists are usually right.
做一個艾弗森的粉絲，就要站在傳統的對立面，與傳統的擁護者爲敵。不幸的是，長期來看，傳統主義者往往是對的。Current Practitioner: DeMarcus Cousins (28.1 points, 10 rebounds, 4.2 assists)
實踐者：德馬庫斯-考辛斯(28.1分，10籃板，4.2助攻）Which brings us to Boogie. When focused, he is one of the 10 best players in the NBA. He can post, face-up, and take dudes off the dribble.
叛逆者，讓我們想到我們的大表妹。在他專注的時候，他是NBA前十的球員。他能背打，能面框，能運球甩開防守。Off the court, rebelliousness is a destructive force. Despite the gaudy numbers, the emblematic moment of Boogie's 2016-17 season happened in the locker room.
在場下，他的叛逆是一種毀滅性的能量。除了亮眼的數據，表妹在2016-17賽季的代表瞬間是在更衣室裏。On December 20, Cousins was fined $50,000 for menacing a Sacramento Bee reporter in an incident caught on tape. Later that night, Boogie buried the Blazers with 55 points and 13 rebounds.
12月20日，考辛斯被罰款50,000美元，因爲他在一次被錄下來的言語衝突中，威脅了薩克拉門託蜜蜂報的記者。當天晚上，表妹打爆了開拓者，拿下55分13籃板。It was the most-Boogie 12 hours in history, and will be until the next most-Boogie thing happens.
這暫時是史上最表妹的12個小時，讓我們期待下一個表妹時刻的到來吧。
The Grandfather Clause
祖父條款When a storied but fading star's legacy-cementing or victory-lap season (or seasons) threatens to stunt a team's rebuilding process. And there's nothing that anyone can do about it.
當一個傳奇但日趨衰退的球星，在即將達到里程碑的賽季或者最後一個（或幾個）賽季，已經開始阻礙到球隊的重建，即爲祖父條款。而且對此任何人都無能爲力。Patron Saint: Kobe Bryant, 2014-15 (22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists)
先驅者：科比-布萊恩特，2014-15賽季 (22.3分，5.7籃板，5.6助攻）Bryant played only 35 games this season before succumbing to a rotator cuff injury. But, even in street clothes, his shadow loomed over the Staples Center. And rightly so.
科比這個賽季只打了35場，隨後遍遭遇了肩袖傷病。不過，即使是穿着便服坐在場下，他的陰影依然籠罩着斯臺普斯中心。並且光明正大。Kobe scored 81 points in a game, dunked on Yao, dunked on Dwight Howard, dunked on Steve Nash, named himself the "Black Mamba," dunked on Josh Smith, brought joy to Jack Nicholson's life.
他曾單場81分，隔扣過姚明，隔扣過德懷特-霍華德，隔扣過史蒂夫-納什，自名爲“黑曼巴”，隔扣過約什-史密斯，爲傑克-尼克東森帶來過許多歡樂。Most importantly, helped the Lakers put five more trophies in their already bulging hardware case. When a player is that important to a franchise, when his legacy tints every move, it can be difficult to move on.
最重要的是，爲湖人已經塞不下的陳列櫃中又多放了五個總冠軍獎盃。如果一個球員對一支球隊已經如此重要，他所做的一切都可以被淡化，自然球隊（的重建）也難以前進。Current Practitioner: Carmelo Anthony (22.2 points, six rebounds, 3.1 assists)
實踐者：卡梅羅-安東尼（22.2分，6籃板，3.1助攻）At 32, Melo is, naturally, showing some signs of slowing down. He's posting his worst shooting percentage (43) since his rookie season.
32歲的甜瓜，已經自然而然地顯露出一些疲態了。他的投籃命中率（43%）是新秀賽季以來最低。While Melo's hold-dribble-and-jab iso game can be unsightly, and his lack of defensive desire can be mafgbening(?), he,s still a potent enough scorer.
雖然如今甜瓜“拿球-運球-後撤步”的單打模式並不好看，而且對防守的態度讓人抓狂，他依然是一個強大的得分手。Make no mistake, I'm no great fan of Melo's style. Watching him jab step for 15 minutes like a horse pawing out his age in the dirt makes my eyelids twitch.
沒錯，我並不喜歡甜瓜打球的風格。看着他做15分鐘後撤步，就像小馬不停地用蹄子劃拉着沙土，讓我昏昏欲睡。Yet, I can't pin too much of the Knicks current swoon on him.
不過，我也不能將尼克斯如今的頹勢太多地歸咎於他。The common denominator linking the current shitty season with the past 15 years of shitty Knicks seasons is the corrosive effect of New York's institutional dysfunction. Not Carmelo Anthony.
把目前的這個紐約尼克斯和過去15年來的那支紐約尼克斯聯繫在一起的共通點，是其整體機構層面上的功能障礙不停腐蝕着這支球隊，而不是卡梅羅-安東尼。The Large Adult Ticket
大球票When an MVP-level player puts up ludicrous statistics in service of a losing team stricken by bad luck and mismanagement. With the Large Adult Ticket, a star's prime years take on a tragic, wasted feel—like screaming poetry into a void.
當一個MVP水準的球員，在一支不斷遭遇厄運並且管理混亂的爛隊，打出不科學的數據，便可以稱爲大球票。對他們來說，作爲一個球星，巔峯的年華只化作悲劇的泡影，就像對着空氣，大聲讀着沒有人聽的詩。Patron Saint: Kevin Garnett, 1999-2007 (22.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 5 assists)
先驅者：凱文-加內特，1999-2007(22.5分，12.7籃板，5助攻）In October 1997, Kevin Garnett, then only 21 years old, signed a six-year, $126 million contract extension with the Timberwolves. It was the richest deal in league history.
1997年10月，只有21歲的凱文-加內特，和森林狼簽下了六年1億2600萬的續約合同。這是聯盟歷史上最貴的合同。And, like anything historic, it had unforeseen consequences.
而且，和每一個歷史性的事件一樣，這份合同帶來了意想不到的一系列後果。All these factors, combined with the bad luck of being in a cutthroat Western Conference laden with generational big men (Webber, Shaq, Nowitzki, Duncan, Amar'e for a hot second), resulted in Garnett and the Wolves' infamous stretch of seven consecutive first-round eMUYDts.
所有這些因素，再加上不幸生於令人窒息，有着一票歷史級內線（韋伯、奧尼爾、諾維茨基、巔峯斯塔德-邁爾）的西部，只得加內特和狼隊遭遇不光彩的七連首輪遊了。Current Practitioner: Anthony Davis (29 points, 12 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 steals)
實踐者：安東尼-戴維斯（29分，12籃板，2.2助攻，2.5蓋帽，1.3搶斷）Last season, Pelicans players missed 351 games due to injury, per In Street Clothes. It was the highest mark in the association and more than twice the league average.
上個賽季，根據網站In Street Clothes的記錄，鵜鶘球員總共因傷缺席了351場比賽。這是聯盟最高紀錄，平均值的兩倍多。Naturally, the basic competence of the team's medical and training staff has been fairly called into question.
自然，我們不得不對這支球隊的隊醫和訓練員的能力提出公正的質疑。Davis is signed through 2021 (with an opt-out after 2020). For the good of mankind, the Pelicans must keep Anthony Davis healthy.
戴維斯的合同一直簽到2021年（2020年有球員選項）。即使是爲了拯救人類，鵜鶘也千萬要保證安東尼-戴維斯的健康。更多精彩內容請關注微信公衆號、新浪微博：籃球英文堂
