當你被交易時 - PPat經驗談 - NBA

You’ve Been Traded
日　　期：Feb 19 2015
作　　者：Patrick Patterson(現役多倫多暴龍隊球員)
原文連結：
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/nba-trade-deadline-patrick-patterson/
http://miupix.cc/pm-BS1DHL


The first time I was traded, I was completely blindsided.

我第一次被交易的時候，完全措手不及。

It was February, the middle of the season, and my team, the Houston Rockets,
was hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder. I went through my normal game day
routine: put some shots up, took a nap, grabbed some food, went to the arena,
took a shower and then started watching film. The coaching staff entered to
give us their usual pre-game scouting report, and as I was lacing up my
sneakers, our head trainer told me that the general manager and the vice
president of basketball operations needed to talk to me.

那時是二月，球季中。我所屬的火箭隊，即將在主場迎戰奧克拉荷馬雷霆隊。
我一如往常按表操課：練投、睡午覺、吃點東西、抵達球場、淋浴，然後開始
研究影片。教練團跟平常一樣給我們一份賽前球探報告。我正在繫鞋帶的時候，
首席防護員跟我說，球隊經理和副總裁想找我談談。

This didn’t make any alarms go off in my head. I was in my third year in the
league, all of them spent with the Rockets, and I was having my best season
yet. I also had a really solid relationship with the GM and the rest of the
front office. Sometimes they’d call me into the front office just to see how
I was feeling about the team or even to ask my advice about draft prospects.
Why would this meeting to be anything out of the ordinary?

這並沒讓我產生任何警覺心。那時候我已經在聯盟裡待了三年、一直以火箭為
家，而且正打出我生涯最佳的球季。我和經理以及制服組的關係也非常好。有
時候他們把我叫到辦公室，只是想問問我在隊上覺得如何，甚至會在選秀方面
徵詢我的意見。這次會面怎麼可能和往常不同呢？

So I walked into the GM’s office very relaxed and sat down. With the trade
deadline approaching, I wondered if I was going to find out about a new
teammate.

於是我走進總經理辦公室，一派輕鬆地坐下來。交易大限快到了，我心想是不
是很快要有新隊友了。

That’s not quite how it went.

但事情並非我想的那樣。

“What’s good?” I asked.

「有什麼消息嗎？」

“Unfortunately, nothing.”

「很可惜，什麼也沒有。」

The feeling in the room shifted.

辦公室裡的氣氛突然變了。

“What do you mean?”

「這是什麼意思？」

“We just traded you to the Kings.”

「我們剛把你交易到國王隊。」

I didn’t comprehend right away. I paused for what felt like a while, then
just blurted out the first thing that popped into my head:

我一時無法會意過來。僵住了好一陣子，才脫口說出一句話：

“Who did y’all trade me for?”

「你們用我交易了誰？」

“Thomas Robinson.”

「T-Rob。」

I hear a record scratch in my head.

我聽見自己腦海裡發出尖銳地刮擦聲。

Is this April Fools? Thomas Robinson? No disrespect to him, I understand he
was a top-five draft pick, but still, he’s a rookie who hasn’t gotten
consistent minutes on a struggling team! I’m a starter averaging
career-highs on a team in playoff contention. We’re winning! Are you
serious? This is bullshit.

這是愚人節玩笑嗎？T-Rob？
我沒有瞧不起他的意思，我知道他是樂透前五選秀。
但是，拜託，他是個菜鳥，在一支爛隊連固定上場時間都沒有！
我可是一支季後賽隊伍的先發，還打出了生涯年耶～
我們正在贏球！你是認真的嗎？這全是狗屎！

That’s what I wanted to say, but it’s not what I said.

這是我打算說的內心話，但我並沒有真的說出口。

What actually happened was I thanked them for the opportunity to be a part of
the organization, they told me to let them know if there’s anything else I
need, and then I left the office.

實際的情況是，我謝謝他們給我這個機會成為球隊的一份子。
他們回答有什麼幫得上忙的盡管說。接著我就離開了辦公室。

When you’re traded, you can’t help but compare yourself to the guy you’re
traded for. It’s partly an ego thing, but it’s also related to your
perceived value in the league. The truth is, while it was tough to be traded
for a rookie, there probably weren’t many people who would have softened the
blow for me. It stung.

當你被交易了，你忍不住會拿自己和交易來的傢伙相比。這不僅事關自尊，
同時也和在這個聯盟中，人們認為你有多少斤兩有關。事實就是，被拿來
交易一個菜鳥很傷自尊。但不論交易對象是誰，都很難減低我所遭受的衝擊。
這是錐心之痛。

I walked back to the locker room for the last time. A couple of the guys
asked what happened. When I told them, they were sure I was messing around.

我最後一次走回更衣室。幾個隊友問我怎麼了。
當我告訴他們實情，他們還以為我在惡作劇。

As the rest of the team prepared for the game — a game I thought I’d be
starting in — I left the arena in a car that was arranged to take me home.
Immediately, my phone started blowing up — my agent, my family, friends. But
I didn’t want to talk to anybody. I was furious. The hardest part might have
been sitting at home that night watching the Rockets win the game.

原本我以為自己會在這場比賽先發上場，但當全隊準備比賽時，我從球場搭車
回到家。我的電話開始響個不停，我的經紀人、家人、朋友紛紛來電。但我不
想和任何人講話。我怒氣沖天。最難受的部份，或許是獨自坐在家中，看著火
箭擊敗雷霆贏球。

A trade feels like a breakup. But like a tough breakup, my bitterness towards
the Rockets faded over time. I understand now that it was strictly a business
decision. And I respect the guys in the front office for doing their jobs.
But how can you not take it personally?

交易就像分手。雖然分手時不太愉快，但我對火箭的埋怨漸漸被時間沖淡。
我現在懂了，這只是在商言商。我了解制服組也只是在做自己的工作。但是
你怎麼可能不把這事放在心上？

When you’re traded, you have to learn to move on quickly. Within three days,
I was on a flight to Sacramento. While I was happy to reunite with DeMarcus
Cousins, a guy I’ve considered my little brother ever since we played
together at Kentucky, I had trouble getting into a groove with the Kings.

被交易之後，你必須要迅速做出改變。三天內我搭上了前往沙加緬度的班機。
雖然我很開心能夠和肯塔基時期的隊友，也是我的小老弟Cousins重聚，但我
難以適應國王隊的節奏。

Before that point, I never thought much about the human factor of trades. It
was just a string of names scrolling on the bottom ticker on ESPN. Like any
big career change, my trade meant being forced to leave behind really close
friends, a city I was used to and a work environment was comfortable in. My
game suffered. My shot felt off. I simply wasn’t playing my best basketball.
As anyone who’s ever been frustrated at work can tell you, your attitude and
productivity take a hit and it’s hard to dig yourself out. I was in a slump
and I blamed it on the trade.

在這之前，我一直以為交易不過是ESPN跑馬燈上的一串名單罷了，從來沒想過
交易背後也是活生生的人。交易就像重大的職涯變化，迫使我離開親密的好友、
習慣的城市、熟悉的環境。我比賽打得很差、球也投不進。我打不出最佳狀態。
就像那些在工作上不如意的人會說的，你知道自己態度和表現下滑，但你無法
讓自己振作起來。我陷入低潮，並且把這一切歸咎於交易。

By the following season, as I got more comfortable, my play began to improve.
And, guess what, that’s when my agent called and told me that my name was
being floated around in trade rumors.

到了下一個球季，我覺得自在多了。我的表現也有了起色。猜猜怎麼樣？那時候
我的經紀人打電話來，說我又捲入了好幾則交易流言之中。

Another trade?

另一次交易？

This time I was determined not to let the trade surprise me. I stayed on top
of every possible story line. I kept track of trade rumors online. But, as I
learned the first time, athletes are often to last to find out about their
own trade.

這次我決心不再讓自己措手不及。我要掌握先機、密切關注網路上的交易流言。
霸特，就像我從第一次經驗學到的，球員往往是最後一個才知道自己被交易了。

That December, I flew my parents and one of my best friends to Sacramento and
we went to the movie theater to watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. (Great
flick, by the way.) As we pulled up to the theater, my phone started blowing
up with texts from friends telling me that I’d been traded. As I walked into
the theater to pick up our tickets, my agent called, “Pat, you’ve been
traded to Toronto.” To be honest, my first thought was, Damn, it’s cold as
shit in Toronto. Then I started thinking about moving to a foreign country
with a different culture and an unfamiliar lifestyle. It was a lot to take in.

那年十二月，我的好友和媽媽飛到沙加緬度來看我。我們一起去看電影《飢餓遊戲：
星火燎原》（題外話，電影不錯看哦）。就在我們抵達電影院時，我的電話被朋友
傳來的簡訊塞爆，說我被交易了。就在我去取票的時候，經紀人打來了：「Pat,
你被交易到多倫多了。」老實說，我的第一個念頭是：該死的，多倫多冷爆了。
然後我想到要移居國外、適應不同的文化、陌生的生活方式等等。各種念頭紛至
沓來。

But, I mean, it was The Hunger Games and I’d already bought the tickets, so
I turned off my phone and watched the movie with my mom and best friend.
Looking back, I think I wanted two hours of escape before returning to
reality.

但，我的意思是，這可是《飢餓遊戲》，而且我票都買好了。所以我關掉手機，
進戲院和媽媽還有好友一起看電影。現在回想起來，我非常需要那兩個小時的
短暫逃離，才能夠重新面對現實。

After the movie, we were walking back to the car.

電影結束之後，我們走回停車的地方。

“Yo Mom, I got something to tell you.”

「媽，我有件事情要跟你說。」

“What?”

「什麼事？」

“I got traded.”

「我被交易了。」

“Boy, stop!”

「孩子，別說笑了！」

She definitely thought I was messing around.

她以為我一定是在惡作劇。

“I’m serious. I got traded to Toronto.”

「我是說真的，我被交易到多倫多了。」

At that moment, she looked down at her phone and saw a bunch of missed calls
and an ESPN notification. It was real.

這時候，她低頭看了手機，一堆未接來電，還有ESPN發的快訊。原來是真的。

Even though I hadn’t spent very long in Sacramento and I had anticipated the
trade, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t happy to be going to Toronto. The team had
a terrible record, and it felt far away. Did I mention the really cold
weather? REALLY cold weather. Coming from Sacramento, the warmest clothing
item I owned was a fleece.

雖然我在國王隊待的時間不長，也有被交易的心理準備。但老實說，我真的不想去
多倫多。這支球隊戰績慘不忍睹，那地方還遠得要命。我有沒有提過那裡天氣有夠
冷？超級—無敵—霹靂冷。住在沙加緬度，我最厚的衣服不過就是件刷毛外套。

Not long after that, I boarded a flight to Toronto, along with John Salmons
and Chuck Hayes, who were part of my trade. I remember as the pilot told us
that we were about to descend, I pulled up the window shade and all I saw was
… white. Just white everywhere. I’d been traded to the North Pole.

不久之後，我搭上了前往多倫多的班機，一道的還有和我一起被打包的鮭魚、
海爺。我還記得當機長宣布飛機準備降落時，我打開機窗的遮陽板，放眼望去……
全是白色，到處一片白茫茫。我這是被交易到了北極吧。

As soon as we got dropped off at our hotel, I called my agent and told him to
do whatever he had to do to get me out of Toronto. He told me to give it some
time and that he’d speak to the front office.

我們一抵達下榻飯店，我立刻打電話給經紀人，告訴他不計一切也要把我弄出
多倫多。他要我給他一點時間，他會和球隊討論。

A few weeks passed and I start getting into a routine with the team. As my
role got more defined and I got comfortable in the system, I noticed the team
was improving. The weather certainly hadn’t changed and my phone bill was
astronomical, but my skepticism about the Raptors was fading.

幾個星期過去了，我開始跟上球隊的節奏。我的定位變得更明確，也漸漸適應
這個體系。我注意到球隊戰績在進步。不變的是這裡的天氣。還有我的電話費
帳單根本是天文數字。不過我對暴龍隊的不信任感正在逐漸淡去。

Fans and media were catching on, too. When I first arrived in Toronto, there
were a lot people claiming we were tanking to get Andrew Wiggins. But then we
started winning games. We beat Oklahoma City, we beat Dallas, we began
protecting our home court, and the attention shifted from getting a top-five
draft pick to making the playoffs. My agent called and told me me that he had
a few teams that were interested in me. A few weeks earlier this would’ve
been music to my ears, but suddenly I was thinking, Let’s see what this
squad can do.

球迷和媒體也注意到了球隊的改變。我剛到暴龍隊時，很多人都說我們在擺爛，
想要搶狀元Andrew Wiggins。但是我們開始贏球了，我們擊敗雷霆、擊敗小牛，
我們拿下不少主場勝利。於是焦點從如何坦到前五樂透籤，轉到如何打進季後賽。
我經紀人來電，說有幾支隊伍對我有興趣。幾週之前，這個消息對我來說根本
有如天籟。突然之間，我轉念一想：讓我們看看這支球隊能走多遠吧！

When I started getting to know Toronto, I fell in love with the city. If you
come here, you will too. When free agency rolled around, I explored my
options, but ultimately it wasn’t a hard call to remain in a Raptors
uniform. I knew I was a part of something special here.

當我開始認識多倫多這座城市，我愛上了這裡。如果你來這裡，也會像我一樣。
自由市場開跑後，我檢視了幾個選擇，最後決定繼續穿上暴龍的制服，這個決定
並不困難。我知道自己可以在這裡貢獻所能。

I learned a lot about the business of the NBA from these experiences, and a
lot about myself. You’re not going to immediately love everything about a
new job. But you still have to go to work every day and do your best. The
less time you spend concerned with circumstances beyond your control, the
more time you have to adjust and adapt. This I learned the hard way.

從這幾次經驗裡，我學了很多關於NBA的生意經，更多的是認識我自己。通常
你不會立刻愛上新工作。但你每天依然必須兢兢業業去上班。少花點時間在
你無法掌控的外界因素，那麼你會有更多時間去調整和適應。這可是我歷經
一番寒徹骨才學到的。

Out of respect, I think NBA teams should let players know if they might
potentially be involved in a trade. Yes, the NBA is a business, but I think
that would be a better way to treat its employees.

基於尊重，我認為NBA球隊應該讓球員們知道他們有可能被交易。
是啦，NBA就是一門生意。但我覺得應該有更恰當的方式來對待雇員。

If you told me two years ago that I’d be a Toronto Raptor, I would have
thought you were crazy. But here I am, freezing my ass off, smiling and
winning basketball games.

兩年前如果你告訴我，我會加入多倫多暴龍隊。我會說你瘋了。
但現在我就在這裡，凍個半死，但面帶微笑、繼續贏球。

I’d call that a fair trade.

我覺得這稱得上是個公平交易。



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