四分球时代

Tom Haberstroh

Dear Adam Silver：

亲爱的亚当·萧华：

Congratulations on the new gig！ Big shoes to fill①. Not literally， of course. Ive seen you and David Stern standing next to each other， and Im guessing youve never tried to put on his Air Jordans.

恭喜你接手这份新工作！摆在眼前的这双鞋够大的，当然，这句话不能直接从字面意思理解。我见过你和大卫·斯特恩站在一起，我猜你也从来不想穿上他的乔丹系列球鞋。

Look， I know youre a busy guy these days. Youre set to take over as the NBA commissioner this weekend， replacing the irreplaceable Stern， who has taken this league to towering heights over the past 30 years. You probably dont have time right now for a PowerPoint-filled meeting， which is why Im writing you this letter.Tuck this away and feel free to read it after you meet with some guy named LeBron James. Totally understand. He apparently has some ideas for "the commish，" as he calls you.Get to him first.

我知道最近你特忙。周末你就要接替无可替换的斯特恩，成为NBA联盟的总裁了，过去30年，斯特恩将NBA带到了一个前所未有的高度。你现在很可能连参加小会议的时间都没有，正因为如此，我给你写了这封信。当你和诸如勒布朗·詹姆斯这样的人见面后，抽时间读下这封信吧。我理解你的做法。詹姆斯显然会为“总裁先生”提出不少想法，他肯定会这么称呼你的。先去跟他交流好了。

But I have ideas， too. HoopIdeas， you might say. And todays HoopIdea is one that would make the game more exciting.

但我也有自己的想法。你也许会说，这是篮球头脑风暴。而这次篮球头脑风暴，能让这项运动变得更加有趣。

This HoopIdea has special significance for Thursday night， when the Clippers and Warriors play on TNT. The game should be great theater. One reason？ It showcases three of the games premiere long-ball specialists： Stephen Curry， Jamal Crawford and Jordan Crawford.

这次篮球头脑风暴对周四晚上尤其重要，那时TNT将直播快船和勇士的比赛。这场比赛想必会非常精彩。为什么呢？比赛集中了联盟中三个重要的远距离出手专家：斯蒂芬·库里、贾马尔·克劳福德和乔丹·克劳福德。

You know what I love about these guys？ They have parking-lot range， pulling up occasionally from way downtown. And fans love it. Did you see Jamal Crawfords 33-footer on Wednesday night？ Its amazing.

你知道我喜欢这些人什么吗？他们的射程太远了，他们有时候能从三分线外很远的地方出手投篮。球迷也特别喜欢看这个。你看贾马尔·克劳福德周三晚上那个33英尺外的出手了吗？那太精彩了。

In a game full of Goliaths， this is Davids slingshot. But they dont take that slingshot out of their back pocket very often. Not nearly enough. Why？ Because theres no incentive to showcase their talents with the current rules. Why take a 33-footer when a 23-footer yields the same number of points？ Basically， were telling them to not use this particular skill.

在一项遍布巨人的运动中，这就是大卫的杀手锏。但他们也不会经常出手这种投篮，这种出手其实太少了，为什么呢？因为在现行规则中，他们没有动力展现这种才华。当23英尺投篮和33英尺投篮的得分相同时，为什么要出手33英尺投篮呢？我们基本上就是在告诉他们，不要使用这种特别的技能。

Lets encourage these long balls. We should see more of them. They display basketball talent at its finest. As fans， part of the allure of sports is that we witness human beings doing things we could never do. Like the greatest dunks， these shots define NBA players as the greatest athletes in the world.

让我们鼓励这种远距离出手吧，我们应该看到更多这种投篮。它们展现了最美好的篮球技术。作为球迷，体育的迷人之处在于，我们能目睹人类做出一些我们自己永远也做不到的事。就像那些伟大的扣篮，那些让NBA球员成为世界上最伟大运动员的伟大进球那样。

Youre a progressive thinker， Adam. You want whats best for basketball. So heres my HoopIdea to take the NBA to the next level：

亚当，你是个有创新意识的人。你想为篮球带来最好的东西。那么，以下就是我的篮球头脑风暴，能把NBA带到更高的层次：

You should introduce the 4-point line.

你应该引入四分线。

I know what youre thinking. If it aint broke， dont fix it， right？ I hear that， but lets not settle.

我知道你在想什么。如果没出篓子就没必要修补，对吧？我懂，但不要连想都不想。

I subscribe to the HoopIdea mantra： Basketball is the best game ever. Now lets make it better.

我认同篮球头脑风暴座右铭：篮球是史上最好的运动。现在让我们把它变得更好吧。

The 4-point line would make the game better.

四分线就能让这项运动变得更好。

Havent you noticed that the court is feeling increasingly cramped with all these monster bodies？ Somehow， the NBA court dimensions havent been updated since World War II even though the average player is 25 pounds heavier and 3 inches taller than in the 1950s. Thats 250 pounds of extra muscle on the floor， and 10 men are still playing in the same box. Does that make any sense？

难道你不觉得，有了这么多身强力壮的球员，球场感觉有点拥挤？不知为什么，自从第二次世界大战后，篮球场的大小就没有进行过调整，尽管相比50年代，球队的平均体重重了25磅、平均身高高出了3英寸。这么算下来，球场上多出了250磅的肌肉，而球场上还是有10个人在打球。这么做说得过去吗？

With rigorous year-round workout regimens， players are bigger than ever， stronger than ever， faster than ever. As luck would have it， there arent any Shaquille ONeals and Yao Mings in the game now， but we do have a 7-foot-2 guy tweeting videos of himself deadlifting 420 pounds over and over. The reigning MVP is the size of Karl Malone， but plays with the speed of John Wall and the skilled grace of Steve Nash. These guys are giants and only getting larger.

通过每年严格的训练，球员比以往更为高大、更加强壮、跑得更快。要说幸运的话，现在的联盟里已经没有沙奎尔·奥尼尔和姚明了，但我们还是能看到一个身高7尺2寸的家伙在推特上发了一段自己不停举起420磅杠铃的视频。联盟的MVP有着卡尔·马龙的身材，但却拥有约翰·沃尔的速度和史蒂夫·纳什的技术。这些家伙就是巨人，而且他们的身材会变得越来越高大。

If youre not ready to widen the court， then at the very least add the 4-point arc. （Regarding the width of the court，though： simple geometry suggests a larger perimeter of a rectangle means more courtside seats， not fewer.）

如果你不准备扩大球场面积，那至少也该引入四分线。（考虑到球场宽度：运用简单的几何学原理就能明白，更大的长方形意味着会有更多的场边坐席，而不是更少。）

Though Id prefer the 4-point arc to extend to the corners， I can accept the 4-point arc to hit the out-of-bounds sideline by the coachs box hash mark.

不过我却更喜欢一直延伸到底角的四分线这个想法。我可以接受四分线一直延伸出边线直到教练席这种观点。

Increasingly， space is at a premium， but space is what fuels the game. The rise of the 3-pointer has been a boon to the game， not just because of all the great shooters， but because of all the space it creates.

由此，球场空间也会拉得更开，空间其实增强了比赛的趣味性。三分球的增多对联盟是有益的，不止因为出现了那么多伟大的投手，而是因为三分线拉开的球场空间。

You need space to dunk. You need space to see the floor. You need space to run， jump and do the things that make basketball unique compared to any other sport.

想扣篮，你得有空间。想看清球场形势，你得有空间。想跑动、跳跃、做出那些让篮球不同于其他运动的动作，你需要空间。

When theres space， thats when the magic happens. Open up the game and add a 4-point line that would spread the floor and help facilitate all the plays that make fans keep coming back.

有了空间，才有魔力发挥的空间。让球场空间变得更大，开拓思维增加四分线，能增大球场空间，从而有助于那些吸引球迷不断回来看比赛的进球的出现。

I get it： People hate change. Its part of what makes us human.

我明白：人们讨厌改变。这是我们之所以为人的原因。

At the same time， people love to see things get better. Thats why this HoopIdea works： It makes the game better.

与此同时，人们也喜欢看到事情变得更好。这也是为什么篮球头脑风暴是行得通的：它能让比赛变得更好。

The 3-point line was one of the best things to happen to the NBA. If you remember， folks were wildly against that innovation at first. Coaches initially thought it was a gimmick and rarely utilized it. In the inaugural season of the 3-point line in the NBA back in 1979-80， the average team took just 2.8 3-pointers per game. Thats it. In the second season， it dropped to 2.0 3-pointers. Teams barely shot them at a 25 percent clip.

三分线是NBA做出的最好决定之一。如果你还记得，人们最初是强烈抵制这种做法的。教练们最初只把三分当作小伎俩，很少使用这种技术。回到NBA引进三分线的第一个赛季，也就是1979-80赛季，球队平均每场比赛只投出2.8个三分。就这么少。到了第二个赛季，这个数字跌到了2.0个。球队的平均三分命中率也只有25%。

Basketball people were nervous at first. But the long ball opened up the game， added a fascinating layer of strategy， and made the NBA more entertaining. Really， it was never a gimmick. Shooting from long distance is a fundamental basketball skill that should be rewarded and encouraged to its fullest extent. From a philosophical standpoint， theres no reason we shouldnt have players display their basketball talents as much as they can.

篮球员最初是紧张的。但远距离投篮拓展了比赛，增加了新战术，也让NBA更具娱乐性。说真的，三分从来就不是小伎俩。远距离投篮是一项基本篮球技术，我们应该回馈并鼓励这种技术。从哲学角度出发，我们没理由不让球员尽可能多地展现自己的能力。

Now the question becomes， where do you put the 4-point line？ This is where the math comes in.

现在，问题来了，四分线该划在什么位置？这里就要用上数学了。

The 4-point line needs to be placed at a distance where teams still have to weigh the costs and benefit of taking a 4-pointer versus a 3-pointer versus a 2-pointer. We dont want the distance so short that the game devolves into a 4-point shooting contest. Thats not the right solution. It probably wouldnt even be fun over 48 minutes. We have to strike a balance.

四分线的距离，应该远到让球队不得不考虑出手四分相比出手三分和两分的利弊。我们不希望距离太近，这样比赛就会变成四分大赛，这是不对的。这样的话，48分钟的比赛就不会那么有趣了，我们得找到平衡。

Finding that statistical equilibrium is tricky， but after researching the leagues shooting percentages， I believe that a 4-point arc at about 28 feet makes the most sense. Over the past three seasons， players have shot 23 percent from 28-32 feet， according to NBA StatsCube② data.

从统计学上找到平衡点是很微妙的，但研究了联盟投篮命中率后，我相信在距离篮筐28英尺处设四分线是最合理的。过去三个赛季，根据NBA StatsCube的统计，球员有23%的出手发生在28到32英尺范围内。

So if we make a 28-foot shot worth four points， thats effectively paying off the same as shooting 46 percent on 2-pointers. Thats a little below the current value of 3-pointers， which is important， because we want to protect the significance of the 3-point line. So putting the line at about 28 feet makes a 4-pointer valuable but maintains the value of 2-pointers and 3-pointers， as well， providing coaches and players with another strategic option.

所以如果我们把28英尺的进球算成四分，这种进球效率就相当于两分球46%的命中率。这种四分球价值比三分球低一些，这很重要，因为我们还想保护三分线存在的价值。所以在28英尺处设立四分线能让四分球变得有价值，但又保证了两分球和三分球的价值，为教练和球员提供了其他战术选择。

At first there were very few players who were good at 3s. That would probably be the same case with 4-pointers， at first.

最开始很少有球员擅长投三分球。四分球引入最初大概也会遇到这种情况。

Curry， the Crawfords and Lillard would be the pioneers， staking out new territory on the perimeter. But they wouldnt be alone out there for long. Players would adapt， expanding their range and becoming more proficient from 4-point range. If 4-pointers evolve like 3-pointers， players wont be shooting 23 percent for long. Coaches will adapt， too， just as they have adjusted to the 3-point line.

库里、两个克劳福德和利拉德会成为先驱，尝试新的远距离投篮。但他们独自探索的情况不会持续太久。球员都会接受这个新事物，他们会进一步扩大自己的出手范围，让自己的四分球技术更娴熟。如果四分球能像三分球那样发展，23%的命中率不会持续太久。教练也会接受，就像他们接受三分线一样。

How good can shooters get from there？ Its hard to say with certainty， but it likely will be harder to master than the 3-pointer， which has topped out at about 36 percent overall. Well probably see some players who get really excited but have no business shooting from that far out （see： Josh Smith）. Those guys will help keep the 4-point percentage at a reasonable mark.投手能从中得到多少好处？我们很难给出确定答案，但四分球的难度应该比三分球大，而三分的命中率大概36%出头。我们大概能看到有球员会特别高兴有四分球这么个东西，但他们真的没这种远投技术（比如约什·史密斯）。这些人能让四分球的出手率维持在一个合理的限度。

Adam， youve been around the league long enough to know that players love shooting from very far away. Teammates have half-court contests after NBA practices， and the half-court shot is an official part of All-Star Weekend now. In warm-ups before games， players often unfurl 30-footers to get the juices flowing and wow the crowd. Its fun. Its challenging. Its fascinating. There have been ad campaigns around the spectacle and teams regularly tweet their players shooting from deep.

亚当，你在联盟的时间够久了，你该知道球员们很喜欢从非常远的地方出手。球队队友之间会在训练后进行半场投篮比赛，而中场投篮已经成了全明星周末正式比赛的一部分。在赛前热身中，球员经常会投个30英尺的跳投，活跃气氛让球迷开心。这很有意思，也很有挑战性，太吸引人了。对于神奇的表现，我们总能看到各种宣传，球队也经常在推特上发出球员超远距离投篮的视频。

And here is one big benefit from this HoopIdea： It would help eradicate a creeping issue in the sport， which is when players hold the ball rather than shoot it before the buzzer. This drives me and other fans crazy， because players should always be trying to score. This is one of the coolest parts of the game and the league essentially discourages it. Players dont want to hurt their field goal percentages when the payoff is worth only three points. Make it four points and youll see players more willing to launch them.

这个篮球创新的重要优点在于：这有利于消除体育中一个令人不爽的现实，也就是在结束哨声响起前，球员宁可耗完时间也不出手。这种现实都快把我和其他球迷逼疯了，因为球员时刻都该想着得分。这是篮球运动中最酷的一部分，但联盟本质上却不鼓励这种做法。当出手的回报只有三分时，球员不愿意降低自己的命中率。把回报变成四分，你就会发现球员更愿意出手了。

Put it this way： Its not good that the Miami Heat have taken only two shots this season from behind the half-court stripe. Theyve swallowed almost every opportunity to score in those situations， just to preserve their field goal percentage. Make it worth it for the players.

这么看：本赛季迈阿密热火只在中线后出手两次，这不是好事。面对这种得分机会时，他们几乎每次都选择了放弃，只是为了保证自己的命中率。让球员更愿意出手这种投篮吧。

Also， this will make the end of the game more compelling. A late four-point deficit would become a one-possession game -- not a drawn-out foul fest that makes our eyeballs bleed. And a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter wouldnt be a reason to change the channel.

此外，这还能让比赛最后变得更加刺激。最后关头落后四分，这只是一个回合的分差了——而不是不停采用犯规战术让人无法直视。而第四节末段10分的领先优势也不至于让球迷换台看其他的节目了。

I understand the concerns， beyond making Antoine Walker upset that he wasnt born later. We dont want the NBA to turn into a "Rock N Jock" circus act.除了让安东尼·沃克后悔自己没有生得更晚外，我能理解其中的担忧。我们不想让NBA变成马戏团。But many thought that would be the case with the 3-point line， and instead weve learned that players showcasing their skills is a good thing， not a bad thing. Were not adding a 30-foot high basket or a 10-point hot spot on the floor. Save that for the novelty acts.

但在三分线出现时也出现过同样的担忧，我们却明白，让球员展示自己的能力是件好事，而不是坏事。我们并不是搞出了30英尺高的篮筐，也不是在球场搞出了10分投篮点。这种东西还是留在创新大赛用吧。

Not totally on board with the 4-point line？ Test it out in the NBA lab called the D-League. See how it sticks. And when you watch Thursdays action with Curry and the Crawfords， imagine the 4-pointer.

还不太信服四分线？在NBA实验室，也就是发展联盟试验一下好了。看看情况到底怎么样。当你看到周四库里和克劳福德们的表演时，想象一下四分线吧。

This is your NBA， Adam. Youre going to be the man to take us into the future. Basketball is the best game ever. Now lets make it better.

NBA现在属于你了，亚当。你才是会带领我们走向未来的人。篮球是有史以来最棒的运动，现在，让我们把它变得更好吧。

Sincerely fours，

祝好，

Tom Haberstroh

汤姆·哈伯斯特罗