Tomato hater, Sports lover

LeBron's final hurdle: the free throw line

LeBron的最後障礙：罰球線（不是髮線）

原文網址－

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/miamiheat/post/_/id/18369/lebrons-final-hurdle-the-free-throw-line

MIAMI -- At the Heat's media day on Monday, LeBron James looked like a man completely at peace. For more than 20 minutes during his news conference, James spoke calmly, with supreme confidence, fully cognizant of his long line of accomplishments at age 28, his golden place in history and his promising future. 

邁阿密報導－禮拜一熱火隊的媒體日，LeBron James看起來是個入禪般的人。在這20多分鐘的記者會中，James說話既平靜又充滿自信，徹底認知到他在28歲就達成的一長串成就、他在歷史中的地位和光明的未來。

“I want to be the greatest player of all time,” James said. “It’s that simple. But I’m far from that.” 

「我想當史上最偉大的球員。」James表示。「就這麼簡單。但我還差得遠。」

James knows he’s the best basketball player on Earth, a two-time NBA champion and four-time MVP in his prime coming off the most lopsided MVP vote in league history. This past summer, he married his high-school sweetheart, traveled around Europe and watched his team reload after repeating as world champion. James has a lot to feel good about these days, to say the least. 

James知道自己是現役地表最強籃球員，在巔峰時拿到兩屆NBA冠軍、四屆NBA的MVP，而且最近的MVP投票是聯盟史上得票數最懸殊的一次（譯按：和2000年的Shaquille O'Neal一樣，差一張第一名票）。這個暑假，他和他的高中情人結婚、環遊歐洲並且看著他的球隊在二連霸後持續補強。我們至少可以說他近來有不少可以爽的事。

But at Monday’s news conference, one thing seemed to rattle James while he sat on his figurative throne: 

但在禮拜一的記者會，即使在王座上依然有件事似乎讓James感到煩惱。

His lifelong battle with the free throw line. 

他這一生中和罰球線的對抗。

The struggle 
掙扎

It’s the last area of the game he has yet to conquer. 

這是比賽中最後一塊他未征服的領土。

What else is there? Last season, he ranked in the top five in scoring and eighth in assists. He shot better than 40 percent from 3-point range and raised his overall field goal percentage to a blistering 56.5 percent. He led his team in rebounds and committed a career-low 1.4 fouls per game. He topped the rest of the league in PER by a wide margin with a 31.7 rating and raised it to an astronomical 37.8 in clutch situations, according to NBA.com data. 

還有其他的嗎？上一季，他得分排在聯盟前五而助攻則是聯盟第八。他三分球命中率超過40%同時整體命中率來到逆天的56.5%。他籃板是全隊第一並犯規次數來到生涯最低的場均1.4次。根據NBA.com的數據，他的PER值31.7大幅領先全聯盟而且在關鍵時刻甚至來到誇張的37.8。

The man who wants to be the greatest player of all time has pretty much mastered every technical skill in the book -- except for free throws, which just so happens to be the simplest skill of all. Just walk up to the line and shoot an uncontested shot from 15 feet. What’s so hard about that? 

這位想要當史上最加籃球員的男人大概精通每一樣應該學會的技巧，除了罰球外，而這卻是所有技巧中理應最簡單的。只需要走到罰球線前並投一個15呎的無人防守投籃。到底有什麼難的啊？

Nonetheless, James converted 75.3 percent of his free throws last season, which was the exact league average. Meanwhile, he is decidedly above-average in just about everything else. And he knows it, too. Which is why James made it his No. 1 priority this offseason (besides, you know, getting married).  

然而，James上一季的罰球只有75.3%的命中率，約莫是聯盟的平均值。在此同時，他其他的數據都明確的在平均值以上。這件事他自己也很清楚。這也是為什麼罰球是他休賽期間的第一優先事項（除了結婚之外啦，你懂的）。

Just before the Heat rode off into the summer sunset after winning the title, Heat boss Pat Riley said “our goal is to get [James] up over 90 percent from the free throw line.” But when asked about that bar on Monday, James laughed it off. 

就在奪冠後的夏天尾聲時，熱火隊老大Pat Riley說：「我們的目標是讓James罰球命中率上升至90%。」但我們禮拜一提到這個問題時，James一笑置之。

“Ninty percent is not the goal, that is out of control,” James said, shaking his head to a roomful of laughter. “Let me get to 80 percent first. Let me get to 78 percent.” 

「90%並不是目標，這太不現實了。」James表示，對著滿房的笑聲搖搖頭。「先到80%。或先到78%。」

James didn’t pick up that 78 percent figure out of thin air. That’s his career high for a season, set in 2008-09 in Cleveland, which is slightly above his career rate of 74.7 percent. But on Monday, in one of the few moments when James was actually asked about on-court matters, he made his call. 

James說到的78%這個數字並不是無中生有。這78%是他罰球命中率最高的一年，在克里夫蘭08-09球季時，比他的生涯74.7%罰球命中率稍稍高一些。但在禮拜一時，在少數幾個James真正問到場上問題的時刻，他作出了聲明。

“Eighty percent is the goal,” James said. “Hopefully what I've been able to do in the offseason can translate to the game. I’m very focused on it and it’s something that I want to improve, but we’ll see what happens.” 

「80%是我的目標。」James表示。「希望我休賽季所作的能反應在比賽中。我很專注於這個問題而這一直是我想要進步的部分，但我們會見真章的。」

Is 80 percent really that far-fetched for James? Depends how you look at it. 

80%的罰球命中率對James而言真的這麼遙不可及嗎？這端看你怎麼解讀它。

Consider this: Across an entire NBA season, the difference between a 75 percent shooter and an 80 percent shooter is turning one miss into a make every three games. That’s it. But if it were easy for James to do that, he probably would have done it by now. 

這樣想：整個NBA球季，75%罰球命中率和80%命中率的射手差別在於每三場比賽將一個投失的罰球投進。就只有這樣。但這對James來說簡單的話，他大概早就搞定了。

James’ longest stretch of games in a regular season during which he’s shot at least 80 percent? Try 42 games. And he did it in his rookie season. In fact, he’s never shot 80 percent in any 30-game stretch in a Heat uniform. All in all, becoming an 80 percent free throw shooter for an entire season would require doubling his longest stretch of 80 percent shooting in his career. 

James罰球命中率至少80%的連續場次在常規賽中最長到幾場？答案是42場。這還是他新人球季作到的。事實上，他自從穿上熱火球衣後，從沒連續30場以上罰球命中率達到80%。各方面來說，成為一個整季罰球命中率達到80%的射手需要他將生涯中罰球達80%最長連續場次加倍。

Given James’ mastery of the sport, how is this possible? The average American probably knows a friend, co-worker or family member who shot 80 percent at some level in his or her basketball career. This is probably why free throw shooting has become a fetish of the critical NBA fan. If Joe from around the corner can hit free throws at the neighborhood park, why can’t the best player in the world? 

即使James如此精通這項運動，這有可能嗎？每一個美國人大概都認識一個籃球生涯罰球命中率達到80%的朋友、同事或家人。這可能是為什麼罰球成為NBA粉絲的某種迷信。如果路人甲可以在社區公園投進罰球，為什麼全世界最好的球員不行？

Repetition makes perfect?

反覆能生巧？

James still hasn't figured out the riddle. His problem, he’ll tell you, is repetition. One of the first things you learn as a basketball player is to find a free throw routine. One dribble, spin, shoot. Three dribbles and up. Whatever it is, just stick to it. But James hasn't mastered that part. He tweaks and overhauls his routine probably dozens of times every season. 

James還未解開謎團。他會告訴你他的問題就是反覆動作。這是身為一個籃球員找尋罰球習慣的第一件事。運一下、轉一下、投出去。運三下便拔起來。無論哪種，維持就對了。但James還沒搞清楚這部分。他每季掙扎並全面修改他的罰球習慣次數約莫一打有餘。

“Obviously it becomes mental at some point when you go up there,” James said. “For me, it’s mental, it’s not physical. One game you make 11 out of 12. Next game you shoot 6 out of 13. Then you change it ... which is crazy.” 

「顯然的到某個時間點罰球問題變成心理問題。」James表示。「對我來說，這是心理上的問題，而非身體上。某一場你投12中11。下一場變成13中6。然後又變……讓人抓狂。」

To a basketball coach, it is just that -- crazy. James fully understands that this is certifiably irrational and probably detrimental. A player doesn't scrap his routine after a random fluctuation at the line, just like a baseball player doesn't overhaul his batting stance after going 0-for-4 on a Saturday afternoon. Knowing this, James tried to correct his approach this summer, but it led to a psychological tug-of-war. 

就一個籃球教練來看，這就是這麼扯。James明確的了解這麼作的確不理智且很可能不利於罰球。一個球員不該在罰球隨機發生命中率波動時，拋棄他的罰球動作。就像一個棒球員不該在星期六下午打擊表現4之0時修改他的擊球姿勢。理解這個後，James在這個夏天試著修正他的方法，不過這導致他內心小天使和小惡魔的拔河。

“This offseason I just stuck to the same routine,” James said. “Even if I missed four or five in a row I just stuck to the same routine, just try to challenge myself. It went through my mind, ‘OK, it’s time to change.’ I was like, ‘No, stick to the same routine. Stick to the same shot.’ That was cool, I was able to do that all summer.” 

「這個休賽季我就只是維持同樣的罰球習慣。」James表示。「即使我連續投失4到5球，我還是維持這個習慣，試著挑戰自己。『是時候該換動作了。』這個想法有閃過我的腦袋，但我就想『不，維持這個姿勢！維持這個投籃動作！』這很有趣，我有辦法整個夏天都在做這件事。」

What’s the longest he’s ever stuck to a routine? 

他維持一樣的投籃動作最長一的一次多久？

“I don’t know, which is letting you know it’s not a good thing at all,” James said. “I shot 85 percent my freshman year in high school and after that, it was too easy to score and free throws didn't matter and it’s been downhill ever since.” 

「我並不知道，這也告訴你這完全不是件好事。」James說到。「我在高中一年級時罰球命中率達到85%，但得分對我來說太簡單了，罰球並不重要，所以接下來命中率就溜滑梯似的下降。」

Putting it into action

加入實戰

As James sees it, he’s never needed to be elite at free throws to be elite. But with two NBA titles under his belt and “the greatest ever” distinction in sight, he has made it a top priority these days. In all likelihood, this is probably not the first offseason James has started from scratch. He’s probably tried every trick in the book to correct his free throw shot. Last season, he found some success emulating Ray Allen’s routine, but it wasn't long before he tweaked. Even after winning four MVPs, the random fluctuations still got to him. 

就如同James理解的，他從來不需要成為罰球高手。但擁有兩座總冠軍頭銜和「史上最佳」榮耀近在眼前，他將罰球成為這些日子的優先改善目標。極有可能的是這不是他第一個休賽季從頭練起。他大概用了所有能用的方法來改善他的罰球。上一季，他透過模仿Ray Allen的罰球動作得到一些小小成功，但馬上他又變了。即使他獲得了四座MVP，這些隨機波動依然糾纏著他。

“I can go in the gym during the offseason after my workout dead-tired and shoot 150 free throws and make 150 free throws,” James said. “That means absolutely nothing until you get out on the floor and you actually do it.” 

「我在休賽季可以進到球場作完累死人的重訓後罰150球進150球。」James表示。「這完全不具任何意義，除非你真的在球賽中完成這件事。」

James isn't alone in this struggle. A fascinating photo snapped by ESPN Radio’s Beto Duran last season informed us that at one point last season that Dwight Howard had made 82 percent of his 1,582 free throws in practice. 82 percent! 

受罰球之苦的人不只James一人。一張由ESPN Radio’s Beto Duran所拍攝的令人眼睛為之一亮的照片告訴我們上一季Dwight Howard曾在某一次的罰球練習中罰1,582顆命中82%。82%你敢信！

In games? Just 49.5 percent. But Howard wasn't the only one to buckle under the pressure. Even if we take Howard out of the equation, the Lakers’ free-throw percentage tumbled from 89 percent on the practice floor to 77 percent in real action. In other words, the Lakers went from Kevin Durant to LeBron James once the bright lights came on. 

比賽中呢？只有49.5%。但Howard並不是唯一一位在壓力中變差的人。即使把Howard從中移除，整個湖人隊的罰球命中率也從練習時的89%掉至比賽時的77%。換句話說，湖人隊一但開始比賽，罰球便從Kevin Durant變成LeBron James。

Though it’s unlikely that James actually reaches his goal next season, we probably shouldn't doubt him at this point either. Three seasons ago, James didn't have a reliable postgame or a knockdown 3-point shot. Now he has both. One-by-one James has turned almost all of his remaining weaknesses into strengths. The last skill standing is the free throw. If he figures that out, what then? The “greatest ever” tag may not be so far after all.

雖然James要在下季達成他的目標是不太可能的事，我們在這個時間點上也不能懷疑他。三季前，James沒有值得依靠的低位或穩定的三分能力。現在他兩個都有了。一個接著一個，James把每個弱點都升級成優點。最後還未點滿的技能點便是罰球。若他搞定罰球後，接著呢？「史上最佳」的標籤或許就不遠了。

心得：

明確指出LBJ罰球的問題，罰球姿勢太常變了！！！他自己也知道。
看來下一季是可以期待80%罰球命中率的LBJ（油頭的目標也太嚴格）

其實到也不全然是命中率的問題，是LBJ罰球穩定性太低。

有時候一場罰球命中率90%，有時候又可以不到50%....
這種不穩定對膠著的戰況真的很不利，所以我認為他「有必要」改進罰球，不是單純差那一兩分而已。 

文內提到湖人隊也很有趣，不得不配服像Nash、Ray、KD這些罰球不軟手的人啊！