Taylor Griffin could have taken his talents to Europe， where there’s more money to be had and — especially for him — less scrutiny to endure.

泰勒·格里芬本可以去歐洲打球，在那他能賺到更多的錢，而更重要的是，對他的苛責(zé)和審視也會更少。

Yet the older brother of Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin still is chasing his dream in the NBA Development League， playing for relative pennies on the Santa Cruz Warriors with the hopes that it will eventually pay off. Like so many players in this 12-yearold， 16-team league that is looking more and more like Major League Baseball’s farm system① every year， he earns between$13，000 and $25，000 （plus benefits， free housing and a per diem） for an entire season.

不過作為洛杉磯快艇明星布雷克·格里芬的哥哥，他還是決定在NBA發(fā)展聯(lián)盟繼續(xù)追尋自己的夢想，在圣克魯茲勇士掙著為數(shù)不多的薪水，希望終有一天這些努力能夠獲得回報。和那些效力的很多球員一樣，在這個有著12年歷史聯(lián)盟里——由16支球隊組成的聯(lián)盟在經(jīng)歷年復(fù)一年的變化后，現(xiàn)在看起來越來越像職棒大聯(lián)盟的后備基地——他能掙到13000美元到25000美元（還要加上獎金、免費的住宿以及每日補助）。

\"I’m trying to get back to the NBA，\" said Griffin， a second-round draft pick by the Phoenix Suns in 2009 out of Oklahoma who played for a season in Belgium before returning stateside. \"That’s the only reason I’m here. If it was coming down to money， I’d be overseas somewhere. I feel like I can develop better in the D-League. It’s the NBA game， NBA style of play. And then besides that， every NBA team is watching every game pretty much. It’s the best league in the world as far as NBA exposure.\"

“我正在努力重回NBA，”格里芬說，2009年來自俄克拉何馬大學(xué)的他在第二輪被菲尼克斯太陽選中，在比利時打完一年后，他回到了美國?！斑@是我來到這里的唯一原因。如果要是為了錢，我就會去國外。我覺得自己在發(fā)展聯(lián)盟能得到更好的發(fā)展。這里打的是NBA式的比賽，除此之外，每支NBA球隊都會看我們的每一場比賽。如果說面向NBA的曝光度，這是世界上最好的聯(lián)賽。”

And it’s only getting better.

現(xiàn)在的情況還在越變越好。

From Jeremy Lin （Houston Rockets） to Gerald Green （Indiana Pacers）， Danny Green （San Antonio Spurs）， Ramon Sessions（Charlotte Bobcats）， Patrick Patterson （Houston Rockets） and many more， the D-League success stories are many.

從林書豪（休斯敦火箭）到杰拉德·格林（印第安納步行者），丹尼·格林（圣安東尼奧馬刺），雷蒙·塞申斯（夏洛特山貓），再到帕特里克·帕特森（休斯敦火箭）以及更多的人，發(fā)展聯(lián)盟成功的故事有很多。

Nearly 30% of the NBA’s current players have had D-League experience.

接近30%的NBA現(xiàn)役球員有過在發(fā)展聯(lián)盟打球的經(jīng)歷。

Last season， the 44 players who were called up made a combined $11 million.

上賽季，有44名球員被召回到NBA，他們的薪金總額達到1100萬美元。

This season， 12 players have been called up a combined 14 times.

本賽季，已經(jīng)有12名球員共計14次被NBA球隊召回。

Franchise values that were once in the hundreds of thousands have grown as a result： The last team purchased， the Bismarck Wizards， went for about $2 million to the Golden State Warriors before they moved it to nearby Santa Cruz.

球隊的價值也因此得到了成百上千的增長：俾斯麥勇士隊是最后一支被并購的球隊，金州勇士花了200萬美元買下了他們，最終搬到了勇士附近的圣克魯茲。

This minor league， it seems clear， has evolved in a major way since its inception in 2001.

這樣一個小聯(lián)盟，自從2001年創(chuàng)建后，正在向一個更主流的方向發(fā)展。

The Los Angeles Lakers became the first NBA team to buy their own D-League team （the Los Angeles D-Fenders） in 2006， but 11 of the 16 teams now are affiliated with only one NBA franchise. With front-office and coaching staffs handpicked and a consistency of philosophy and style from the top to the bottom， NBA teams have asserted control over how their prospects are handled after years without. The Washington Wizards may eventually become the 12th single-affiliate team， as they’re considering the prospect of having one in nearby Baltimore.

洛杉磯湖人在2006年成為了第一個買下發(fā)展聯(lián)盟球隊（洛杉磯防守者）的NBA球隊，到現(xiàn)在，發(fā)展聯(lián)盟的16支球隊里已經(jīng)有11支只屬于NBA球隊。由于有了精心選出的管理層和教練組，再加上自上而下貫徹的具有延續(xù)性的管理方式和管理哲學(xué)，NBA球隊可以在自己潛力股的管理上擁有更多話語權(quán)。華盛頓奇才也許會成為第12支擁有獨立發(fā)展聯(lián)盟球隊的NBA球隊，他們考慮在臨近的巴爾的摩擁有一支球隊。

Players who have not signed NBA contracts are considered restricted free agents of sorts. They’re free to sign with any NBA team but also are on the hook for as much as $50，000 should they try to play anywhere else before the stock one-year deal is up. The collective bargaining agreement that was born out of the 2011 lockout gave birth to a groundbreaking new rule， too： Whereas NBA teams could only assign their first and secondyear players to the D-League previously and had a limit of three assignments per season， assignments are now unlimited and players of any age can be assigned. Players in their first three seasons can be assigned without consent， while older players must agree to go.

沒有跟NBA簽合同的球員被視為受限自由球員，他們可以自由和任何NBA球隊簽約，但是在與發(fā)展聯(lián)盟一年的合約到期前，想去任何地方打球，他們最多會身背50000美元的買斷金額。2011年停擺后誕生的新勞資協(xié)議也有了新規(guī)定。過去NBA球隊只能把隊中一二年級的新秀下放到發(fā)展聯(lián)盟，而且每人最多只能下放3次。現(xiàn)在下放次數(shù)已經(jīng)沒有了限制，而且任何年齡的球員都可以被下放。進入聯(lián)盟三年以內(nèi)的球員不需經(jīng)本人同意就可以被下放，而要下放其他的老將②則必須經(jīng)過本人同意。

This season， a record 49 NBA players have been assigned a record 100 times to the D-League. Teams are more aware than ever of the need to monitor and develop their investments in the most productive way possible.

本賽季，共有創(chuàng)紀錄的49名球員，總計100次被下放到發(fā)展聯(lián)盟。球隊前所未有地意識到，他們需要監(jiān)控，并用最有效的方法發(fā)展他們投資。

\"There’s the age-old saying， ’If you want something done right， do it yourself，’ \" said 24-year-old Kirk Lacob， the general manager of the Santa Cruz Warriors and son of Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob. \"We’ve got to be in control of this if we want it done our way. We can’t rely on somebody else to do it.\"

“有一句老話說：如果你想做好一件事，你就得自己動手。”24歲的柯克·拉克布表示，他是圣克魯茲勇士的總經(jīng)理，同時也是金州勇士老板喬·拉克布的兒子，“如果我們想用自己的方式做事，我們就得控制局勢。我們不能依靠別人?！?/p>

The synergy between the minor league and major league operations combined with the new rule allowing freedom of movement has taken the D-League to a whole new level. High-profile prospects no longer rot on the ends of their respective benches， with teams more comfortable than ever with the idea of developing talent outside the purview of the big club.

小聯(lián)盟和大聯(lián)盟之間的協(xié)同，加上新規(guī)則允許自由下放召回球員，這將發(fā)展聯(lián)盟帶到了一個全新的高度。天賦高的潛力股不必再在各自球隊的板凳席末端虛度時光，如今球隊也更愿意接受他們在母隊以外的地方繼續(xù)進步的想法。

\"Minor league baseball has about a 100-year head start on us， so we’re still young， still developing， and not yet where we’re going to be，\" D-League President Dan Reed said. \"We have a slightly different model （than baseball）， but the goals are the same.

“棒球小聯(lián)盟比我們早了大概100年，所以我們很年輕，還在繼續(xù)發(fā)展，距離我們的目標還有一段距離?！卑l(fā)展聯(lián)盟總裁丹·里德表示，“我們和棒球小聯(lián)盟的形式有一些不同，但我們的目標是一樣的?！?/p>

The stigma， in other words， is quickly evaporating. And the signs of increased legitimacy are everywhere.

從另一方面講，發(fā)展聯(lián)盟的壞名聲很快也會消失，而越來越多的積極信號則開始出現(xiàn)。

Yi Jianlian， the sixth pick of the 2007 draft， played for the Texas Legends last January after signing with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent. New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire practiced with the Erie Bayhawks in mid-December as part of his rehab from knee surgery — though the team flew to him in New York rather than the other way around.

作為2007年的6號新秀，易建聯(lián)上賽季作為自由球員和小牛簽約后，曾經(jīng)在去年1月前往德克薩斯傳奇打球。作為膝蓋手術(shù)后康復(fù)計劃的一部分，紐約尼克斯前鋒小斯去年12月中旬也跟隨艾利海鷹一起訓(xùn)練，唯一的不同是發(fā)展聯(lián)盟的球隊飛到紐約和他匯合。

San Antonio’s starting small forward， Kawhi Leonard， practiced with the Austin Toros last month while recovering from knee tendinitis. When Miami Heat center Dexter Pittman was assigned to the Sioux Falls Skyforce， a team shared by the Heat， Philadelphia 76ers， Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves， he embraced the rare chance to play and tweeted a picture of him smiling while wearing a T-shirt that — in a reference to LeBron James’ infamous Decision show — read， \"I’m taking my talents to Sioux Falls.\"

馬刺的首發(fā)小前鋒科瓦伊·萊納德上月在恢復(fù)膝蓋肌腱炎時，曾經(jīng)跟奧斯汀公牛一起訓(xùn)練。當邁阿密熱火的中鋒德克斯特·皮特曼被下放到蘇?？怂固炜樟α窟@支由熱火、76人、魔術(shù)和森林狼共有的發(fā)展聯(lián)盟球隊時，他很高興能得到這樣的機會，他還在推特上發(fā)了一張自己微笑著的照片，照片上，他穿著一件T恤，作為和勒布朗·詹姆斯那個著名的“決定”相對應(yīng)，上面寫著“我把天賦帶到蘇?？怂埂薄?/p>

The next step that D-League officials are sure will come soon is the star player on rehab assignment， the basketball equivalent of the baseball pitcher who throws with the minor league team before returning to the majors.

對于發(fā)展聯(lián)盟的下一步計劃，聯(lián)盟官員很確定，未來不久就會有明星球員以恢復(fù)性下放的形式來到這里。這和棒球聯(lián)賽里投手回歸大聯(lián)盟前，先去小聯(lián)盟適應(yīng)的方式類似。

\"Instead of trying Dirk Nowitzki （with the Dallas Mavericks in his recent return from knee surgery） and playing on a 15-minute limit ... why not do 15 minutes in the D-League？\" Kirk Lacob said. \"Then if you play well， then it’s 25 minutes the next time， and they build you back up. Then come back， and you can start in your first game in the NBA， and you don’t have to waste all that time.\"

“比起讓諾維茨基（他最近才從膝蓋手術(shù)中恢復(fù)，回歸小牛）打上有限的15分鐘……為什么不在發(fā)展聯(lián)盟打15分鐘呢？”柯克·拉克布說，“如果你打得好，下次再打25分鐘，然后你就能逐漸恢復(fù)到比賽狀態(tài)。再回到NBA，這樣一回去你就可以首發(fā)，而且完全不必浪費時間?！?/p>

There’s a ripple effect for all involved， too， with coaches， general managers and staffers alike getting the sort of experience they would have lacked without the D-League. The NBA is chock-full of executives and coaches who had D-League duties earlier in their respective careers， among them general managers Danny Ferry of the Atlanta Hawks and Dell Demps of the New Orleans Hornets and assistant coaches Bryan Gates of the Hornets and Chris Finch of the Rockets.

對于所有參加其中的人來說這都會產(chǎn)生影響，如果沒有發(fā)展聯(lián)盟，教練、總經(jīng)理和球隊管理人員都不會得到類似的經(jīng)驗。NBA里有不少管理層和教練在各自職業(yè)生涯早期都和發(fā)展聯(lián)盟產(chǎn)生過聯(lián)系，在他們中間包括，老鷹總經(jīng)理丹尼·費里、黃蜂總經(jīng)理戴爾·鄧普斯、黃蜂主力教練布萊恩·蓋茨和火箭助理教練克里斯·芬奇。

For players like Griffin， the D-League environment around them has never been better.

對于格里芬這樣的球員，發(fā)展聯(lián)盟現(xiàn)在的環(huán)境不能更好了。

\"There’s so much more interaction between the big team in the D-League team when it’s one to one （affiliation） like we have now，\" Griffin said. \"All around I think it’s a lot better situation and it seems to me like more NBA teams are trying to get their own d-league team， which is huge.

“像現(xiàn)在這樣有一對一的隸屬關(guān)系，母隊和發(fā)展聯(lián)盟球隊之間互動變得非常多。”格里芬說，“從整體上說，我覺得這是個更好的環(huán)境，在我看來，更多的NBA球隊開始擁有自己的發(fā)展聯(lián)盟球隊，這個意義很重大。”

\"It’s incredible. I’ve seen the D-League for like three years now， but I think it’s leaps and bounds ahead of where it was.\"

“這太不可思議了，我已經(jīng)在發(fā)展聯(lián)盟見證了三年，我覺得它已經(jīng)有了跳躍式的發(fā)展，和最初相比有了太大的變化?！?/p>