A 24-year-old Tracy McGrady stood at the top of the arc, watching as the soon-to-be 19-year-old LeBron James and the newly 19-year-old Su Xi ran another pick-and-roll. The scene was brimming with youthful energy.

He then followed James into the paint, only to see James crash right into his teammate, Davis.

It resulted in an obvious turnover.

Change of possession.

He saw James and Davis glaring at each other—a familiar scene in the NBA.

Tracy McGrady might not have been old, but he’d already been in the league for five years and had seen more than his share of internal team strife. The situation was clear: LeBron James was making a move for the top spot, and Ricky Davis wasn’t willing to step down gracefully.

Tracy McGrady actually wanted to offer Davis a word of advice. James was the superstar rookie everyone was waiting for; he should step down gracefully and try to retain some of his privileges. If this turned into an ugly, all-out war, any idiot knew who the Cavaliers would choose.

Back on the other end of the court, Su Xi was all over Tracy McGrady as soon as he got the ball. His eyes burned with eagerness. He even said to McGrady, "Show me what you’ve got. I’m desperate to improve."

Tracy McGrady smiled.

After witnessing the power struggle between James and Davis, seeing Su Xi’s pure focus on the game touched him.

So, he put his skills on full display. Although Su Xi’s defense made things difficult, that very difficulty was what pushed him to be even better.

He put his entire arsenal of skills on dazzling display.

Of course, for Su Xi, it wasn’t his technique he wanted to improve, but his Super Coordination Talent.

As Tracy McGrady unleashed his dazzling moves right in front of him, his Super Coordination Talent kicked into high gear. Su Xi’s fusion speed shot up, improving at a rapid pace.

’This was, after all, a face-to-face boost from the talent’s original owner.’

Watching Su Xi on the court, working hard without complaint, hustling to do all the dirty work, and giving his all to defend Tracy McGrady...

...And then looking at Davis and James, whose power struggle was so obvious it was practically written on their faces.

Paul Silas couldn’t hide his growing admiration for Su Xi. He even turned to talk to Chuck Daly, who was seated behind the bench. Daly had been there all night, his attention completely fixed on Su Xi.

"This kid has an incredible ability to learn; he’s constantly improving. He’s a true defensive genius. His rate of evolution is even more ridiculous than Dennis Rodman’s."

Chuck Daly said to Paul Silas, "At first... Tracy McGrady was throwing off his balance and rhythm with ease. Even though Su Xi has good lateral quickness and the ability to stay attached to his man, his center of gravity was always unstable. Now, he’s getting much better at controlling his balance. He’s defending him very well."

Chuck Daly was unstinting in his praise for Su Xi.

Paul Silas had immense respect for Chuck Daly.

"If your frontcourt had a bit more mobility, your overall defensive quality would jump a level or two," Chuck Daly lectured Silas. "LeBron James likes to gamble for steals and his fundamentals are poor, but he has the potential to be a good help defender."

Silas nodded eagerly.

Near the end of the first quarter, Su Xi was subbed out for a rest.

He sat right in front of Chuck Daly, who asked him, "How does it feel defending Tracy McGrady?"

"It’s awesome. A real rush. I’m improving so fast, I’m thrilled." Su Xi’s eyes were shining.

His passion was genuine.

Su Xi’s passion made Chuck Daly especially happy. He had finally, once again, encountered a player so completely captivated by defense. And he was a perimeter player, no less, with excellent defensive instincts and fundamentals.

At that moment, Chuck Daly felt the urge to come out of retirement. But it was just an urge... his physical condition wouldn’t allow him to work so hard.

So, he handed Su Xi a business card. He said to Su Xi, "This is my card. Call me. I have some game tapes and defensive materials that might be able to help you."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Su Xi thanked him profusely, accepted the card with both hands, and then quickly waved his agent, Mike O’Connor, over. He had O’Connor put the card away safely.

Meanwhile, on the court, James and Davis were already running their own separate plays.

The rift between them was plain to see.

To some extent, it seemed Davis was adopting a scorched-earth mentality.

He knew he couldn’t win against James and would most likely be kicked to the curb. But he felt James was pushing him too far, and he was determined to make a scene.

This was a bit unexpected.

What was interesting was their dynamic. Initially, because of their agents, Ricky Davis and Su Xi had been like fire and water. And while they still didn’t speak to each other, Davis had never subjected Su Xi to any rookie duties—no carrying bags, no running errands. He didn’t joke at Su Xi’s expense, and he hadn’t kicked Su Xi while he was down when the media was mocking him before his debut.

Moreover, when Su Xi had the ball, Davis’s off-ball movement was always aggressive. And Su Xi would pass to him, as long as he got himself into a good scoring position.

As a result, when the two of them were on the court together, the Cavaliers’ offensive efficiency was at its highest.

Su Xi rested on the bench until the sixth minute of the second quarter. Paul Silas then sent him in to give LeBron a rest. Jason Kapono and Diop entered the game alongside Su Xi, forming a brand new lineup with Carlos Boozer and Ricky Davis.

The Cavaliers were down by seven when Su Xi entered the game.

Su Xi quickly led the Cavaliers into a dominant run. Without Tracy McGrady on the floor to anchor them, the Magic’s bench unit was in total disarray.