Stoudemire was being completely shut down by Su Xi on the court. The sophomore team’s head coach, Michael Cooper, and assistant coach, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, both thought of Yao Ming at the same time. If Yao Ming were willing to play, his absolute height and incredible ability to draw defenders in the paint could definitely unleash Stoudemire’s offensive firepower.

But when Michael Cooper and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went to talk to this gentle, good-natured man about it, Yao Ming just smiled. At some point, he had already taken the wrap off his ankle and put on slippers. He said politely, "Sorry, coaches. My ankle isn’t feeling right today. I can’t play."

Yao Ming’s personality was different from Su Xi’s. Su Xi was all about meeting force with force, an eye for an eye.

Yao Ming was mild-mannered, but that didn’t mean he lacked principles. When he saw Stoudemire trash-talking Su Xi and making that insulting gesture, he had already decided he wouldn’t play again that night. A game was a game, but he would never aim his weapon at Su Xi.

With Yao Ming off the court, the sophomore team’s interior became an unsolvable problem.

The game continued, and the sophomore team shifted their offensive focus to the perimeter. Ginobili had a hot hand, and Deng Liwei and Jalrić were also contributing frequently.

The freshman team was loaded with talent, but sometimes an excess of talent doesn’t translate to on-court chemistry, making them look like a disorganized mess.

Su Xi didn’t get involved in the chaos. He just quietly stayed at the power forward position, focusing all his energy on dealing with Stoudemire.

His detached focus, in contrast, made him the freshman team’s most stable element and the biggest reason they maintained their lead.

Seven minutes into the second half, Su Xi already had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.

Under his defense, Stoudemire was held scoreless and committed one turnover after another.

The sophomore team chose to sub him out, pairing Carlos Boozer and Nenê together.

Seeing Stoudemire leave the game, Su Xi also went to the bench for a rest, taking the opportunity to recover his stamina.

When Su Xi was subbed out, the freshman team was leading by 5 points.

After Su Xi left the court, the sophomores increasingly seized the initiative. Without Stoudemire, they played more cohesively, looking more like a real team. In contrast, the freshmen’s tendency to play hero ball was more severe; they were split into several factions and failed to play as a unit.

Orchestrated by Ginobili and Jalrić, the sophomore team’s offense grew increasingly fluid.

They quickly tied the score and began to build a lead of their own.

At this moment, LeBron James got anxious.

He was the leading scorer for the freshmen with 28 points, along with 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. If the freshmen won, he was a lock for MVP; no other player could compare.

So, he didn’t want to lose. He couldn’t afford to lose.

This season, the "Chosen One" had yet to earn any eye-catching honors. He had even been repeatedly outshone in comparisons with Su Xi. The media wanted to hype him up but had no real accomplishments to point to, so they could only boast about his talent and potential.

Therefore, James was the most desperate person on the court right now.

Seeing the sophomores about to sweep in and snatch the victory, he thought of Su Xi.

Although he was jealous of Su Xi, he also knew that only Su Xi could help him.

Besides, he glanced at the stats. Su Xi’s numbers were far behind his own. As long as he kept a firm grip on the ball, Su Xi couldn’t steal the MVP from him.

So, with 6 minutes left in the game and the freshman team trailing by 5, they called a timeout. LeBron James returned to the bench and suggested to Head Coach Doug Collins, "Coach, we should put Jack in."

James even gave Su Xi a smile.

This was the first time James had shown any goodwill toward Su Xi since they had drifted apart.

Doug Collins looked toward Su Xi, seeking his opinion. Su Xi gave a slight nod.

Only then did Collins pull out his clipboard, still assigning Su Xi to the power forward position.

But the players partnering with Su Xi now were: James, Wade, Antonio, and Chris Bosh.

These five were the most famous rookies of the 2003 draft class.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Stoudemire once again pleaded with his head coach: "Coach, I want to play basketball." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

He was desperate to get on the court, desperate to prove himself. Ever since Su Xi had entered the game, his point total hadn’t budged, his turnovers had skyrocketed, and he’d been posterized by Su Xi twice. It was safe to say he had been utterly and completely humiliated.

He had become the biggest joke of the night.

He couldn’t accept this outcome. He believed he still had a chance for a desperate counterattack, to pull off a comeback.

So, he pleaded with Michael Cooper.

Cooper couldn’t withstand his relentless pestering and finally decided to give him one last chance.

BZZT!

The whistle blew.

As if by unspoken agreement, Stoudemire and Su Xi checked into the game at the same time.

Su Xi was very happy, a smile on his face.

Stoudemire, however, felt a faint sense of dread, even though he wore the expression of a returning king hell-bent on bloody revenge.

In the TNT broadcast booth, Kenny Smith groaned inwardly. Stoudemire subbing in was bad news for him. He no longer believed Stoudemire could get past the hurdle that was Su Xi.

The sophomores had just barely managed to take the lead, and now they were putting Stoudemire back in.

’Aren’t they just making me look like a total ass?’

Kenny was especially unhappy with the sophomore team’s substitution.

LeBron James brought the ball past half-court. After taking two steps toward the paint, he passed the ball to Su Xi, who had pulled up to the high post.

Su Xi caught the ball. Stoudemire didn’t step out to defend him, so he took an easy shot... SWISH!

Su Xi scored 2 points, James got 1 assist, and the freshman team’s deficit shrank to 3 points.