The dramatic history between Su Xi and James was a story that fans all over the world loved to talk about. You could fill a book with all the "secret exposés" and gossip.

Although Su Xi had never publicly commented on anything related to James after leaving Cleveland.

But whenever people talked about James, they couldn’t help but compare him to Su Xi.

Initially, the "lifelong rivals" of the ’03 class hyped by the league were actually Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. They played the same position and were both nationally-acclaimed phenoms. Their starting points were also similar: the Nuggets and the Cavaliers were bottom-dwelling teams the previous season, and both players were immediately established as the core of their respective franchises upon arrival.

They were like a perfect set of test subjects, with the variables perfectly controlled.

Now, however, the two most famous players were Su Xi and James.

Su Xi was the underdog super rookie. He began his career as James’s subordinate, then delivered a shocking performance in the very first game of the season. From there, his rise was meteoric. After being traded, not only did he avoid hitting the rookie wall, but he also wasn’t sidelined. On the contrary, he quickly established himself on the star-studded powerhouse Indiana Pacers, even becoming a core leader on the team.

Many argued that Su Xi’s individual abilities weren’t strong, falling far short of an All-Star’s standard. They claimed his success was built entirely on the foundation of the Pacers’ powerful system. Leave the Pacers, they said, and he would be reduced to mediocrity.

And yet, Su Xi’s actual results were enough to put many all-time greats to shame.

That was why the clamor for Su Xi to win Rookie of the Year was so loud. His stats were just that insane, and his efficiency was just that high. His advanced stats blew every other rookie out of the water. When compared historically, his numbers were dominant enough to challenge the all-time greats.

People couldn’t deny that Su Xi was a phenomenal rookie, even if they believed he had all sorts of shortcomings and wasn’t good enough in this area or that.

Of course, LeBron James was the other phenomenal rookie. Before even entering the league, he was already "The Chosen One," the focus of immense attention. And once he joined the NBA, he didn’t disappoint. Right from his debut, he could go toe-to-toe with established superstars, even holding an advantage in certain aspects of the game.

His overall talent was blindingly obvious. Countless basketball experts vouched for him, calling him the most complete package of raw talent in the league today.

Others even said that LeBron James was pointing toward the future direction of the NBA.

In contrast, Su Xi lacked endorsements and praise from authoritative experts. The professional basketball media didn’t believe he had the potential to become a superstar.

Su Xi appeared in the basketball media far less often than he was featured and fawned over by the Hollywood press.

Before the game, LeBron James was interviewed by the media and asked about his relationship with Su Xi.

He said with a smile plastered on his face, "We’re friends. We’ve always been friends. Carmelo, Dwayne, Su, and I, we were all good brothers before the draft."

James had an excellent media image. Everyone said he carried himself with class and poise.

In contrast, Su Xi’s "aggressive" aura wasn’t very popular with the basketball media. Su Xi gave off a distinct vibe: ’If you dare to cross me, I’ll destroy you.’

As a result, some media outlets even painted Su Xi as James’s polar opposite, calling Little Sheep Su Xi an evil villain.

Su Xi didn’t care about these labels. While James often described his close relationship with Su Xi on camera, Su Xi simply refused to talk about James at all.

But other people did.

The Cavaliers were seen as having made out like bandits in that three-team trade. In addition to dumping bad contracts and receiving draft picks, they also acquired battle-hardened veterans like Jackson and Tinsley.

However, these same players were causing the Cavaliers’ locker room to spiral further out of control.

It wasn’t as if they were openly calling the Cavaliers a feudal system, like Tony Battie, who had said James was the "Chief of Cleveland" and all other players were treated like his slaves. Nor did they demand a buyout and fire off a bunch of parting shots before returning to Indiana, like Kenny Anderson.

But Tinsley had said, ’I’m not free on the Cavaliers. I’m not a Point Guard. I’m a spot-up shooter and a ball-mover. My job is to bring the ball up from the backcourt and then just stand obediently on the wing.’

Jackson also said, "With LeBron’s talent, he could be doing much more on the defensive end. But his excellent instincts for steals and his ability to push the fast break cause him to neglect a lot of his other responsibilities."

For Stephen Jackson to put it that tactfully was already giving LeBron a lot of face.

They were still playing hard, but they definitely didn’t want to be in Cleveland next season.

The tree hadn’t yet fallen, but the monkeys were already planning to scatter.

"I’m not getting involved in the Rookie of the Year discussion."

Su Xi also gave a media interview before the game. After a reporter asked for his thoughts on Jessica Alba walking the Teen Choice Awards red carpet with two MVP trophies, he addressed the question about the Rookie of the Year award.

"But if the Rookie of the Year trophy isn’t given to me... who would dare to take it?"

Su Xi declared, "For any other rookie, that trophy would be a red-hot dagger. They don’t have what it takes to even lift it."

"What about LeBron James, then?" a reporter asked directly.

"He needs to make the playoffs just to be part of the conversation," Su Xi said. "Having an immediate impact on your team’s record is the bare minimum for a Rookie of the Year."

"So, are you and he friends?" a reporter from TNT pressed.

Su Xi gave a meaningful smile, then said, "Why don’t we go back to talking about Jessica walking the red carpet with those two MVP trophies?"