July 11, 2014 – Las Vegas Summer League
The Thomas & Mack Center buzzed with electricity.
Fans packed the lower bowl. Scouts leaned forward in their seats. Commentators tested their microphones with growing excitement.
Michael Schmidt was minutes from taking the floor.
But only for one quarter.
The Cavaliers coaching staff had already seen enough in camp. The plan was clear:
"One quarter. No risks. He's already our starter."
But Michael wasn't here to jog through minutes.
He was here to leave an imprint.
First possession. Isolation. Michael caught the ball on the wing, faced up a G-League hopeful.
One dribble, stepback three. Splash.
Next trip. Stole a lazy pass. Two dribbles. Eurostep. Left-hand finish off glass.
The crowd ooohed.
Then came the dagger.
Inbound to Michael. He raced up the court, split the double, and rose—posterizing the opposing center with a two-handed jam.
The crowd exploded.
Cavs bench on their feet.
And he still wasn't done.
Final line (Q1 only):
13 points
3 assists
2 steals
1 block
5/6 FG
[System Notification: Quarter-Impact Efficiency Registered][Template Progress: 79.16% → 79.51%][Note: Future Progress Will Require Regular Season-Level Impact or Higher]
Post-game, media flooded him.
"Michael! Why just one quarter?"
He smiled. "Coach's orders."
"Didn't you want to keep going?"
Michael raised an eyebrow.
"I don't need to prove I belong in Summer League."
Back in the locker room, assistant coach James Posey clapped him on the back.
"You just made a lotta teams nervous."
Michael laced up slowly.
"Good. Let them lose sleep now."
As he left the arena, fans reached out for autographs. Phones flashed.
He kept walking, hoodie up, gaze forward.
[System Notification: National Spotlight Sustained][Legacy Note: Rookie Year Expectations Adjusted – All-Star Level Anticipated]
Michael didn't need a headline. He didn't need a celebration.
He had something better.
Momentum.