Preseason

"Pass! Pass!! Keep moving, keep moving! Watch your man! Rebound!!" Coach Omoki's booming voice kept barking instructions, while the players on the court gave it their all. This intrasquad scrimmage was fiercely contested, with muscles crashing against muscles in loud thuds!

"Alright, everyone, take a break!" Seeing Kawaguchi arrive at the sideline and look as if he had something to say, Coach Omoki called a halt to practice.

"Damn it!!! I was just about to blow past Rukawa Kaede!! Why'd we stop?!" Sakuragi was clearly getting into it.

"Sakuragi, are you some kind of monster? Don't you get tired?" Mitsui, already panting heavily, looked at Sakuragi with envy.

"Mitsui, pull yourself together!! Let's go one-on-one!" Sakuragi truly did not seem tired at all.

"Have mercy on me. You win, Sakuragi." Mitsui was exhausted.

Sakuragi still would not let up, tugging at Mitsui and begging him to keep training with him.

"It's confirmed! Coach Omoki, the notification just came in. It's the Nagoya Ninjas." Kawaguchi had indeed come to discuss something with Omoki—their opponent.

"Alright, everyone gather up. There's something to announce." Before they had rested for long, the players assembled again.

"Our preseason opponent before this year's regular season has been decided. One week from now, we'll head to Nagoya to challenge the local team, the Nagoya Ninjas," Coach Omoki said.

A brief explanation: JBa preseason games were not scheduled in advance like NBA preseason games. Instead, each team's general managers contacted one another and considered which matchups would be most beneficial for their teams, along with other factors. However, every team had to play at least one game. Since the Jaguars had undergone major roster changes this year, only this one game had been arranged, serving as their final warm-up before the regular season.

"The Nagoya Ninjas! They're a tough opponent!" Akagi remarked.

"Relax! With me, Sakuragi, here, who cares about ninjas or turtles? They're nothing!" Sakuragi was still brimming with confidence!

"Idiot, stop talking big! They're strong!" Seeing Sakuragi getting carried away, Akagi scolded him.

"Alright, alright. We'll stop here for today. Head to the meeting room in a bit and let's analyze this opponent," Omoki said.

Soon afterward, the players arrived in the meeting room, and Coach Omoki began speaking.

"The Nagoya Ninjas are a very strong team. They have excellent tactical discipline and distinct team characteristics, all of which can be summed up in one word: speed! Fast offense, fast transitions between offense and defense, fast rotations. They also have several solid perimeter players with reliable three-point shots. They are a genuine run-and-gun team!"

Coach Omoki took a sip of water, turned on the projector, and continued.

"Ishii Yanfu, the Ninjas' backcourt commander and the engine of the team. Though he has only played four seasons, his on-court performance is that of a veteran. He also has excellent court vision, averaging 8.6 assists per game last season! He was last year's league assist leader as well. What we need to watch most is his three-point shot. He hit 48 percent from deep. We cannot let him shoot easily!"

Coach Omoki continued introducing the other Ninjas players, and everyone listened attentively.

"Alright, that's all for today. Dismissed. Get ready for lunch," Omoki said, seeing that it was nearly noon.

"Wait, Sakuragi!" Kawaguchi called out to him.

"Sakuragi, you still haven't picked a number for your game jersey. We were planning to announce the numbers at the press conference. Rukawa Kaede picked number 1, and then when it got to you..." Kawaguchi suddenly remembered the jerseys, as well as Sakuragi's outburst at the press conference.

"Hahaha, I acted on impulse! Just an impulse!!" Sakuragi hurriedly explained.

"What number should I pick???" Sakuragi fell deep into thought.

"Then I'll take number 6. Six years, number 6!!" After thinking for a long while, Sakuragi finally came up with one.

"Alright, number 6 is available. You can use it." After saying that, Kawaguchi hurried out of the training facility.

"The Jaguars, huh? They're the team that got this year's top pick, and they have Takenori Akagi too. That center is pretty good. We had a hard time against the Jaguars last year. Looks like this will be another tough battle."

The man muttering to himself in the Ninjas' training facility after learning their preseason opponent was none other than Ishii Yanfu, the Ninjas' backcourt commander Coach Omoki had mentioned. Ishii looked to be only about 185 centimeters tall, with a fairly sturdy build. His muscle definition was not especially obvious, but he looked capable of handling physical contact. His nose, eyes, and mouth were rather delicate-looking. His long yellow hair covered his ears; he had probably dyed it a long time ago, since the roots had all turned black, with only the tips retaining some yellow. That was probably Yanfeng's most distinctive feature.

"So, are you staying after to practice your shooting today?" asked a coach-like man.

"No, not today. Later, I'll watch some game footage of that Rukawa Kaede and study him," Ishii said.

"It's only a preseason game. Is that really necessary?"

"Maybe it's for future games. They'll definitely become a force that can't be ignored!" Ishii clearly regarded the Jaguars very highly.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak..." That sound echoed through the Jaguars' training facility every day. Another week quickly passed, and the game against the Ninjas was about to begin.

"Everyone, keep carrying out the game plan we prepared. Get the ball to Akagi as much as possible and work the interior first. On defense, keep moving and play man-to-man!" Coach Omoki gave his final pregame instructions in the locker room.

"Alright! Today is the Jaguars' first game. Even if it's only preseason, everyone needs to stay sharp and show our strength!" Akagi encouraged his teammates.

"Come on! One, two, three—Jaguars!" The players raised their hands together and shouted their slogan. Then they changed into their uniforms and prepared to take the court.

Though it was only a preseason game, it was still the team's first appearance of the season. Quite a crowd had come to the Ninjas' home arena, and the game was about to begin.

As expected, the Jaguars' lineup was Shohoku's Five Tigers.

The lights gradually dimmed, and the arena was ready to announce the starting players!

"Kobe Jaguars! Number 1, Rukawa Kaede! Number 4, Takenori Akagi! Number 6, Sakuragi Hanamichi! Number 7, Miyagi Ryota! Number 14, Mitsui Hisashi!"

After all, they were the visiting team, so the introduction was plain and unremarkable.

"Next, with your loudest applause, welcome our Ninjas!!!!!!" The announcer nearly roared as he fired up the home crowd.

"Number 9! Our starting center! Frank Ojeda!!! Number 5! The beast of the paint!! Power forward! Takano Jinglei!!! Number 1! Our assist king, point guard: Ishii Yanfu!!! Number 19! Shooting guard: Tamaki Zhi!! Number 11! Defensive stopper, forward: Hirano Kongdao!!!"

Every player received thunderous applause and cheers as he was introduced.

"Tch, they even have foreign players." Sakuragi was not happy to see the imports.

"Focus, Sakuragi. He's already a veteran. Just do your own job!" Akagi reminded him.

There were very few JBa teams with foreign players, and their overall abilities were not particularly overwhelming. Domestic players still made up the core of the league. With the player introductions complete, the game was about to start.

Akagi and Ojide stood on either side of the center circle, ready for the tip-off.

The referee tossed the ball straight up. Ojide, being Black, got there first and tipped the ball into his own half. The Ninjas had the first possession.

Yanfeng dribbled the ball across half court. Rather than immediately driving or passing, he made hand signals from where he stood, seemingly confirming the play with his teammates. The Jaguars did not panic because they could not understand the signals; they simply stuck to their assignments and guarded their corresponding opponents. Suddenly, Yanfeng passed the ball to the three-point line at the forty-five-degree angle. Zhi caught it with no defender in front of him and rose for the shot!

Swish! Nothing but net.

"This is Ishii. His tactical discipline is incredibly high. From the first second of the game to the last, he plays according to the game plan. That play was an off-ball screen. Zhi used number 5's screen to shake his defender, and when he reached the three-point line, the ball arrived right with him. It's a very practical play. Ishii read the situation on the court perfectly! With a player like that on the team, the coach can rest easy. He's the head coach on the floor!" After just one possession, Coach Omoki was already full of praise for Ishii.

On the other end, Miyagi brought the ball across half court for the Jaguars. It was almost the exact same play. Using Akagi's screen, Rukawa Kaede got open. But after receiving the ball, Rukawa Kaede did not shoot immediately. Instead, he drove toward the baseline. Kongdao, who had been defending Rukawa Kaede, fought around the screen and caught up.

"You passed up your best shooting chance. You'll regret it, rookie!" Kongdao taunted.

Rukawa Kaede kept driving toward the baseline. When he was still a meter away, he stopped abruptly and rose into the air. Carried by his momentum, Rukawa Kaede jumped extremely high. Although Kongdao jumped at the same time, his outstretched hand could only reach Rukawa Kaede's chin. Rukawa Kaede hung in the air for a moment, adjusted his rhythm, and calmly released the ball.

Swish! Another clean make. A wave of astonished murmurs rose from the arena.

The entire sequence looked exactly like NBA star Tracy McGrady's pull-up jumper—so smooth, so beautiful.

"Rukawa Kaede looks extremely confident. He isn't intimidated at all. Let loose!!" Omoki tried hard to suppress the excitement in his heart.

Damn it, that stinking fox got to show off again. Haruko must be watching me somewhere!! I want the ball. I want to score! Sakuragi thought.

How would Yanfeng respond?