The latest special edition of Basketball Weekly has appeared across the country like a silent declaration of war.
The front page featured a picture of Kawamoto Kazuki from behind.
" The Kanagawa Monster Awakens! Shohoku's Number 15 Scores 71 Points in the First Half!"
The content is an interview with Sanae Nakagawa, filled with amazement and detailed analysis.
Perhaps some personal feelings were also involved.
Aichi Prefecture, Meihou Industry.
A short, elderly man carrying a copy of " Basketball Weekly " walked into the empty stadium.
Inside the arena, only one giant was practicing his footwork under the basket.
He is nearly two meters tall, with a physique as strong as a mountain, and wears jersey number 15. He is Hiroshi Morishige, who is hailed as a monster center.
" Hiroshi..." The old man handed over the weekly magazine, his voice somewhat flippant. "It seems like a remarkable guy has emerged in Kanagawa. He crushed last year's prefectural runner-up, Shoyo, in just the first half, scoring 71 points by himself."
Hiroshi Morishige stopped what he was doing, and easily took the magazine from his large hand.
He glanced at the cover, his gaze lingering on the 71 points for a moment, and asked in a deep voice, "71 points? Uncle, does that mean this person is better than me?"
"The report says he's a terrifying three-point shooter, not your type at all."
The old man shook his head, his tone certain. "You are the best high school basketball center in all of Japan, unmatched by anyone. But it seems we can't underestimate Shohoku this year."
Hiroshi Morishige gave an "oh," then looked down at the data analysis by Kawamoto Kazuki in the report, his thick eyebrows slightly raised.
" Kawamoto Kazuki."
He clenched his fist, and his knuckles cracked softly.
Aichi Prefecture, Aiwa Academy.
" Moroboshi, look at this."
The coach handed a copy of Basketball Weekly to Dai Moroboshi, who was practicing his pull-up jump shot.
Dai Moroboshi wiped his sweat, took the magazine, and quickly browsed through it.
His usually bright eyes shone even brighter as he looked at Kawamoto Kazuki's statistics and match descriptions.
"71 points in the first half - a barrage of three-pointers - a complete offensive and defensive performance - "
Dai Moroboshi muttered to himself, a smirk of excitement playing on his lips. "Haha, this is incredible! Kanagawa actually has such a genius hidden away. His ability to score points instantly seems even stronger than mine, is it really that exaggerated?"
A fierce competitive spirit ignited in his eyes. "This is the kind of opponent that's interesting. I wonder how his breakthrough compares to my instantaneous acceleration? I really want to meet him in the national competition soon."
For Dai Moroboshi, known for his diverse offensive skills and explosive scoring ability, the appearance of Kawamoto was incredibly exciting.
Akita Prefecture, Sannoh Industrial High School.
Coach Goro Domoto walked into the training hall with a serious expression, holding a copy of " Basketball Weekly " in his hand.
"Stop right there!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly stopped all the team members, who were sweating profusely, in their tracks.
Kazunari Fukatsu, Masashi Kawata, Minoru Matsumoto, Masahiro Nobe, Eiji Sawakita, Mikio Kawata, Satoshi Ichinokura ----
All eyes were on the magazine in the coach's hand.
"A monster rookie has emerged from Shohoku High School Kanagawa."
Domoto placed the weekly magazine on the tactics board and flipped to the interview page. "First-year student number 15, Kawamoto Kazuki. He scored 71 points in the first half against Shoyo, with almost 100% accuracy from three-point range, and was equally dominant on the defensive end. This year's national tournament might become very difficult because of his presence."
The Sannoh's generals immediately surrounded them.
When Eiji Sawakita's gaze fell on the name Kawamoto Kazuki, his body stiffened abruptly.
" Kawamoto - Kazuki?"
Sawakita murmured softly, a scene from so long ago that it had almost been forgotten flashing through his mind.
Hiratsuka City, could it be him?
" Sawakita, do you know him?" Kazunari Fukatsu noticed his unusual behavior.
"Uncertain."
Sawakita quickly regained his composure, but a hint of inquiry lingered in his eyes. "If it really is the guy I know—that's interesting."
Toyotama High School, Osaka Prefecture.
Toyotama's coach shouted irritably.
Tsuyoshi Minami, Kishimoto, Daijiro Itakura strolled over in a nonchalant manner.
"Look, Kanagawa's rising star." The coach tossed the magazine to them.
Tsuyoshi Minami Lie picked it up expressionlessly, glanced at it, and snorted coldly, "71 points in the first half? Hmph, no matter how accurate your shooting is, you still need to be alive to shoot. In the national tournament, no one will be as gentle as Shoyo."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes; he was clearly already considering ways to give them special treatment.
Minori Kishimoto looked unconvinced. "71 points? That's just padding the score! I could have done better than those weaklings from Shoyo!"
Shohoku, huh? They'd better not run into us, or they'll learn what real offensive basketball is all about!
He completely ignored the reports Nakagawa Kawamoto's terrifying defense.
Daijiro Itakura leaned over for a look, then whistled, "Wow, looks like he's got some skill, but I wonder if he can take a beating. Hey, Tsuyoshi Minami, Kishimoto, if we're playing against him at the start, I'll go and yell at him, mess with his mentality, and see if he can still make so many three-pointers!"
Daiei Academy, Osaka Prefecture.
The atmosphere inside the training hall was rigorous and orderly.
The coach handed the Basketball Weekly to Atsushi Tsuchiya, who was dribbling the ball.
" Tsuchiya, a remarkable newcomer has emerged from Shohoku in Kanagawa. This is the report."
Atsushi Tsuchiya, a tall commander with a style similar to Akira Sendoh, is known for his calm judgment and team management skills.
He read the entire report carefully, especially Sanae Nakagawa's analysis of Kawamoto's sports IQ and leadership.
"71 points in the first half—truly astonishing."
Atsushi Tsuchiya put down the magazine, his eyes calm. "But what concerns me more is the report's mention of his playmaking and passing in the first half. This person is probably not just a scoring machine; he is a core player who can raise the ceiling of the entire team."
His tone was calm yet serious. "It seems we need to reassess the teams that will advance from Kanagawa this year. If we face Shohoku, the key might not be entirely limiting his individual scoring, but rather disrupting his connection with the team and throwing off their overall rhythm. That's an interesting challenge."
Unlike Toyotama's recklessness and arrogance, Daiei's Atsushi Tsuchiya immediately recognized Kawamoto's more dangerous team attributes.
Shizuoka Prefecture, Jousei High School.
" Mikoshiba, take a look at this report."
A teammate handed a magazine to Mikoshiba, who was fixing her hair in front of the mirror.
Mikoshiba, who prided himself on being the best in Shizuoka Prefecture with all his abilities, was actually an arrogant guy who casually accepted the offer.
"What Tom, Dick, or Harry is making the headlines again? --- Hmm? Shohoku? Never heard of them. Shoyo? Second in Kanagawa last year? They got crushed by one person?"
He quickly read it, a disdainful look on his face. "Tch, just a guy with a decent shot. His defense is probably terrible, the reports only praise his offense. If I were guarding him, I'd shut him down completely."
A score of 0? That's because Shoyo is too weak! If our Jousei were to encounter them, he'd teach them a lesson in no time.
He was completely oblivious to the defensive dominance implied in the report, still indulging in his self-satisfied belief in Lao Tzu's comprehensive approach.