Taking a three-pointer directly is obviously unwise; not only is the shooting percentage low, but given Michael's physical attributes, he could very well get blocked right in the face.
After several tentative steps, Kaede Rukawa finally managed to create a slight opening with his footwork.
He immediately dribbled past his opponent!
He charged two steps while carrying the Michael, then stopped abruptly after his third dribble, and jumped to the side to shoot!
Swish!
The ball went into the net, Kaede Rukawa scored the first point.
"Good shot," Michael Okita laughed. "Looks like I need to be more serious."
In his mind, Kaede Rukawa was an evenly matched opponent, and he couldn't be happier to have such a one-on-one duel.
The shift from offense to defense.
It was Kaede Rukawa's turn to defend.
Instead of pressing too hard like Michael, he took a step back and chose a more stable position that defended against both drives and shots.
"That Stinking Fox is no good! Run him over! Run him aside!" Hanamichi Sakuragi shouted and gestured anxiously from the side.
Michael Okita held the ball with both hands, constantly making probing steps.
Every dribble is precious; never take the ball lightly without a perfect opportunity.
Kaede Rukawa kept adjusting his footing, his eyes fixed on Michael's every move.
Michael Okita probed back and forth a few times, then suddenly made a sharp change of direction, swaying his body from side to side like a roly-poly toy. Before Kaede Rukawa could judge the direction, his opponent had already slammed the ball down and charged in from the right!
In terms of physical confrontation, Michael did have a slight advantage, using his initial movement to gain half a body length and heading straight for the basket. Kaede Rukawa didn't hesitate either, leaping up from behind to block the shot, jumping half a beat faster than Michael and almost managing to smother the ball.
Seeing this, Michael flicked his wrist, and the ball traced a small arc, just grazing Kaede Rukawa's fingertips before "whooshing" into the net.
This round is now even.
"Continue." Kaede Rukawa picked up the ball and threw it over, his face expressionless.
Michael Okita grinned. "Then let's have a good fight."
The roles of offense and defense are reversed.
This time, Kaede Rukawa learned his lesson. He adopted a triple threat stance, feinted a shot, and suddenly launched an attack from his weak side! Michael reacted a beat too slow and was left half a step behind.
When the ball reached a 45-degree angle, Kaede Rukawa turned sharply against Michael, his movement clean and swift. Michael quickly moved to the side and reached out, but Kaede Rukawa twisted his foot and turned back, releasing a fadeaway jump shot.
The ball spun twice in the air and went into the net cleanly.
"Great." Michael nodded, a fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.
The two players switched sides again.
Michael changed his tactics this time, his probing steps thumping loudly before suddenly taking a big step to feign a breakthrough! Kaede Rukawa's pupils contracted, and just as his center of gravity shifted, Michael pulled up and shot.
The three-pointer swished through the net.
Kaede Rukawa was taken aback; he truly hadn't expected his opponent to so readily throw up a three-pointer in a one-on-one situation. However, this shot did make him start thinking—so this was another way to play.
The two of them started practicing back and forth, their physical contact crackling and quite intense. But whenever one of them scored a beautiful goal, the other would nod or shout "Good!", which developed into a special kind of tacit understanding.
Once everything was arranged here, Shirasawa called Sakuragi and Ichiro Katsumi, who were watching the commotion, to the next area.
Their tasks were very clear: Sakuragi would practice shooting, and Ichiro Katsumi would provide guidance. Coach Anzai had specifically instructed them beforehand that Sakuragi's shooting needed to be honed, and Ichiro Katsumi was a patient shooter who was reliable as a coach.
As for retrieving the ball... well, consider it a good way to improve your physical fitness.
"Hmph, it's your good fortune to train with this genius, so cherish it!" Sakuragi held the basketball, his chin held high.
Ichiro Katsumi smiled good-naturedly and nodded, "Yes, yes, I will definitely teach you carefully."
He seems to never get angry, always responding cheerfully to whatever is said, and occasionally even offering a few words of encouragement, making Sakuragi feel completely comfortable and giving him extra energy during training.
Seeing that everything was on track, Shirasawa quietly slipped out of the stadium. He'd gotten up early for the competition today; now going home and catching up on sleep was the most important thing...
Speaking of which, our goldfish is quite lively. If I told Ayako, she'd probably want to come and see it, right?
"Two hundred and ninety-eight!"
" Sakuragi, hang in there!!"
"Two hundred and ninety-nine!!"
"Just one more!"
"Don't rush! Think clearly before you shoot! Make this shot!"
The day before the game, Kiminobu Kogure's shouts echoed through the Shohoku basketball arena.
He was counting the number of shots Hanamichi Sakuragi took.
During the morning assembly, Coach Anzai gave Sakuragi an assignment: starting today, Sakuragi must complete 300 shooting drills every day. He has to practice regardless of wind or rain, and it doesn't matter if it's a game day or not.
Coach Anzai believed that Sakuragi could do it, and also felt that the kid was self-disciplined and wouldn't just be a show-off in the team.
Sakuragi thumped his chest loudly, accepting the task with great enthusiasm. After all, shooting was already part of his daily training; now it was just a matter of adding a specific number to his practice.
These 300 shots are the first phase of the task.
Once Sakuragi's shooting percentage stabilizes, he'll have to take an assessment—making 100 out of 300 shots will qualify him for the second stage.
This level-based challenge mode is especially to Sakuragi's liking.
The second phase is changed to hitting 100 balls per day. If you can complete it in 200 shots, you can finish early. This task lasts for a week and there is no assessment.
The third phase will begin one week later.
The third stage was a bit daunting for Sakuragi: he still had to shoot 300 shots, but he had to make 150, which meant his mid-range shooting percentage had to be 50%.
If the goal isn't achieved on the first day, an additional 100 penalties are imposed on the second day; if it's still not achieved on the second day, another 200 are imposed... and so on.
It's also a one-week period; the assessment will be conducted after that.
Sakuragi is now gritting his teeth as he shoots his 299th shot.
Coach Anzai stopped explaining the plan here, deliberately leaving a cliffhanger, saying that if Sakuragi could really get through it all, there would be a big surprise waiting for him.
As for what the gift was, the old man smiled and kept everyone in suspense, refusing to reveal it no matter what.
When the three-step assessment plan was announced, the teammates were all dumbfounded.
For a starting player like Hisashi Mitsui, scoring a hundred goals on the first day? That's child's play, it's no big deal.
But if it's a substitute player, it's a completely different story. Just the three hundred shots a day in the first stage alone is terrifying enough.
And it has to be done rain or shine, every single day...
At this intensity, he probably wouldn't last a week before collapsing.
Fortunately, this grueling training was specially tailored for the gifted comrade by the coach and had nothing to do with others.
To encourage Sakuragi, everyone volunteered to stay and keep him company after training.
Sure enough, as soon as the day's regular training ended, Sakuragi started shooting from the very first ball.
Under the watchful eyes and counts of the entire team, he finally managed to take his 300th shot.
"300!!"
As the whole team shouted out the number in unison, Sakuragi threw the ball out.
The result was quite kind; the last shot actually rolled crookedly into the basket.
Why use the word "surprisingly"?
Because in the training session on the first day, up to the 299th ball, Hanamichi Sakuragi's score was an astonishing 29.
Including that last one that just happened by chance, that's exactly 30 out of 300 shots, keeping the mid-range shooting percentage firmly at 10%...
and.
Even when no one is interfering and you can just throw it anywhere...
It seems that all that special training that Ichiro Katsumi yesterday was for nothing.
As soon as the ball went in, Sakuragi jumped up, beaming with joy.
It's as if they've forgotten all 299 iron pieces from before, and all they see is this one that just came in.
However, what his teammates admired most was his incredible stamina!
He practiced with the team all day and still managed to do 300 extra shots at night, and he seemed completely unaffected, showing no signs of fatigue.
Hisashi Mitsui watched from the side, feeling incredibly envious...
He could only console himself that God was fair enough; He gave him a basket but took away his stamina; He gave Sakuragi monstrous physical abilities but shut the window of opportunity tightly and sealed it with tape!
Kiminobu Kogure thoughtfully handed him a bottle of water. " Sakuragi, you'd better get some sleep early tonight. Tomorrow's the match against Ryonan."
" Coach Anzai said this morning that you should start extra training today. I'm actually a little worried that you'll exhaust yourself too much and it will affect your performance tomorrow."
"Looks like I was overthinking it; the coach understands you better."
Hanamichi Sakuragi grinned smugly and said, "Dad only knows a little bit! His stamina is beyond your imagination!"
Ryota Miyagi had been listening for a while, couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted, "Keep bragging! Didn't you see your arms shaking?"
"You're talking nonsense! I'm excited! I'm eager to try!"
"Then cast another three hundred, and I'll play along to the end."
"Tch... I won't listen to the enemy's instigation..."
Kogure watched the group playfully bickering with a smile, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
These few troublesome kids who are always making a ruckus have led Shohoku to where they are today.
They seem to be at odds off the field, but once they're on the field, their unwavering trust and support are stronger than anything else.
That's probably the unique spirit that Shohoku possesses.
"Alright, everyone, gather around."
Coach Anzai specifically instructed today not to let captain Takenori Akagi come to the stadium.
Everything was left to Vice Captain Kogure.
The old man knew all too well that if that kid Akagi came, he would definitely not sit still and watch quietly.
After so many days of resting my foot injury, if I accidentally mess it up again during training, all my previous efforts will be wasted.
Despite Akagi's reluctance on the phone, Coach Anzai's attitude was unusually firm.
There was nothing Akagi could do but obey.
But all day long, he felt like he was covered in thorns, unable to sit or stand comfortably.
So, he silently ate two extra bowls of food at dinner, which was a small way of venting his frustration...
After the meal, Akagi stood by the window, deep in thought.
As usual, her younger sister, Haruko, cut up a plate of fruit and brought it over, hoping to give her brother, who only liked to eat meat, a more balanced diet.
"Brother, Coach Anzai told you to rest, but you haven't had a moment's rest all day. Doesn't that count as disobeying orders?"
Haruko teased with a grin.