If we're talking about teams that can dominate like Shohoku, then perhaps only Sannoh Industrial High School in Akita Prefecture could.
But Kanagawa is no pushover.
Just look at the two teams that emerged from the county last year – Shoyo made it to the top 16 nationwide, Kainan even made it to the top 4.
Therefore, the weight of Shohoku's championship is truly substantial.
With the entire Shohoku team taking a group photo on the podium, the Kanagawa Prefecture Tournament came to a complete end.
This year is undoubtedly a year of regime change, and also a year of many miracles.
Two teams that have never played in the national tournament before are now going to represent Kanagawa in the competition.
Although the qualifying rounds in other prefectures are not yet fully completed, they have basically reached the semi-final stage. The situation in Kanagawa is truly unique at the moment.
This was a completely unfamiliar force to all the teams across the country.
No one had ever played against Shohoku or Ryonan; the only reference point was their victory over Kainan.
In addition, there were those flowery reports in the newspapers.
However, it's not like no one has ever seen Shohoku play basketball.
Dai Moroboshi from the Aiwa Academy is one example.
The situation in Aichi Prefecture this year is strikingly similar to that in Kanagawa.
Tomorrow is their county final, Aiwa Academy vs. Meihou Industrial.
This is also a championship battle, and regardless of who wins or loses, both teams will advance to the national tournament.
This match has garnered a lot of attention because, like Aichi Prefecture, Kanagawa has also produced a super rookie.
This newcomer led Meihou Industrial to sweep all before them, heading straight for the championship.
Aiwa Academy, which was among the top four in the country last year, is now feeling immense pressure, just like Kainan.
The newlywed's name is Hiroshi Morishige!
" Kiyota, go back and pack your things. You're coming to Aichi Prefecture with me tonight."
The awards ceremony had long since ended, and the teams gradually dispersed, leaving only Shohoku still surrounded by a dense crowd of media around the podium, unable to move.
As the awards ceremony concluded, Shinichi Maki officially stepped down as captain of the Kainan Team.
He made his departure from the team clear to the whole team after the loss to Ryonan.
Shinichi Maki was not the sentimental type; he was always decisive in his words and actions, and his farewell was nothing more than a simple "Take care."
That team gathering just now was Shinichi Maki's last time representing Kainan.
From this moment on, the Kainan basketball team no longer has " Maki the Emperor ".
As for whether the title " Maki the Emperor " will become a thing of the past, that depends on whether Shinichi Maki can reclaim it after entering university.
Although he was no longer the captain, the first thing he said to Kiyota after stepping down was still like giving an order, leaving no room for discussion.
Nobunaga Kiyota nodded in agreement.
In his heart, Shinichi Maki will always be the captain, always the eldest brother.
Shinichi Maki was also the first among all the third-year players in Kanagawa to make a decision about his next step.
It seems that a true king should be decisive and efficient, able to leave whenever he wants.
Kazuma Takasago and Tadashi Muto, teammates, are still hesitating about the Winter Selection Tournament, but it's highly likely they'll stay and give it their all.
After all, everyone wants a better future.
And Kenji Fujima, one of the Kanagawa's Twin Pillars in the past, has also made his choice, perhaps influenced by Shinichi Maki.
The business card that Sanae gave him was almost crumpled from being clutched in his hand.
This clearly shows how long he had struggled with the decision and how much effort he had put into making it.
"Ms. Sanae."
The entire Shoyo team had left, Fujima walked alone to Sanae.
Although he hesitated, once he made up his mind, he would act immediately and didn't want to delay for even a moment.
Congratulations, you've made the right decision.
Sanae smiled and held her hand out in front of her.
Fujima is a smart man. Since he's here, it means the matter is already settled. The rest are just some details, Sanae is very confident about that.
Fujima smiled and shook hands with Sanae.
and,
He only shook hands with half his palm, showing impeccable manners. Even from these small details, one could see Fujima's maturity far beyond his years.
With him joining, the team will definitely reach a new level in all aspects.
" Aida and I are going to a coffee shop. Let's go together. Xiao Bai probably won't be able to get away for a while."
Sanae asked Fujima to come along, but she actually had two plans.
First, strike while the iron is hot. Fujima's intentions are now clear, so we can't let things change if we drag it out.
Secondly, letting Yayoi Aida know that Fujima has joined the group gives her an extra bargaining chip.
The stronger the resources you have, the more confident you will be in speaking.
Sanae gave Ayako a few instructions on how to deal with the media, winked at Shirasawa, and then left with Yayoi Aida and Fujima.
Having read this far, Shirasawa already understood everything.
Fujima, all done!
Once the team finishes its work, we'll probably hear this good news.
Shirasawa is indeed finding it difficult to extricate himself from the situation at the moment.
The highly anticipated Shohoku has once again created a miracle, and this is their last game in Kanagawa.
How could the media possibly let this opportunity pass by?
When they arrived in Hiroshima, there were far fewer media outlets present. It was not only a battleground for national teams, but also a stage for national media.
Therefore, this time, they will not let any team member go...
You're all champions now, and there's still over a month until the national competition. Don't make excuses, let us get our money's worth!
Shohoku naturally wouldn't push the media away; these days, it's no longer an era of playing behind closed doors.
After a season of getting to know each other, they are all too aware of the benefits of dealing with the media.
Putting everything else aside, the home advantage brought by this popularity is real and tangible; sometimes, the cheers of the fans are as effective as those of half a player.
Besides, the school's funding has become much more generous, and the basketball team's food and equipment are visibly improving. I heard that if they make a name for themselves in the national competition, they might even be able to renovate the basketball gym.
These changes are all, to some extent, related to media propaganda.
Sanae is practically a VIP at Shohoku High School now. The school is practically handing her a "special consultant" appointment letter, and she could probably get a salary for the position without any problem.
On the other hand, the runner-up Ryonan seemed much quieter.
There were hardly any reporters around; compared to the excitement on the Shohoku side, it was like two completely different worlds.
Coach Taoka felt uneasy. He wanted to secure more benefits for the team, but he simply didn't know how to proceed.
Reporter Yayoi Aida usually takes good care of Ryonan, but today she's nowhere to be seen.
" Hikoichi, where is your sister?"
"I saw her leave with Sanae- san. Oh, right, Fujima seemed to be there too! My older sister didn't look too happy, so I didn't dare ask any more questions."
This conversation happened to drift into Kaede Rukawa's ears.
His eyes suddenly narrowed.
" Kenji Fujima."
In the coffee shop.
There were no special seating arrangements. Sanae pulled out a chair and sat down first, Yayoi Aida naturally sat opposite her.
Fujima sat down next to Sanae almost without hesitation.
This simple action couldn't be clearer.
In truth Fujima had no idea what exactly was going on between Sanae and Yayoi Aida, but he was naturally perceptive of situations and knew how to choose.
By sitting on Sanae's side, at least their stance has been made clear.
Even something as simple as seating arrangements reveals just how quick-witted Fujima is.
Sanae nodded almost imperceptibly, clearly satisfied with Fujima's reaction.
Shirasawa is in charge, she's the one running errands. If Fujima could join, he would definitely be a smart person who can come up with ideas.
Therefore, the significance of Fujima joining the team goes far beyond simply having one more player.
"We're already so close, Sanae, let's skip the formalities."
As soon as the coffee was served, Yayoi Aida got straight to the point.
She didn't need to ask Fujima why he was there; even a fool could tell that Sanae had brought him along to bolster their image and show her that their side had grown stronger.
Although Yayoi Aida has a special affection for Ryonan, she is always decisive and efficient at work, and at this moment, her eyebrows and eyes exude a refreshing air.
In terms of presence, Sanae was actually more commanding than her, but her pretty face somewhat diminished that aura. To outsiders, it looked more like Yayoi Aida, the fierce boss, was reprimanding Sanae, the delicate beauty.
Several condemning glances drifted over from the surroundings, making Yayoi Aida's fingers tremble slightly as she gripped her coffee cup.
"Let's start a magazine together, and you can be the editor-in-chief."
Sanae casually uttered those words, startling Yayoi Aida that her mouth gaped slightly open.
She had guessed many of Sanae's intentions, but she never expected this!
Going solo...?
To be honest, Yayoi Aida never even considered this idea.
Even though she was frustrated at Basketball Weekly, she never thought of starting over.
The first problem is resources. She has accumulated a lot of connections over the years, but she is not as good at managing relationships as Sanae. She is not sure whether she can really use these resources.
Furthermore, how can a newly established magazine compete with those long-established publications? It probably won't last more than a few days.
So for all these years, she has stayed at Basketball Weekly obediently. Dreams are dreams, but people always have to bow to reality.
Sanae could see her hesitation, and seeing that she didn't say anything, she continued:
"If I remember correctly, that position we were fighting for didn't fall to you after I left, did it?"
"And now, don't you even have any room to choose your own research topic? This isn't what you want, is it?"
These words really struck a chord with Yayoi Aida.
She thought the position she was competing with Sanae for would be hers once Sanae left, but she hasn't even received a definite answer yet.
I heard that they might have to bring in someone from outside to fill the vacancy.
What's even more infuriating is that ever since Sanae gradually cornered Basketball Weekly, the president has become obsessed, even turning Nobunaga Kiyota's dog walk into a news report.
The quality of the publications nowadays is, as one can imagine, questionable.
Recently, they finally managed to get in touch with Shohoku and Shirasawa, and then they turned around and started praising them wildly, which is practically a slap in their own face.
This kind of environment made it increasingly difficult for meticulous people Yayoi Aida to stay.
Ryonan was at least a runner-up; does that mean we can't even mention them?
This last straw was almost enough to break her.
"So, what are your specific plans for cooperation?"
Following Sanae's words, Yayoi Aida felt a little relieved. The situation was already like this; perhaps it was time to start planning for the future.