Robinson scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled. "And the thing we've been hearing the most about these past few days is Shirasawa, number 9 from Shohoku, but there's not a single picture of him in the newspapers. That's really strange."
Alex nodded; this was what puzzled him most. He continued, "Not only Shohoku, but I checked the '463' information in both the university and professional leagues, and there's no trace of that guy."
Robinson's eyes lit up, and he immediately exclaimed, "Street basketball?!"
Alex nodded in agreement. "I can't think of any other possibility. Someone of that level couldn't possibly be some nobody."
He paused, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. "After the game, let's go check out the nearby basketball courts. I'm determined to have a match with him."
Robinson smirked and met his gaze. "Me too. Last year's lousy competition absolutely doesn't count!"
This story dates back to a year ago. At that time, Alex and Robinson had already made a name for themselves in the Lighthouse Country High School League, but they suffered a major setback in the quarterfinals.
Was that a shot by the opposing team? No, it was a throw—a super long three-pointer from mid-court, a clean and decisive throw that sent them straight home, becoming a source of anxiety for the two of them for the past year.
Frustrated by the loss, the two went straight to a pickup court to settle things. That's the good thing about pickup courts—there aren't many rigid rules; you can play however you want, and as long as it's not a foul that both sides agree on, it's a good play.
Alex and Robinson randomly formed a team of three and practically crushed all the teams that came to challenge them, winning several rounds in a row. Just when they were getting bored, the foreign boy who had been quietly practicing on the sidelines was forcibly dragged over.
The boy looked cold and didn't waste any words. He directly replaced someone and joined the temporary team. Alex and Robinson didn't take him seriously at all. They came to the basketball court to get beaten up, and it wouldn't matter who came instead.
Just when Alex scored another goal and everyone thought it was another massacre, a brand new team came up, and the foreign boy was among them, making it hard to miss.
At first, the boy didn't perform well; his teammates barely passed the ball to him. Alex and his team quickly built a ten-point lead, and it looked like another big win was on the horizon.
But just then, the boy suddenly stepped up. He stole the Alex during defense, then surged ahead, beating two defenders to reach the paint, and slammed the ball into the basket over the defense.
He single-handedly carried the entire team! In just one round, the whole arena went wild. Nobody expected this foreign boy to be so fierce, switching seamlessly from defense to offense.
From then on, the boy became the core of the team, with organization and offense, and managed to elevate the ragtag team to several levels. He actually fought back and forth with Alex's team, and even gained the upper hand.
Unfortunately, the score difference was too large in the first half, and they still lost the game in the end. But the boy had already been targeted by Alex, and he had to admit that the guy was really strong. Not that he was stronger than him, but that kind of energy directly ignited his fighting spirit.
Later, Alex and his team won two more rounds, and the boy's team took to the field again, immediately becoming the focus of the entire arena. Everyone was hoping that the boy would lead his team to defeat Alex and his team.
Basketball courts are never short of passion and collisions. An ordinary match turned into a life-or-death struggle. Alex's attention was locked on the foreign boy from beginning to end.
The matchups were set from the start – Alex personally guarded the foreign boy.
After all, this is a 21-point pickup game, and Alex and his team have played almost fourteen rounds, yet their stamina hasn't worn off; on the contrary, they're playing more and more aggressively.
The spectators on the sidelines were not disappointed. The foreign boy and Alex were evenly matched, with the score remaining neck and neck, and the score climbing back and forth.
But no one expected that when the score was tied at 18, something big was about to happen.
Alex's three-pointer bounced off the rim and missed. The foreign boy grabbed the long rebound and dribbled all the way to the three-point line. He faked a pass and then floated the ball out. Alex in front of him and his teammates behind him blocked him from both sides. With a "bang," the foreign boy was slammed into the defender in front of him and sent flying.
With the score tied at 18, the foreign teenager, leading a ragtag team, fought tooth and nail against Alex's team, his skill and presence winning over the entire audience.
In this Lighthouse Country, it's difficult for foreigners to get ahead unless they have overwhelming strength. But this foreign youth has clearly conquered everyone with his abilities—except for Alex and Robinson, he can easily beat anyone else.
Alex was now in a frenzy. His game-winning three-pointer missed, giving the foreign boy an opportunity instead. He desperately tried to defend him, determined to block the shot.
He didn't use any dirty tricks, but his teammates didn't have the same control; they went straight for the foreign boy and made a diving block.
Everyone stared as the foreign boy leaped into the air to make his move, only to have his defender crash into him like a train. With a loud "bang," the two collided in mid-air, and Alex's eyes widened in shock—it was a clear foul.
If the ball goes in, it's icing on the cake; but if it misses, the foreign boy has to take three free throws.
Alex was certain he would make all three free throws and instantly felt he was going to lose—he had just lost the high school league game that morning, and now he was going to stumble on the streetball court again.
Just then, the foreign boy managed to throw the ball despite the collision, even though he lost his balance and his form was completely off.
All eyes followed the ball as it flew toward the basket. With a "thud," the ball slammed through the rim, and those who were about to shout swallowed their words.
But then, everyone's attention fell on the foreign boy—although the ball didn't go in, he got three free throw opportunities, which could still kill the game.
But what they saw was not what they had imagined; the foreign boy was lying on the ground, clutching his ankle in pain.
The defender in front of him panicked and stammered, "Are you alright, buddy? I... I didn't mean to."
"How are you??"
The foreign boy didn't speak, clutching his ankle with both hands, the pain on his face subsiding slightly.
"You'd better go to the hospital to get it checked out. I'll take you."
Alex crouched down and saw that his ankle was swollen, and he also showed regret—injuries are the nemesis of athletes, especially those with strength, and he understood this kind of pain best.
Even if the foreign boy was just a weakling, he didn't want anything to happen to him, especially since this was a strong person he respected.
After a brief moment of intense pain, the foreign boy relaxed completely; the excruciating agony had subsided.
"Thank you, I can handle it myself."
He smiled at Alex, then looked at the defender and gestured for him to help him up—clearly, he didn't intend to pursue the matter, and the defender's actions were unintentional.
The defender nodded gratefully and carefully helped him up. "You're great, buddy. Get him checked out."
The foreign boy nodded and looked at the people who had gathered around him. "It seems I can't continue. Let's play together again sometime."
He waved and limped off the field.
Good luck, buddy!
"You're amazing! I look forward to your next visit!"
Wishing you all the best!
The people on the court offered their blessings and said goodbye; that's how it is on a streetball court—you might never see each other again in your lifetime.
After this little incident, everyone will continue playing and will soon forget about him. Injuries are common on amateur courts, so this peaceful scene is quite good. If it were a local, they would most likely have started a fight, and after recovering from the injury, they would still call it a "battle of nemesis".
But Alex chased after him, saying, "Wait!"
Alex, panting, blocked Sota Miyagi's path and asked, "Are you a high school student? Which school?"
Judging from his face, he was probably only eighteen or nineteen years old, either a high school student or a freshman in college. Alex asked this purely out of genuine desire to arrange another game with him.
Sota Miyagi stopped, a smile on his face. "I guess so. I don't live here."
These words made Alex's face fall immediately, and he sighed. The other person was probably just a tourist; the world is so big, bumping into them again wouldn't be any easier than buying a Coke.
Alex persisted, asking, "So where do you live? Will you come back? I'd like to fight you again sometime!"
Sota Miyagi smiled faintly, "Me? I should be in Japan, the Cherry Blossom Country."
Alex almost blurted out, "You don't even know where you live?" This guy is so unsure about where he's staying?
Sota Miyagi patted him on the shoulder, his tone sincere. "You're very strong, and I hope I'll have the chance to play with you again. My name is Sota Miyagi, see you again sometime."
The phrase "See you again sometime" is no different from "Let's have dinner sometime," basically a polite remark that you might only be able to meet again in your next life. Sota Miyagi didn't take it to heart at all, just casually replied, but Alex took it seriously.
He desperately wanted to beat Sota Miyagi. After all, he was already quite famous in the high school basketball world of the Lighthouse Country, and his talent was highly regarded by many. However, he had not yet fully realized his potential, unlike now when he led the team to victory and achieved instant fame and success.
In the latest ranking of all high school students in the Lighthouse, Alex is ranked fifth. This ranking is not entirely based on individual ability. In a one-on-one fight, even the number one might not be able to beat him. Moreover, the Lighthouse Country is full of strong people, and the top ten are much more prestigious than the top ten in Cherry Blossom Country.
Even at this point, Alex still couldn't forget Sota Miyagi. In his mind, he wouldn't have truly succeeded until he defeated Sota Miyagi.
When Cherry Blossom Country hosted the Four Nations Invitational, Alex almost jumped for joy. The opportunity had just been handed to him! He thought Sota Miyagi was definitely the core of the Sakura team, but to his surprise, there was no such person in the entire Cherry Blossom Country high school basketball world. The only one who was even remotely related was Ryota Miyagi from Shohoku. Obviously, it wasn't the same person.
Alex immediately made a plan: since they had met on the street, he would go to the streets of Cherry Blossom Country to look for them.
More than the Four Nations Tournament championship, he cared about finding Sota Miyagi, and the championship was already in the Cheetah Team' eyes. The only thing that interested him was to face Shohoku's Shirasawa —he had seen Shirasawa's ability from Shohoku's crushing victory over Changwon, which aroused his fighting spirit.
However, before they actually clashed, Alex was convinced that the strongest person in Cherry Blossom Country was Sota Miyagi.
The match between Cheetah and Chariot Country has just ended, concluding the first day of the Four Nations Tournament. Both Shohoku and Cheetah won, tying for first place with one point. The second round begins the following day: Shohoku faces Chariot, Cheetah faces Changwon. If they both win, the third round will be the championship match.