"Nice shot!"
"Awesome! We won! We've won!"
" Shohoku! Shohoku! The strongest Shohoku!"
As Shirasawa broke through and scored again, the fans in the stands went wild. Some shouted at the top of their lungs, some jumped and pounded on the railings, and some even hummed their own tunes. Whether the tune was off-key or not, they just wanted to let out all the excitement they felt.
This was Shohoku's final attack of the game. But with only 11 seconds left on the clock, the ball was in the hands of the Chariot, and the score difference was 23 points, meaning the outcome was already decided.
Even if the Chariot still wanted to fight, Shohoku wouldn't defend seriously anymore; they'd just make a few perfunctory moves. However, Shohoku would also voluntarily give up the final attack, ending the game amicably—an unwritten rule on the basketball court and the attitude of the victor.
Whether the Chariot will continue its attack depends on whether the players still have that fighting spirit, since this round is no longer relevant to the outcome.
Moreover, this is an international competition. On this stage, at this time, and with this result, it's pointless to fight head-on. It's better to admit defeat gracefully. Being brave enough to face defeat is a required course for strong teams.
When Brad passed the ball to Hoffmann, the entire Shohoku team retreated to their backcourt, and everyone who had been tense all game relaxed.
Hoffmann stared at the Shohoku group, then at the all-powerful number 9, Shirasawa, sighed, relaxed his shoulders, and slowly dribbled the ball towards the frontcourt.
It was clear that Hoffmann had given up; he had to admit that Shohoku was far superior to them.
In this game, they didn't make any strategic mistakes, and no one underperformed; the reality was that they couldn't win. He scored 35 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, and his stats were impeccable. But only he knew how difficult it was to get those 35 points, especially after the 20-point mark, when he couldn't score against Hanamichi Sakuragi on his own.
First Robinson, then Hanamichi Sakuragi — Hoffmann's journey this time has been truly unsuccessful, and it has also made him realize many of his shortcomings. In fact, he is now at peace with himself and is very grateful to Robinson and Hanamichi Sakuragi, as this will be an important turning point for him to break through his limitations.
As for the development of basketball culture and the rankings in the Four Nations Tournament, he no longer had the mind to think about them. The results were set, and he would face them. Moreover, he felt that discovering and solving problems was more important than anything else.
He could confidently tell the basketball association officials that no matter what happened in the past, Shohoku is now a strong team. This isn't an excuse; just wait and see the game between Shohoku and the Cheetah. Losing to a strong team isn't shameful; it just means that everyone's understanding of world basketball is outdated.
After crossing half-court, Hoffmann stopped, holding the basketball in one hand and extending the other. This gesture was an acknowledgment of Shohoku's strength.
Normally, this kind of thing is done by the team captain, representing the entire team. But with Wagner injured and out of the Chariot, Hoffmann took over the captaincy, and as the MVP, it makes his role even more significant.
On the Shohoku side, it was naturally the newly appointed captain Ryota Miyagi, who walked over.
Miyagi's stats weren't great today; he didn't reach double digits in either points or assists. However, he had 7 steals, one more than his assists. We shouldn't dismiss his contributions based on the stats alone.
He has even developed the same kind of spirit and pillar that Takenori Akagi had once been. No one, including Hoffmann and the other members of the Chariot team, dares to underestimate this Shohoku captain.
The two players shook hands amicably on behalf of their respective teams.
The scene was somewhat comical, given the 47-centimeter height difference between the two. However, Miyagi didn't raise his arm very high to meet Hoffmann, who represented the entire Shohoku Basketball Team.
Hoffmann, being considerate, bent down and shook hands with Miyagi. This new captain of Shohoku may not be tall, but his presence is undeniable!
The two players exchanged some polite words that neither could understand, and then the referee blew the final whistle.
Shohoku defeated Chariot by 23 points, marking the first time in Chinese basketball history that a team has defeated a world powerhouse. This match will undoubtedly go down in history and become a significant milestone in promoting the development of basketball in China.
At this moment, Shohoku reached its historical peak, just like when they defeated Kainan 5.0 to win the Kanagawa championship, silencing the doubters and making history.
But their journey wasn't over yet. After conquering Kanagawa, there was the national tournament. The story that followed was even more exciting. Shohoku fought their way through the competition to win the national championship, and they are doing the same now. Defeating the Chariot" drove all the fans crazy, Shohoku's reputation and status were unparalleled for a time. But they still had one last game to play.
This is the prelude to the final tough battle for the fully-formed Shohoku High School team, which has achieved countless victories. Their opponent is none other than the Cheetah, currently one of the top teams in the world high school league.
Hoffmann had just finished shaking hands with Ryota Miyagi after their high-low handshake when his gaze swept over Shirasawa on the sidelines. He nodded politely, then turned and led the Cheetah ' team off the field.
Normally, after a match, besides the captains' on-field conversation, the two key players should have a heart-to-heart talk—that's a mutual recognition of their abilities, and also a display of magnanimity. But Hoffmann skipped this process. Why?
It was all because of that awkward silence when he shook hands with Miyagi. He couldn't understand what Shirasawa was saying, Shirasawa probably couldn't figure out what he meant either, so he simply nodded instead of saying anything polite. He was sure Shirasawa would get it, and there would definitely be another chance to fight in the future.
Shirasawa's performance in this game was nothing short of phenomenal: 53 points, 7 rebounds, and 15 assists. Not only were his individual stats off the charts, but his dominance throughout the game was also dazzling.
Hoffmann has played for so many years, and this is the first time he's seen anyone perform at this level against his team. Even Alex of the Cheetah didn't receive this treatment—of course, it's possible that Alex wasn't playing at full strength, but the statistics speak for themselves; Shirasawa is a truly formidable opponent. If you ask Hoffmann now who is stronger Shirasawa or Alex, he will definitely choose Shirasawa. As for whether that answer is accurate, we'll soon find out.
That said, the current Shohoku is no longer the naive kids who ran around celebrating wildly after beating Shoyo in the prefectural top eight. Beating the Chariot was great, but the series wasn't over yet; the final game was the real test. If they celebrated like this now, the Cheetah might think Shohoku lacked composure, which would be incredibly embarrassing—humility is the most lethal form of showing off, a principle that everyone on Shohoku understands.
While the crowd roared, the Shohoku Team simply waved and quietly left the court, saving their excitement for the locker room to pop champagne. On their way back to the locker room, Shohoku bumped into the Cheetah.
The Shohoku Team, who had been laughing and joking with their teammates, suddenly straightened their backs, wiped the smiles off their faces, and even the way they walked exuded a sense of menace—this was spontaneous; they couldn't afford to lose in terms of momentum in front of their opponents!
The moment the two teams brushed past each other, the surrounding reporters frantically pressed their shutters; the tension didn't even need a warm-up, it just exploded. Everyone on both sides kept their eyes glued to the ground; only the sound of sneakers hitting the floor could be heard, making everyone's heart pound.
Only Alex glanced at Shirasawa Shirasawa as they were about to pass each other. Shirasawa subconsciously looked up, their eyes met, and without a word, the air around them seemed to grow heavy.
Shirasawa knew this was Alex's challenge; Alex understood it too, and Shirasawa accepted! With just one glance, the two sealed the deal. On Shohoku's side, there was also someone fearless: Hanamichi Sakuragi. As he brushed past Robinson, he glared at Robinson, but Robinson completely ignored him. Only after the entire Cheetah team had walked far away did Sakuragi turn his head, scratching his head and muttering, "Hmph, that gorilla is terrified of me, too scared to accept the challenge."
This was Sakuragi's way of saving face and easing the awkwardness. He was definitely going to hold a grudge against Robinson and was determined to crush him next time on the court! Robinson's teammates behind him chuckled and nudged him, saying, "That redhead from Shohoku was staring at you the whole time." Their tone was full of schadenfreude; in their eyes, the redhead was just asking for trouble—he couldn't even get an advantage against Hoffmann, and he wanted to challenge Robinson?
Robinson replied nonchalantly, "Really? I didn't even know Shohoku had a redhead." His contempt was practically overflowing. He admitted that Shohoku's number 9 Shirasawa, was a ruthless player, but he didn't take the others seriously at all. He would prove it with his actions once they were on the court.
Shohoku defeated Chariot, and aside from Shirasawa being the focus of everyone's attention, only one other thing is worth noting: this Shohoku is no pushover, Cheetah will have to play seriously. That's all. The players have all left the court, and the fans in the stands have had their fill of excitement; half of them are starting to leave, while the other half are waiting to watch Chariot vs. Changwon's game—this game isn't getting much attention, given the vastly different skill levels of the two teams, and Cheetah probably won't play seriously either, so it's not very interesting.
However, as people leave, others come, and the attendance was still quite good, since opportunities to watch two foreign teams play are rare. At this moment, the most conspicuous person in the stands was Moichi Taoka, who almost had a heart attack when he suddenly realized that Sota Miyagi was missing.
Moichi Taoka was so anxious he was stamping his feet. He immediately grabbed Hikoichi Aida and commanded, "Find him even if you have to dig three feet into the ground!"
But he looked around in the stands for a long time, almost straining his eyes, before finally seeing the face he had been waiting for appear before him.
Sota Miyagi smiled at him, "Uncle, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Moichi Taoka's heart finally settled down; he almost thought he had been daydreaming.
Hikoichi Aida rushed over, panting heavily. His bangs were soaked with sweat and stuck to his forehead. He had just run two laps around the gymnasium, but he hadn't even caught a glimpse of Sota Miyagi.
Upon seeing Sota Miyagi, he exclaimed excitedly, " Sota- senpai! Where have you been?! I was so worried!"
Sota Miyagi scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "The match was just so exciting, there wasn't a single dull moment, but I just couldn't hold it in, so I went to the restroom."
He paused, then added, "Although I wanted to come back halfway, I was afraid you would leave without saying goodbye. After all, the reason I came back this time is to find out about my background."
This was his main purpose in returning to China, and it was also the last wish of that foreign old man.
With his current financial resources, he could live in any country without any problem, and making money would be even easier, given that he speaks multiple languages and street basketball is thriving in some countries, earning him a considerable amount of money.
He hadn't decided whether to settle down in China yet; everything would have to wait until he regained his memories. If he found out he wasn't an orphan, that would be great. But if he really was, there wasn't much to miss, since his memories were full of wandering and he didn't have much of a sense of national pride.
He might not be the best basketball player, but he's definitely the one who's traveled the most. The old man met him while traveling the world, taught him various languages, and said that if he ever ran out of money, he'd have a skill to rely on.