So, the reunion of these three former teammates was delayed until today.
The awkwardness between Akagi and Godai has remained unchanged to this day.
" Godai, it's been a long time!"
Kogure pushed up his glasses, smiled, and spoke first, trying to lighten the mood, "Oh wait, shouldn't I call you Captain Godai now? Well done, old classmate."
However, his words fell to the ground without even a sound.
Godai and Akagi stared at each other like fighting cocks, neither of them paying any attention to him.
Kogure could only sigh, "The match starts soon, can't you two save your talk for the court...?"
He tried to change the subject, "Speaking of which, Godai, your Tsukubu has been playing really well this year. I've been following him closely."
Mentioning the competition, Godai's expression finally softened a bit. He puffed out his chest, his tone filled with confidence. "Of course, Tsukubu goal this year is the National Championship! Nobody can stop us."
Takenori Akagi, who had been silent the whole time, snorted through his nose.
"They're really boasting. The only ones who can go nationally are from Shohoku."
Kogure slapped his forehead. He had only meant to ease the tension, but instead, he had only made the two of them argue more heatedly.
Godai shook his head dismissively.
" Akagi, you're still the same as ever, so naive. Have you gotten carried away by those newspapers praising you lately?"
He held up one finger, emphasizing, "We, Tsukubu, are a genuine top-eight team, unlike those weaklings you encountered before."
He paused, deliberately drawing out his words: "Oh... right, you probably haven't seen what a quarter-finalist team is like, have you?"
Upon hearing this, Takenori Akagi's eyebrows immediately shot up.
He suppressed his anger and forced out the words through gritted teeth. "Enough talk! Let's see who's better on the field. I won't hold back!"
Tomokazu Godai's eyes were also blazing with anger as he gritted his teeth and replied, "Fine! Cherish your last match of the year!"
Just as the two were about to clash, Kogure quickly stepped in and separated them.
"We both graduated from Kitamura Junior High School, and three years have passed. You two are now team leaders, can't you be a little more mature?"
He looked at this one, then at that one, and said sincerely, "If you ask me, the fact that the three of us could meet like this on the field during our last summer in high school is a kind of fate in itself."
"Let's put aside all those old grievances and have a good game later! No matter who wins or loses, it's all an honor for Kitamura Junior High School."
Kogure's words finally had some effect.
Akagi and Godai glared at each other again, and almost simultaneously uttered three words: "See you at the match!"
After saying that, the two turned around again and went their separate ways.
Kogure shook his head with a wry smile, muttering to himself, "I knew it, today's match felt really different..."
Half an hour before the start of the match.
The stadium was already packed; there wasn't a single empty seat left.
Although Tsukubu was one of the top eight teams last year, judging from the crowd, the fans supporting Shohoku clearly had the upper hand.
In terms of popularity, these two teams are indeed not in the same league.
In one of the stands, Hikoichi Aida craned his neck and looked around, then clicked his tongue in surprise.
"Captain Uozumi, good heavens! This scene today is truly terrifying!"
He quickly pointed in several directions, " Shinichi Maki and Soichiro Jin from Kainan, Kenji Fujima and Toru Hanagata from Shoyo, plus you, Captain, and Sendoh- senpai... The top teams in Kanagawa, the two strongest are almost all here today!"
"Is this the first time the Round of 16 has attracted so much attention? Shohoku is really something else right now!"
Jun Uozumi crossed his arms and nodded solemnly. Just as Hikoichi said, the scale of today's spectator lineup was indeed unprecedented.
Shohoku, this dark horse, has now become incredibly strong, and even shows signs of challenging for the championship.
Akira Sendoh, standing beside him, smiled slightly, his tone relaxed yet confident. "The winner of this match will definitely be Shohoku. I bet the Shoyo guys are already thinking about how to deal with them in the next round."
His gaze drifted into the distance. " Shirasawa versus Kenji Fujima... just thinking about it is intriguing."
"Please bring your team members into the arena."
As the announcement came on, the main gates on both sides of the stadium opened.
The players from Shohoku and Tsukubu lined up and entered the court.
Today, Takenori Akagi exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay; even the spectators in the stands could vaguely sense his sharp killing intent.
The group had only taken a few steps when Akagi suddenly stopped, took a deep breath, and let out a deafening roar.
" Shohoku!!!"
That roar instantly ignited the passion of all the Shohoku supporters in the stadium, and cheers surged like a tidal wave.
On the other side, Tomokazu Godai was equally formidable in terms of momentum.
Although he is only 1.8 meters tall, every step he takes is steady and powerful, creating an imposing presence that stretches over two meters.
The other members of Tsukubu's team followed behind him, each with their heads held high and their faces full of confidence.
Godai didn't yell and shout like Akagi.
He simply raised one hand calmly to signal to the audience who came to support Tsukubu, displaying a commanding presence.
Immediately afterwards, both teams began their free warm-up.
Tsukubu's head coach, Kazumi Kawasaki, walked straight to Shohoku's coaching bench.
He stopped in front of Coach Anzai and bowed deeply.
"Teacher, it's been a long time. It's an honor to stand before you as your opponent today."
Coach Kawasaki spoke in a humble yet assertive tone, and his manners were impeccable.
Coach Anzai looked at him, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"It's starting to look decent now," Coach Anzai said, his tone devoid of much emotion. "You've improved a lot in the last two years. Tsukubu has become a respectable team under your leadership."
As he spoke, his usual smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression reminiscent of his past. Kazumi Kawasaki stood there, his back ramrod straight, clearly very familiar with this type of teacher.
Upon hearing this, Coach Kawasaki's lips curled into a confident smile.
"You flatter me," he replied, his voice steady and strong. "I will give it my all in the upcoming matches. I look forward to your guidance."
Coach Anzai didn't say anything more, but just smiled and nodded.
As soon as Kazumi Kawasaki returned to his own bench, Koichiro Nango sauntered over, his face beaming with undisguised smugness.
"Coach," he gestured with his chin, pointing across the room, "That fat old man, is he your teacher?"
He patted his chest, his voice quite loud:
"Let me make this clear first, I'm not going to hold back on the court! Today, I'm going to teach those Shohoku guys a lesson they won't forget!"
Nango grinned:
"Don't blame me for not giving your teacher face then."
Kazumi Kawasaki simply smiled faintly upon hearing this.
"Of course we must give it our all." He looked at the field, his gaze calm. "This is... the greatest respect I can show to Coach Anzai."
The referee's whistle blew at just the right moment.
Both teams' players returned to the bench for final preparations before the match. Coach Anzai didn't give many instructions, simply announcing the starting lineup before sitting back down with a smile. This lack of tactical instructions was, in a way, a small token of his appreciation for his protégé.
Meanwhile, on Tsukubu's side, Kazumi Kawasaki was holding a tactical board, gesturing and explaining non-stop, not letting up for a moment.
Soon, the starting players from both sides took their positions.
The competition has officially begun.
Koichiro Nango and Takenori Akagi stood facing each other in center circle, ready for the jump ball. Akagi clearly had a height advantage. In fact, it wasn't just him; looking at the entire Tsukubu team, apart from Ryota Miyagi, almost every player on Shohoku was significantly taller than their opponents. Height was arguably Tsukubu's most obvious weakness.
But Kazumi Kawasaki clearly doesn't think so.
Whoosh!
The referee tossed the ball into the air.
Akagi and Nango leaped up simultaneously!
Their fingertips touched the ball almost simultaneously! The basketball bounced upwards after being touched. Akagi's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't expected this guy, who was shorter than him, to have such an amazing jumping ability!
Even his teammates on the bench were taken aback. You see, Akagi rarely loses in jump balls.
As the two landed, Akagi's large frame became a burden. Before he could jump again, Nango had already sprung up like a spring and flicked the ball towards his own backcourt!
Tsukubu successfully gained possession of the ball in the first wave!
A murmur of surprise rippled through the stands. Akagi lost the jump ball? It seems last year's quarterfinal teams were indeed extraordinary.
Tsukubu's Hiroshi Natsume, received the ball and launched the first attack of the game. Shohoku's fast break was interrupted, and the entire team quickly retreated to defense. Shirasawa guarded the top of the arc as the first line of defense, waiting for Natsume to enter his defensive zone.
As soon as Natsume dribbled past half-court, Tsukubu's forwards started to move. Someone came up to set a solid screen for him, and immediately after the screen, they broke away, intending to draw the defender away. Almost simultaneously, Natsume passed the ball to the other side.
On the other side, the off-ball players were also running to receive the ball; no one on the Tsukubu team was standing still. A guard used a screen to shake off Miyagi, pulled out to the three-point line to receive the ball, and pretended to shoot, which drew Hisashi Mitsui to rush over to help defend.
Tomokazu Godai in the bottom corner was left empty.
He receives the ball, adjusts, and shoots a three-pointer!
The basketball swished through the net!
Tomokazu Godai scored a clean three-pointer to give Tsukubu the lead! After the basket, he looked intently at Takenori Akagi, his fighting spirit burning brightly.
" Akagi," he called out, "I'm not the same person anymore. This... is just the beginning! Just you wait and see!"
On the bench, Ayako shook her head in surprise.
"Their teamwork is incredible," she said to Yasuda beside her. "Their offense isn't particularly flashy, but everyone seems to know what they're supposed to do, constantly coordinating with each other. The ball is almost never still, and their movement is as methodical as a machine... This team's coordination is truly remarkable..."
Coach Anzai, standing to the side, smiled faintly upon hearing this.
" Kawasaki's forte," the old man said slowly, "Is team basketball."
Kiminobu Kogure his glasses, a composed smile curving his lips.
" Tsukubu's team offense is indeed beautiful," he added, "But we have a master on the court who can bring the team to its fullest potential."
Let's turn our attention back to the playing field.
Shohoku's slight deficit at the start cooled down the heated atmosphere a little. But this was far from a bad start, because more than defense, everyone was looking forward to Shohoku's fluid and unstoppable offense!
Shirasawa controlled the ball and advanced.
Just past the center line, Hiroshi Natsume closed in, attempting to cut off Shirasawa's connection with his teammates with tight defense. Tsukubu set up a zone defense, clearly trying to compensate for his lack of height through teamwork.
Natsume is an incredibly fast and agile defender. If he were matched up against Miyagi, he might actually cause some trouble.
But in front of him stood Shirasawa.
Shirasawa lowered his center of gravity, keeping the dribbling height very low. The basketball switched quickly and steadily between his left and right hands. He dribbled the ball unhurriedly, moving forward step by step, which forced Natsume to retreat continuously.
Upon reaching the edge of the arc, Shirasawa suddenly accelerated! With a smooth crossover dribble and spin move, he instantly left Natsume Mu behind!
Tsukubu's zone defense immediately tightened, attempting to delay his breakthrough.