Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 216 The vacation is over
"The game is over! Shonan High School vs. Seirin High School, 113:91, Shonan High School wins!"

Under the attention of the crowd on the sidelines, the training match finally ushered in the final whistle. In this game, Sakuragi Hanamichi showed his ball-holding and mid-range offensive ability for the first time. According to the statistics after the game, Sakuragi Hanamichi made three of five shots from mid-range and long-range, 16 of a total of 13 shots, and six of six free throws, scoring 32 points + 21 rebounds + 7 blocks, which completely beat Kagami Taiga's 21 points + 8 rebounds + 2 blocks.

In addition to Sakuragi Hanamichi, Rukawa Kaede also showed his prowess in this game. Facing the combined defense of Katsume Ichiro and Hinata Junpei, he was like a fish in water. He made shots from inside and outside, and scored 28 points + 7 rebounds + 5 assists + 4 steals.

Mitsui Hisashi and Katsumi Ichiro also scored 15 and 18 points respectively from beyond the three-point line, helping the team win by a large margin.

"Xiao Zhen, when we eliminated Kagami in the county competition...how many points did we win?" Takao Kazunari stared at the scoreboard on the sidelines for a long while, and suddenly asked.

"113:108, we won by five points." Midorima Shintaro said in a deep voice.

"So we can't rest on our laurels anymore." Nakatani Jinliang interrupted their conversation. "I've just discussed with Coach Anton that every rest day during the dormitory training will be used for exchange matches with Shonan High School."

“…Yes, coach…” Takao felt regretful when he saw Nakatani Hitoshi’s serious expression.

"Your performance on the court just now was simply amazing, Sakuragi." On the way back to the hotel room after leaving the stadium, Akagi Haruko ran around Sakuragi Hanamichi lively, "I never thought that Sakuragi-san would one day be better than Rukawa-san..."

"Haha...hahahaha..." Sakuragi Hanamichi listened to Akagi Haruko comparing him to Rukawa Kaede and smiled perfunctorily. He glanced at Rukawa Kaede with a somewhat unhappy look and thought to himself, "Why are you comparing me with this stinky fox...I'm much better than this stinky fox..."

"Why is this idiot looking at me again?" Rukawa Kaede looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was glaring at him and glared back without mercy.

"Hmph!" Sakuragi Hanamichi snorted coldly at Rukawa Kaede for daring to glare back at him, then quickened his pace towards the hotel.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh ~ young people are so full of energy..." Mitsuyoshi Anton sighed as he looked at the backs of Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede.

……

"Kagami-san." After the game, Aida Reiko called Kagami Daiga out alone, "What do you think of Sakuragi-san's performance today?"

"...very strong." Kagami Daiga listened to Reiko Aida's question and remained silent for a while before answering unwillingly, "Both hands are balanced, shooting is stable, and the bounce and stability in the air are also first-class..."

"Very good, it seems that you have fully understood this game." Aida Reiko looked at the depressed Kagami Daiga and suddenly laughed, "Then, from today on, Kagami-san, please eat with your left hand~"

"Huh? Eating with your left hand?" Kagami Daiga was stunned by what Aida Reiko said.

"You have to use your left hand not only for eating, but also for brushing your teeth, dribbling, and picking up things~" Aida Reiko continued to smile and looked at Kagami Daiga and said, "And from today on, Kagami-san's score in the paint can only be counted as one point~ If you lose, you have to go to the canteen two kilometers away to buy drinks for us~"

"No way, isn't this rule too strict?" Kagami Daigo complained to Aida Reiko with his eyes wide open.

"It doesn't matter. It's not me who got beaten on the court, but Kagami." Reiko Aida shrugged and said nonchalantly.

"...Okay, I'll practice!" Kagami Daiga looked at the subtle sarcasm in Aida Reiko's eyes, and remembered the scene when he was beaten by Sakuragi Hanamichi on the court, and roared with gritted teeth.

"Very good." Aida Reiko said, taking out a bill and a list from her pocket and handing them to Kagami Taiga, "Then let's go buy some drinks now. We just finished the game and everyone is thirsty."

"There is a vending machine in the hotel..." Kagami Daiwa was about to say that there was a vending machine in the hotel, but was broken by Aida Reiko's weird eyes, "Okay, I'll go buy it!"

"Coach Nakatani of Shutoku High School asked me to ask you something..." Hinata Junpei also walked out of the gym at this time, "During the training period of Shutoku High School, there will be regular training matches with Shonan High School. I want to ask if Seirin High School will participate?"

"Why not?" Aida Reiko shrugged and said, "Is there any better training opportunity than a competition?"

"But isn't this too much pressure for Kagami?" Hinata Junpei said with some concern, "Currently Sakuragi Hanamichi and Midorima Shintaro are still too strong for Kagami..."

"During the competition, your opponent will not show mercy just because you are too weak." Aida Reiko said firmly, looking at Kagami Taiga's back, "And I believe that even if Kagami and Kuroko cannot win the competition, they will not gain nothing."

...As time went by, the collective training of the three teams was gradually coming to an end.

During the one and a half month dormitory training, the three teams played 12 training games each. Shonan High School and Shutoku High School each finished with a record of eight wins and four losses. Kagami Daiya also grew rapidly through constant failures. At the end of the training camp, he led Seirin High School to defeat Shonan High School and Shutoku High School respectively, and ended the dormitory training with a record of two wins and ten losses.

After the dormitory training ended, the summer vacation also came to an end. Just when most of the Japanese high school teams had begun to adjust their status and prepare for the Winter Cup, Kaneki Ken also successfully integrated into the Oak Hill High School team and led Oak Hill High School to defeat the training opponents carefully selected by Stevenson for him one after another.

Seeing Kaneki Ken's excellent competitive state, David Falk also began to build public opinion in the media for Kaneki Ken, who was about to participate in the Golden Arch Bridge High School All-Star Basketball League.

……

"Hey, Gordo, I thought you could take a look at this."

In the world's holy land of street basketball, Rucker Park, Nash Gordo had just led the Zombrons to beat their opponents. Just as he was about to pack up and ask the organizer for compensation, Jason Thibo walked up to Nash Gordo with his phone in hand and said, "Did you see that? There's an Asian player at Oak Hill High School. He's very popular recently. Even Stackhouse, who was recruited by North Carolina, is no match for him!"

"Asian player? What's his name?" Nash Goldo instantly became interested.

"I think his name is... Jin something, anyway, it's too hard to pronounce... But this kid has some characteristics, with blonde hair, maybe he's mixed-race..." Jason Thibe pouted, "Anyway, this guy is going to participate in the Golden Arches High School All-Star Basketball League! Fuck that bunch of short-sighted guys, they would rather recruit an Asian than let me participate!"

"Asian player? Blond?" Nash Goldo's pupils shrank slightly, and for a moment he seemed to have PTSD. He snatched Jason Thibo's phone and started to look through it.

"Hey!" Jason Thibo shouted subconsciously, but was stopped by Nash Goldo's sharp eyes.

"What a narrow road for enemies...Kaneki Ken!" Nashgordo's eyes exuded a cold light, and he muttered to himself through gritted teeth, "If I could destroy you, no one would know that Asian monkeys can also play basketball well, right?"

……

"Hello, who is this?" In the locker room, Kaneki Ken, who had just finished a training match, was about to change his clothes when the phone in his backpack suddenly rang.

"Hello, it's me, Kobe." Kaneki Ken's familiar deep voice came from the other end of the line, "I heard that you are also going to participate in the Golden Arch Bridge Competition?"

"Why, are you scared? Are you calling me to beg for mercy?" Kaneki Ken said teasingly while dragging his sneakers, "As long as you open your mouth, I will only use my left hand to hit you."

"Fuck you, I'm not like those wimps you beat up before." Kobe cursed directly, "Michael just called me and told me you were going to join the international team and Oak Hill High School, so I came to say hello to you. Your next practice match opponent will be me, so you better be careful not to get beaten by me."

"Fuck you, go back and dream, maybe it will be easier this way." Kaneki Ken responded bluntly, "If there is nothing else, I'll hang up first."

Having said that, Kaneki Ken hung up the phone directly.

"Who is it, Jinmu?" Stephen Jackson asked curiously.

"Kobe is just an extremely competitive brat." Kaneki Ken curled his lips and said, "He called and said he would beat us in the next game."

"WOW..." Stephen Jackson's face changed slightly, and he used an exaggerated tone to cover up his inner nervousness, "That guy is an absolute genius... He scored 40 points on me last year... I'm afraid even you can't deal with him..."

"Remember this, Jackson." Kaneki Ken patted Stephen Jackson on the shoulder and said, "If basketball is a test paper, Kobe can get 99 points because his ability is only 99 points, and I can get 100 points because the test paper is only 100 points. The reason why you think Kobe and I are players of the same level is because your own ability is only about 80 points..."

"Fuck, I fucking love your arrogant attitude." Stephen Jackson cursed and laughed, "Then I'll leave Kobe to you, Ace."

"Don't worry, follow me and you'll win." Kaneki Ken took off all his clothes except for his underwear, picked up his toiletries and walked to the bathroom, "Damn it, it's all your fault. You made me late for shower."

(End of this chapter)