Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 297 A boy working hard for his dream
"Oh boy, you're finally here~"

As Kaneki Kengo and Momoi Satsuki walked out of the VIP passenger channel, they were greeted by Michael Jordan, David Falk and others who had been waiting there.

"Yeah, if I don't come, I probably won't be able to sleep well in this life." Kaneki Ken said helplessly to Michael Jordan who opened his arms, "How about it, are you ready to be beaten by me?"

"Shit, you're still as arrogant as ever~" Michael Jordan rubbed Kaneki Ken's head and scolded with a smile, "By the way, you haven't introduced to me who this girl next to you is? Could it be that our basketball genius who has attracted thousands of girls has found true love in Japan?"

"Shut the fuck up, Michael." Kaneki Ken rolled his eyes at Michael Jordan speechlessly and said, "This is my girlfriend. I had already confirmed my relationship with her before I first came to the United States."

"Um...Nice to meet you..." A somewhat nervous Taoi Satsuki looked at the tall and strong Michael Jordan, as if using all her strength to encourage herself to take a step forward and greet him.

"It's okay, don't pay attention to him. This guy is a paranoid lunatic who only cares about people." Kaneki Ken saw that Momoi Satsuki was at a loss, so he patted the back of Momoi Satsuki's hand and said considerately.

"Were you saying bad things about me just now?" Michael Jordan looked at Kaneki Ken suspiciously and asked, "Shit, I should have learned some Neon language earlier."

"Okay, gentlemen." David Falk, who was standing by, saw that Michael Jordan had no intention of stopping to reminisce about the past, so he stepped forward and interrupted the two of them, saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I don't think Big Boy would want you and your girlfriend to spend the night at the airport, right? Hurry up and get in the car, because you have to go to Oak Hill High School to complete the enrollment procedures tomorrow."

"OK, let's go." Kaneki Ken shrugged indifferently, picked up his backpack, and followed David Falk out of the airport.

After walking two steps, Kaneki Ken seemed to sense something was wrong and turned to look at Michael Jordan in confusion and asked, "Michael, what are you doing here? Why don't you come with us?"

"I'm waiting for my flight." Michael Jordan shrugged and said, "If it weren't for meeting you, I would be in Salt Lake City, Utah now."

"Okay..." Kaneki Ken nodded thoughtfully, raised his fist towards Michael Jordan and said, "Before I enter the NBA, hurry up and win a few more championships, otherwise you will never win them again. By the way, I will watch your games on TV."

"Hasn't anyone taught you to be more modest in front of the God of Basketball?" Michael Jordan chuckled and bumped his fist with Kaneki Ken, saying, "Hurry up and make a name for yourself. I can't wait to kick your ass."

"Clap~"

With a crisp fist bump sound, Kaneki Ken and Michael Jordan walked away from each other, each heading in different directions.

"Yan-kun, is he what you always say... the tyrant on the court, the god of basketball, the conceited paranoid?" After getting in the car, Tao Jing Satsuki recalled Michael Jordan's back with some curiosity and said, "I feel that he is unexpectedly easy to get along with..."

"Huh? That guy is easy to get along with?" Kaneki Ken on the side shook his head and said, "Then I think Olajuwon and Sir Barkley must have a lot to talk about."

"Michael... is actually very simple." David Falk said with a smile while looking at Tao Jing Satsuki in the rearview mirror, "He just looks down on everyone who is weaker than him equally."

"Haha, now that you know it, this basketball superstar is a lot like you, Ken-kun." Tao Jing Satsuki covered her mouth and laughed sweetly, "No wonder you two can become close friends regardless of age difference."

"My goal in coming to the United States is not to enter the NBA as a close friend of Michael Jordan..." Kaneki Ken said with ambition in his eyes, "When I enter the NBA, everyone will know what a goat is... Greatest of all time!"

"Well! I believe that if it's Ken-kun, it will definitely be possible!" Momoi Satsuki said with admiration looking at Kaneki Ken's profile.

"Haha..." Kaneki Ken blushed a little when he was looked at by Momoi Satsuki's admiring eyes. He scratched the back of his head embarrassedly and chuckled.

"It's great to be young~" David Falk looked at the young man and woman in the rearview mirror, smiled with emotion and shook his head, then turned on the music in the car. For a moment, a romantic tune "Can't Take My Eyes of You" echoed in the car.

……

"Shit, you're finally back, buddy."

The next morning, Kaneki Ken, who had finally recharged for the first time, came to the Oak Hill Middle School basketball hall with a refreshed face. He was greeted by Stephen Jackson who had been waiting for a long time. As soon as he saw Kaneki Ken stepping into the hall, Stephen Jackson came up to him warmly, hugged Kaneki Ken with both arms, and then looked up at Kaneki Ken's golden pupils with admiration and said: "You have grown a lot taller than the last time we met... You must be 2 meters tall now, right?"

"A little taller." Kaneki Ken made a gesture of losing the Korean market and said, "I'm 2 meters tall now."

"But I remember that you were registered as a point guard in our school, right?" Amar Bailey said with an expression of admiration on his face, "Damn, a 08-meter point guard, have we really found another magician?"

"No, Amare." Kaneki Ken smiled and shook his head and said, "Our next game will be better than the Lakers in Showtime."

"This guy will become an incredible figure in the future." In the corner of the gym, Oak Hill High School's shooting coach stood next to Coach Stephenson, looking at Kaneki Ken's back with a confident look on his face and said, "This guy is not only powerful, but also has the magic that can make people willingly unite around him... The last guy with this kind of magic I saw was Magic."

"No, you're wrong, Christian." Coach Stephenson said with a meaningful smile, "Didn't the kid say that in the future our games will be more exciting than Magic's Lakers."

And time did not make Kaneki Ken's words fall into vain. Not long after Kaneki Ken officially joined Oak Hill High School, Sierra Canyon High School, a famous high school basketball powerhouse in the United States and the dream school of California basketball teenagers, sent an invitational application letter to Oak Hill High School.

"Sierra Canyon High School?" After receiving the notification from Coach Stephenson, Kaneki Ken looked at Stephen Jackson, who was standing beside him with a serious expression, with some doubt and asked, "Are there any strong players in this school?"

"Although none of these players are particularly outstanding, they are also not particularly weak," said Stephen Jackson, frowning. "Last year, the California state championship team only lost one game throughout the entire year... and that opponent was Sierra Canyon High School."

"In that case, they are not the champions either, right?" Kaneki Ken said with a meaningful smile, "Don't worry, they won't be so lucky this time."...

"My name is Sakuragi Hanamichi! I'm yours!! Big Brother!!!"

While Ken Kaneki, who was far away in the United States, was concentrating on preparing for the match against Sierra Canyon Junior High School, Hanamichi Sakuragi of Shonan High School was looking at the newcomers in front of him and giving them a loud lecture.

"Is this Sakuragi Hanamichi-san?"

"The legendary last age of miracles?"

"The starting power forward for the top team that won both the IH League and the Winter Cup League last year?"

The newcomers standing in the field looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi in front of them with excitement and couldn't help whispering to each other.

"Really? I didn't expect that Sakuragi has fans now~" Miyagi Ryouta, who was standing by, put his hands on his waist and shook his head helplessly, saying, "But it's no wonder. After all, Sakuragi's performance against Kagami Daigo in the finals last year was too eye-catching..."

"There are quite a few good talents among the newcomers this year~" Inoue Ayako swept the players in front of her with a burning gaze, and finally her eyes fell on a figure who was about the same height as Akashi Seijuro and said, "The most outstanding one among them should be this guy named Anton Yoshiki..."

"Yes, he is the only son of Coach Anton, a super combo guard who led his team to the runner-up in the national competition when he was in junior high school..." Miyagi Ryouta smacked his lips and said with a complicated look, "Really, the newcomers are so capable, it puts a lot of pressure on me as a senior..."

"Haha, are you scared, Miyagi?" Inoue Ayako covered her mouth and laughed as she looked at Miyagi Ryouta and said, "I didn't expect that you've grown taller but become less courageous~"

"Ah? Scared?" Miyagi Ryouta raised his eyebrows and looked at Anton Yoshiki and said, "Why would I be afraid of a newcomer..."

As he said this, Miyagi Ryouta, who had become the new captain, was about to step forward to give a speech.

"As your seniors, you can ask us anything you don't understand about basketball!" At this time, Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was flattered by the juniors, didn't even notice Miyagi Ryouta coming forward. He just continued to instruct loudly with a smug look on his face, "As long as it's about basketball, we will tell you kindly!"

"Speaking of this, there are indeed some things I don't understand, Sakuragi-senpai..."

"Huh?" Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was enjoying the flattery from behind, looked at the figure who stood out with some surprise. He saw a young man wearing a Nike jersey, holding a basketball and with a rebellious face standing in front of him, looking him up and down.

"Sakuragi-senpai, before I returned to my country, I didn't experience the rule of the so-called Generation of Miracles..." Anton Yoshiki held the basketball between his waist with his right hand, his eyes full of eagerness to try and said, "So, is the Generation of Miracles really as strong as the rumors say? I'm really curious..."

"Hey, this guy?" Miyagi Ryouta looked at Anton Yoshiki with some surprise, a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he slowly retreated to the sidelines, clasped his hands in front of his chest, and watched the excitement leisurely.

"This guy's expression... is exactly the same as that of the stinky fox..."

Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at the defiant Anton Yoshiki, and couldn't help but recall the scene when he first met Rukawa Kaede. He became a little irritated, and said to Anton Yoshiki in a deep voice, "So how do you want me to teach you?"

"It's very simple, Sakuragi-senpai." Anton Yoshiki raised the corner of his mouth slightly, held the basketball in one hand and stretched it in front of Sakuragi Hanamichi and said, "I want you to play a game with me, Sakuragi-senpai."

"What? This newcomer... actually wants to challenge Sakuragi?" Inoue Ayako looked at Ando Yoshiki in surprise, and hurried to Miyagi Ryouta's side, shook Miyagi Ryouta's shoulder and said anxiously, "Captain, don't play dead at this time! Hurry up and stop them!"

"Why should we stop them?" Miyagi Ryouta put his hands in his pockets and said in a playful tone while looking at the two people confronting each other on the field, "Sakuragi is in great momentum right now, I won't get into trouble... Moreover, as a newcomer, he dares to act so arrogantly... Just relying on the title of Coach Anton's son is not enough."

"Very good..." Sakuragi Hanamichi looked at the basketball that Anton Yoshiki stretched out in front of him, and said coldly to Anton Yoshiki with a somewhat unhappy expression, "Since you choose to challenge me... then I accept it."

"This guy..." Rukawa Kaede, who was practicing basketball alone not far away, silently looked at the figure of Anton Yoshiki and muttered to himself, "Is he another hot-blooded idiot like that idiot... It's really puzzling, why do idiots appear one after another nowadays..."

"Call me when you're ready." Sakuragi Hanamichi on the sidelines did not hear Rukawa Kaede's faint muttering. He only saw him grab the basketball from Yoshiki Anton and come to the free throw line. After a simple shuffle of the ball, he opened his arms and took a defensive posture and said.

"This guy...what a neat steal!" Yoshiki Anton frowned slightly and looked down at the basketball in his hand that was thrown back by Sakuragi Hanamichi. His eyes kept wandering back and forth between Sakuragi Hanamichi and the basketball.

"Do you want to fight or not?" After a long time of defensive moves, Sakuragi Hanamichi became a little impatient and could only come to Anton Yoshiki and asked with an unhappy look on his face.

"There's no other way. At this point, I have to just go for it..." Feeling the terrifying pressure coming from Sakuragi Hanamichi, Yoshiki Anton could only pass the ball slowly and gradually stepped into the three-point line under Sakuragi Hanamichi's fixed gaze.

"What kind of defense is this..." Anton Yoshiki muttered to himself as he looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who let him cut into the penalty area, "It's just rubbish..."

"It's better not to brag too early, rookie..." Looking at the profile of Anton Yoshiki, Sakuragi Hanamichi's mouth gradually curled up a meaningful smile and said, "You came at the right time, let me try... how effective is my new genius stealing skill!"

In the heated atmosphere on both sides of the ocean, another round of competition has begun.

(End of this chapter)