Basketball miracles

Chapter 183 [They're all trash]

Shohoku's practice match produced a number of highlights, with many players performing exceptionally well.

The second and third grade teams mainly focused on positional offense, combining inside and outside attacks.

Mitsui Hisashi scored two layups after cutting to the basket under screens, made two three-pointers after receiving the ball, and assisted Akagi Takenori on a two-handed dunk.

Kiminobu Kogure can also receive the ball and shoot a jump shot to score; his fixed position creates space for his teammates.

Takenori Akagi has a significant advantage when attacking in the paint. After attracting double teams, he can also facilitate passes to teammates on the perimeter.

Yasuda Yasuharu organized the offense meticulously and also made a mid-range shot.

Kakuta Satoru is unremarkable; he's only responsible for screens and passing, lacking offensive ability and defensive skills.

Even worse than Kakuta among the senior players was Tetsushi Shiozaki, who sat on the sidelines as a spectator. With Mitsui Hisashi's return to the team, Shiozaki had virtually no opportunities to perform.

The first-year team performed better, and as the game progressed, the score gap widened.

Because Xiao Tu led the freshmen in a run-and-gun style, he fully utilized the advantages of the newcomers' athleticism, making their offense incredibly sharp.

Akagi Takenori easily outmaneuvered the inexperienced Sakuragi Hanamichi in the low post, but conversely, Sakuragi's fast breaks made things difficult for Akagi. Sakuragi's off-ball speed was faster than even the guards, but he slowed down when he had the ball.

The fastest player on the court was Xiao Tu, who dribbled past opponents repeatedly and advanced quickly. Whenever Akagi and Mitsui Hisashi tried to help defend Xiao Tu, he would pass the ball to Sakuragi Hanamichi and Rukawa Kaede, who could then attack the basket.

The two players dunked multiple times, getting really into the game.

Sakuragi, in particular, ran to the sidelines after his dunk and high-fived Haruko.

Toki Kuwata, who is 162cm tall, also scored two fast break layups. He did play basketball in junior high school; he's very agile and his layups are quite stable. It's just that he's too short, so he doesn't have much of a future.

In positional play, Xiao Tu also controlled the overall situation, easily breaking through and passing the ball to open teammates. He rarely took shots himself, only taking them when he couldn't pass the ball due to a lack of dribbling skills, thus saving face for Akagi and others.

Xiao Tu didn't know if his passing was better than when he was with the Lakers; he only felt that high school games were full of open spaces. Their defense was no match for NBA players; they were always leaving their men open.

The practice match ended prematurely due to a head-to-head duel between Sakuragi Hanamichi and Akagi Takenori. Sakuragi received the ball after a cut to the middle and tried to dunk against Akagi's defense, but he was too excited and misjudged the distance, slamming the ball into Akagi's head.

Akagi collapsed on the spot, and after getting up, he angrily choked Sakuragi, making it impossible for the game to continue.

Playing in a game is different from practicing on your own. If Xiao Tu had taught Sakuragi how to take a few steps to dunk earlier, perhaps this funny thing wouldn't have happened.

Xiao Tu was happily watching the drama unfold when he finally witnessed a famous scene from a comic book.

It rained the next morning, and since it was inconvenient for Xiao Tu to ride his motorcycle to school, he skipped class and stayed home to sleep in.

Xiao Tu's "study abroad" life was very casual, and attending classes was not necessary at all. What's ridiculous is that he could still keep up in class even if he didn't pay attention, because the most important subjects in Japanese high schools are English and mathematics, which the original owner of this body was quite good at and had a good memory for.

Japan now also practices joyful education. This involves reducing students' academic pressure, increasing extracurricular activity time, encouraging exploration and innovation, and allowing children to grow up in a more relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

However, this is actually a trap set for the poor; who among the rich wouldn't fall for it?
Decades later, the consequence of Japan's "happy education" was that social stratification became even more severe, and the poor were almost all turned into useless individuals.

Xiao Tu and Yuki Uchida live together and have a lot of fun together, often staying up very late. His attention isn't entirely on the basketball court; the basketball level of Japanese high school students is too low, so he can fully enjoy his vacation.

He felt that Akagi and the others looked very strong in the manga because their defense was terrible and the matches weren't very intense.

At noon, Xiao Tu made bluefin tuna belly sushi. Since arriving in Hiratsuka City, he has been keen on buying ingredients, cooking his own meals, and researching culinary arts.

He usually selects very high-quality ingredients. Yuki Uchida had never eaten so many good things before and exclaimed that she was the happiest woman in the world.

Xiao Tu had already taken out the premium tuna he received as a reward from the silver treasure chest; it weighed a whopping 100 kilograms. If it weren't for his culinary skills as a food god, he wouldn't have been able to handle it properly.

After processing the fish, he stored it back in his spatial storage. He only needed to take out a little to eat, and it would last him a long time. It was also the first time he had ever eaten such high-class food. It was nutritious, the meat was tender, and paired with his culinary skills, it was unforgettable.

Xiao Tu went to school in the afternoon. Attending class was secondary; he had to participate in team activities after school. Before class, Kogure Kiminobu came to Xiao Tu's classroom and told him about the judo club president's plan to poach Sakuragi Hanamichi.

Xiao Tu said casually, "Kogure, you don't need to be nervous. Sakuragi definitely won't go to the judo club."

Kogure asked, "Why are you so sure?"

"Because he's recently become addicted to dunking, he doesn't need anyone to supervise his practice. He may not realize how much he likes basketball yet, but he certainly doesn't like judo as much. I'm also very good at judo, but I would never become a professional judo athlete. Two grown men wrestling, how can it attract as much attention as playing basketball?"

Kogure was immediately relieved. The basketball team members all felt that Xiao Tu was knowledgeable and experienced, and that he was always very accurate in his evaluation of a person.

Xiao Tu added, "If Sakuragi gets called to the judo club, remember to let me know."

"why?"

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "I'm going to watch the fun. If you're worried, I'll go to the judo club and spar with that captain, and bring Sakuragi back by force."

Xiao Tu often felt an itch to practice his skills but couldn't find a suitable opponent.

After school in the afternoon, judo boy Aota Tatsuhiko indeed went to find Sakuragi Hanamichi and invited him to the judo club for a talk.

Kogure happened to see them walking together, so he called Akagi Takenori, Xiao Tu, and Mitsui Hisashi to go and see what was going on.

Aota Tatsuhiko used Haruko's photo to lure Sakuragi into joining the judo club, and also said many shameful things about Akagi Takenori. Akagi had said in elementary school that Aota Tatsuhiko looked ugly practicing judo, and that his legs had become short from practicing judo—that was really going too far.

Sakuragi wants Haruko's photo but doesn't want to join the judo club, and even plans to steal it by force. If the two were to get serious, Sakuragi would definitely be no match for Aota Tatsuhiko.

Xiao Tu knew better than anyone that the difference between someone who knew fighting skills and someone who didn't was astonishing. Sakuragi only had brute force and fought using unorthodox methods.

After Aota Tatsuhiko threw Sakuragi out, Xiao Tu appeared. He swaggered into the judo hall through the main entrance, looked at Sakuragi lying on the ground, and asked, "Are you alright? Move around and see if you're hurt?"

Xiao Tu is here to gain favor; he has no complicated motives, only sentimentality.

He grew up reading the "Slam Dunk" manga, which was a major reason why he fell in love with basketball. That's why he's willing to take fewer shots, not wanting to completely steal the spotlight from the main characters.

Sakuragi was touched by Xiao Tu's concern. "Big Brother (a random nickname), what brings you here?"

"Kogure said the captain of the judo club wants to poach you, and he's worried you'll get taken advantage of if you come here, so I came to check it out," Xiao Tu explained, then said to Aota Ryuhiko, "Hey, isn't that a bit much? He's never learned judo. If you use this kind of technique to throw him, what if he gets injured? Then he won't be able to join the judo club, and he won't be able to play basketball either; he'll just have to recover from his injury."

Aota Tatsuhiko immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, it was really my fault. He charged too hard just now, and I reacted instinctively and knocked him down. You're that famous American exchange student, right? Isn't Akagi here?"

"Akagi hurt you before, and knowing he was in the wrong, he's too embarrassed to show his face today." Xiao Tu deliberately spoke loudly, knowing that Akagi outside the window could hear him.

Aota Tatsuhiko said, "I've already spoken with Akagi, and he'll let Sakuragi choose for himself. Sakuragi's physical attributes are really well-suited for judo, and he can become a professional athlete."

Xiao Tu shook his head. "I know he does have the aptitude for combat sports. But I disagree with your suggestion that he's suited for judo. I'm planning to start a karate club. I believe karate is the strongest martial art in the world. So I think that in Shohoku, only karate should exist, and everything else should be abolished."

"..." Not only Aota Tatsuhiko, but his three underlings were also dumbfounded.

Isn't this a bit off? Our topic today isn't basketball or judo—a choice between two options?
Aota Tatsuhiko asked, displeased, "What do you mean by this?"

Judo henchman A: "If all you have is your karate, then what are we?"

Xiao Tu smiled and said, "Ah! Good question! If you are interested, you can join my newly established karate department, but you will have to go through a selection process first. Because I only train elites and will never accept trash."

The judo newbie got angry: "What are you looking at me for? Do you think I'm trash?!"

Xiao Tu laughed and said, "No... don't misunderstand, I'm not targeting you. I'm saying that everyone here... is trash."

The passerby, Sakuragi Hanamichi, had a blank expression.

who I am? Where am I? What am I going to do?
(End of this chapter)