Basketball miracles

Chapter 193 [Has a curse been cast?]

They crushed Miura Dai 156-44, a 112-point victory. The Miura Dai players looked like zombies as they left the court, and they never wanted to play basketball again.

Xiao Tu played the entire game, scoring 32 points, 5 rebounds, 31 assists, and 6 steals; almost all of the team's points were related to him.

Aida Yayoi, a reporter from the basketball editorial department of a weekly magazine, waited for Xiao Tu outside the arena, wanting to interview him. Previously, watching the game from a distance was quite difficult, but now, facing Xiao Tu up close, Aida Yayoi blushed; she had never seen such a handsome man before.

Even though Xiao Tu was wearing the same sports uniform as the Xiangbei team, he was different from the others. Yayoi couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she felt that his eyes were very deep, his features were sharp and angular, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned with a hint of frivolity.

"Ask whatever you want." Xiao Tu was a little disappointed after meeting one of the three goddesses from "Slam Dunk".

The live-action version of Aida Yayoi isn't a stunning beauty; she's merely described as having delicate features. She looks a lot like Aida Hikoichi. If the younger brother is just an ordinary child, how beautiful could the older sister be?

Aida Yayoi has long legs and a tight waistline; her short hair, red lips, and large earrings add a touch of elite temperament, but that's all.

Aida Yayoi asked, "You speak Japanese very well. Did you grow up in Japan?"

"No, I'm here to visit relatives. My father is currently working in Tokyo, and I'll only be staying in Japan for six months."

"Then how did you end up attending Shohoku High School?"

"Mitsui Hisashi was the first friend I made in Japan. He invited me here. I also wanted to play basketball in Japan, so I joined Shohoku and helped him achieve his dream of dominating the nation."

Aida Yayoi asked, "Do you think Shohoku can win the national championship?"

"You definitely can, but I'm an outsider. You should interview the other players from Shohoku; they're the main characters too."

Xiao Tu didn't have many thoughts, nor did he adopt a condescending attitude to belittle Japanese basketball.

After one match, Shohoku became famous in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The key point is that they crushed last season's top eight teams. The key point is that the news reported that Shohoku had an American foreign player!
With his succubus-like physique, it was impossible for Xiao Tu to go unnoticed; he was simply too conspicuous. Moreover, he possessed a natural talent for "fancy moves" in basketball, his movements were elegant and graceful, completely different from everyone else's style.

Multiple media outlets reported on this incident, their reports filled with obsequious tones.

Is the participation of American exchange students in the competition affecting the fairness of Japanese high school basketball games?
Impossible! Nobody in Japan questions this at all.

Several media outlets reported the news in a tone that sounded like they were welcoming top American basketball players for guidance! The participation of distinguished American exchange students in the competition is a testament to the success of Japanese education!
Basketball fans in Kanagawa didn't think it was unfair; they just thought Xiao Tu was incredibly handsome and his playing style was amazing. They needed to get to the stadium early for the next game, otherwise they were afraid they wouldn't be able to get seats.

Fans believe that Japanese basketball is nothing to brag about and cannot compare to American basketball. They find watching Xiao Tu play a pleasure, an experience they couldn't have had even if they paid to watch basketball in the past.

Even many students at Miura Dai High School felt it was normal for the team to be thrashed. It wasn't that the players weren't working hard; it was just that the international students were too strong.

We Japanese are the sick men of East Asia, how can we compare to American basketball stars?
Shohoku High School is the most outrageous; everyone there is a fan of celebrities. Not only is Xiao Tu popular, but Rukawa Kaede, Sakuragi Hanamichi, and Mitsui Hisashi have also gained considerable popularity.

Akagi Takenori is the only one without female fans; nobody likes gorillas, not even the gorilla who can dunk.

When people first encounter basketball, they are naturally drawn to players with beautiful playing styles; scoring efficiency, team records, and so on are less important. The same applies in the United States. Although the league heavily promoted four centers in the 90s, their popularity simply couldn't compare to that of players like Jordan, Hardaway, and Hill.

More girls confessed their feelings to Xiao Tu and wrote him love letters, even though they knew it would be in vain.

Xiao Tu treats his female fans very well, always smiling and exchanging greetings with them.

He felt that this was like Wang Yuan's fans wearing wedding dresses to his concerts in the future; it wasn't mindless idol worship, but rather women seeking meaning in life beyond marriage...

In their second match, Shohoku faced Kadono High School, and the city gymnasium was completely packed with fans eager to see Shohoku's performance. When the players entered the game, Sakuragi Hanamichi's popularity was exceptionally high, second only to Xiao Tu and Rukawa Kaede.

Sakuragi was initially quite happy, but he became depressed after hearing what the audience was talking about.

"That guy, it's him, the redhead, he not only dunked but also knocked someone flying."

"What kind of head is that? Is that how a player is supposed to be?"

"That's scary, they don't look like good people." Besides the Ryonan players, the Hainan players also came to watch. Maki Shinichi considered Shohoku his number one rival in the prefectural tournament, and even his catchphrase became similar to Aida Hikoichi's—"Be careful!"

The Ryonan players didn't believe they could beat Shohoku at all. They came to watch the game to see other teams get thrashed, which would make them feel a little better. If Ryonan lost by a smaller margin next time, they would at least salvage some pride.

Now that the other teams in Kanagawa know the results of the practice matches, they all think Ryonan is incredibly weak. Akira Sendoh, who was Rookie of the Year last season, is now suspected of having regressed.

The score in this game was even more dramatic, with Shohoku winning 183-23, a crushing victory of 160 points.

Xiao Tu felt that his opponents were a bunch of amateurs who didn't know how to play basketball, making numerous mistakes and getting stolen from the court for fast breaks. Xiao Tu scored 33 points, dished out 42 assists, and had 10 steals in this game, a truly outrageous performance.

Xiao Tu casually dribbled past defenders, who, like a 165cm tall guard, didn't defend him at all, seemingly intimidated. The opposing team also didn't double-team him the entire game, letting Xiao Tu easily drive and pass, or even dunk.

Sakuragi scored 30 points, completing 8 dunks throughout the game, including two alley-oops, making him even bigger than Sparky the Happy Beast. He cut inside from the middle to receive the ball and attacked the basket. If the opponent didn't foul, he would casually dunk with one hand or two hands, almost pulling the rim down with his skill.

Sakuragi also grabbed many offensive rebounds and scored with close-range shots on second-chance opportunities.

The coach of Kadono High School is on par with Coach Anzai; he never considered calling a timeout when the team was down by a significant margin, even while watching from the sidelines.

This team is a typical example of someone who prioritizes participation over skill; the players lack ability and just want the game to end as quickly as possible.

In the manga, Sakuragi scored zero points again and fouled out. Xiao Tu couldn't understand how the opposing 180cm starting power forward could shut down Sakuragi, especially since his skill level was even lower than Kakuta Satoru's. Had Sakuragi been cursed?

There's only one truth: Ryota Miyagi really didn't pass the ball to Sakuragi.

Rukawa Kaede and Akagi Takenori also had several dunks, while Mitsui Hisashi and Kogure Kiminobu made many open three-pointers.

Ryota Miyagi didn't get much playing time. When Mitsui went to the bench, Kogure was his substitute, ensuring there was a three-point shooting spot in the corner.

Off-site, some funny things happened that Xiao Tu was unaware of.

The players from Shohoku came to watch the game, but only the third-year center, Toru Hanagata, showed up.

In the manga, Toru Hanagata met Jun Uozumi and arrogantly said, "If it were our Shohoku High School, we could easily get 200 points."

Now, the second floor is already packed with Xiao Tu's female fans, shouting excitedly, and there are people at the entrance. Hanagata Toru arrived too late, it was already the second half, and he couldn't squeeze in.

If Hanagata Toru had arrived earlier, he might have even made a statement that he deserved 200 points. This guy is also ignorant; he can't even tell the strength of his opponent, yet he's still so arrogant.

When Fujima Kenji wanted to play in the first half of the game against Shohoku, Hanagata Toru arrogantly told Fujima to go back to his seat, saying he would lead the team to defeat Shohoku himself. If Fujima had played in the first half, Shohoku would have had no chance to turn the game around and would have been eliminated in the prefectural top 8.

Maki Shinichi and Sendoh Akira would never underestimate their opponents like that, nor would they refrain from playing just because they felt their opponents were weaker than their own team. They would never use such methods to belittle their opponents.

"Trying to be cool but ending up looking like an idiot" perfectly describes the two core players of Shohoku. Even Kenji Fujima, who also works as the team's coach, never thought to bring his teammates to watch their biggest rival's game.

Fujima sitting on the sidelines without playing isn't some secret weapon. Every player in Kanagawa, except Sakuragi, knows him and knows that Shohoku was the runner-up the previous two years. Clearly, he just wants to show off from the sidelines.

People from Ryonan and Kainan both thought that Shohoku was doomed and that they couldn't possibly make it to the semifinals or get past Shohoku.

Shohoku won their third game 162-45, and their consecutive victories have made them the biggest dark horse of the year.

In their fourth match, Shohoku defeated Tsukubu, a strong team in the prefecture, 158-71, without any pressure.

Tsukubu's playing style is quite advanced, and their 192cm center, Nango Koichiro, has excellent athleticism; both players excel at three-point shooting. Their offense is decent, but they are completely unable to defend against Shohoku's attack.

Even with Xiao Tu not taking many shots, Xiangbei still won by 87 points. Moreover, Xiao Tu's shooting percentage was extremely high, making 10 of 10 field goals, 3 of 3 three-pointers, and 8 of 8 free throws, scoring 31 points.

Xiao Tu is considered by the media to be an unstoppable super point guard, with sharp breakthroughs and a variety of assists to his teammates in both half-court offense and fast breaks.

Shohoku has a multi-pronged attack in every game, with five strong scorers in the starting lineup and an excellent substitute.

(End of this chapter)