Slam Dunk: Sakuragi learned from Kawamura Eiki's experience

Chapter 110 The Possibility of Sakuragi Entering the NBA

The joint training camp between Shohoku and Ryonan entered its third day.

The players from both teams trained together, their colorful training uniforms crisscrossing as they ran around the field, shouting for passes and high-fiving.

Taoka Shigeichi and Coach Anzai sat side by side on folding chairs on the sidelines, watching the players train.

Taoka's gaze followed Sakuragi Hanamichi, who was running a fast break on the court, while Coach Anzai's glasses reflected the light.

The two middle-aged coaches remained silent for a long while, with only the sharp whistling sound of sneakers rubbing against the floor filling the gap.

Taoka spoke first, his voice not as loud as when he was directing a match, but with the relaxed tone typical of casual conversation: "Coach Anzai, after watching these past few days, there's a question I've been wanting to ask."

Shohoku's starting lineup is very strong. Akagi, Sakuragi, Rukawa, Mitsui, and Miyagi are all top-tier players nationally. But their bench...

He paused for a moment, carefully choosing his words, "Kogure is a good player, but his physical strength and defense are limited."

Kakuta, Yasuda, and Shiozaki are far behind the main players.

The national tournament is a seven-day back-to-back competition, which places extremely high demands on the depth of substitutes and physical management. Have you considered this issue?

Coach Anzai didn't answer immediately. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, "Coach Taoka is right. But Shohoku is a public school: unlike Ryonan, there isn't a systematic special recruitment channel for players. We're already very lucky to have assembled the current starting lineup."

His voice was unhurried, as if he were stating a fact he had long accepted.

"Regarding the bench issue, we can only try to have the starters bring the substitutes, dividing them into two lineups for rotation. Let Kogure and the others play more, gradually improving their skills and teamwork."

After hearing this, Taoka crossed his arms and slightly tightened his chin: "If we're lucky with the schedule and encounter weak teams, we might be able to handle it this way."

But if they encounter strong teams from the very first round, Shohoku might have to rely on their starting lineup to play the entire game.

He didn't say the words "death row" but the meaning was clear from his tone.

Coach Anzai did not refute. He simply nodded slightly.

Taoka paused for a moment, then looked away from the court. When he spoke again, his tone had changed; it wasn't the seriousness of his tactical analysis, but rather a pent-up, slightly resentful outpouring: "To be honest, back then, Mitsui Hisashi was the first one I had my eye on. Middle school MVP, the perfect perimeter core. I visited him several times, but he went to Shohoku because of your reputation."

Then there's Ryota Miyagi, whom I've also met. He went to Shohoku because of you.

Rukawa Kaede, the super rookie in middle school. When I found him, he said he went to Shohoku because it was close to home. But I knew in my heart that was just an excuse; ultimately, he went to Shohoku because of you.

His voice grew deeper and deeper as he spoke, but in the end it softened and turned into a bitter laugh that sounded like a sigh.

"Finally, there's Sakuragi Hanamichi. Of all of them, he's the one I value the most. His physical abilities far surpass everyone else in his age group. After the junior high prefectural tournament last year, I already reached an agreement with him, and he's willing to come to Ryonan High School."

As a result—the school board couldn't secure a special admission spot, and so he went to Shohoku.

After Taoka finished speaking, he turned to look at Coach Anzai.

That resentful expression that seemed to say, "Are you deliberately targeting me?", coupled with his signature furrowed brows, made Coach Anzai's glasses gleam.

"Hehehe————" Coach Anzai's laughter swirled in his throat for a few moments before finally settling into an ambiguous nod.

He subtly changed the subject, saying, "Sakuragi's talent is indeed the best I've encountered in my coaching career."

His physical condition, learning speed, and intuition in matches—" the old man paused for a moment, "are truly remarkable."

Taoka nodded in deep agreement.

When Sakuragi's talent was mentioned, the resentment on his face was immediately replaced by another emotion, the excitement that coaches have when talking about their star pupils, even if that pupil is not on their team.

"Sakuragi's physical attributes are beyond question. His height, jumping ability, speed, and strength are all top-notch."

But what's most terrifying about him isn't just his physical talent, but his ability to learn basketball. When he first came to Ryonan for joint training last year, his skills were still very rough, and his offensive methods were somewhat limited.

It's only been a little over a year, and now he can shoot threes, orchestrate the offense, and defend positions one through five.

His speech became faster and faster, as if he were reading a scouting report he had written himself.

"And his self-discipline is beyond question. This kid trains like there's no tomorrow. I've seen too many talented kids ruined by laziness, but Sakuragi is different. He's truly getting better every day."

Coach Anzai listened quietly, waiting for Taoka to finish before speaking softly. His voice remained unhurried, but his tone shifted from casual to a deeper, more serious one: "Coach Taoka, sometimes I wonder, with Sakuragi's talent and rate of development, if he were properly nurtured, is it possible for him to—make it into the National Team?"

Taoka Shigeichi was stunned.

NBA!

These three letters were like a sudden flash of lightning, blasting all his mental tactical boards, rotation schedules, and national tournament matchups into a blank.

He turned to look at Coach Anzai, his mouth agape and his eyes wide open.

His biggest goal, his greatest dream in life, is to train players to reach the national championships, and winning the national championship would be the highest achievement he could hope for.

As a result, Coach Anzai sat there and asked him in a serious tone: Is it possible for Sakuragi to make it into the NBA?

Is it possible?

Taoka's voice squeezed out from his throat, sounding as blank as someone who had just been given a drug.

Coach Anzai nodded, his eyes narrowing into slits behind his glasses, but the light shining through those slits was earnest: "Sakuragi's physical talent and basketball IQ are the most promising I've ever seen among students."

His tone carried a seriousness rarely seen in this fat old man these days.

"The premise is that his talent must be nurtured and guided better and more correctly, without wasting it."

Taoka Shigeru turned his head back to look at the court. Sakuragi Hanamichi received the ball at the top of the arc, faked out the defender, jumped, and launched a three-pointer.

The ball arced perfectly into the basket, and after landing, he put his hands on his hips, looked up at the sky, and laughed loudly, his red buzz cut swaying arrogantly under the lights.

Looking at that retreating figure, Taoka suddenly felt as if Coach Anzai had shattered his vision and perspective.

He spent over a decade pursuing these goals: to reach the national tournament and win the national championship. Now, Coach Anzai is already dreaming of things he never even dared to imagine.

Is this the vision and perspective of a former national team player?

Taoka suddenly realized that perhaps Sakuragi would be much better off going to Shohoku than staying with Ryonan.

At Ryonan High School, my goal is to train Sakuragi to become a top player in the national tournament, and then have him go to Fukasawa Sports University or Tokai University, which are national team training universities, so that he can become a national team player in the future.

Coach Anzai's vision was to develop Sakuragi into a player aiming for the NBA. Not to mention, Coach Anzai's connections and networks were far stronger than his own.

Then an image uncontrollably appeared in his mind.

During the live broadcast of the NBA draft, the spotlight shone on the young man with the red buzz cut.

He walked onto the stage in a suit and received the team's hat from the league commissioner.

Then he spoke into the microphone, saying, "I want to thank one of my first basketball coaches, Coach Taoka of Ryonan High School. He was the one who first discovered my basketball talent—"

Then he, Shigeichi Taoka, was thus recorded in the annals of Japanese basketball history.

Just as Taoka was lost in his fantasies, Rukawa Kaede stood in front of Sendoh Akira in the rest area next to the court.

Sendoh was drinking water when he looked up at the ace rookie from Shohoku High School who had suddenly walked up to him and challenged him to a one-on-one match. The lazy smile on his lips disappeared.

"Now?" Sendoh asked.

"Now," Rukawa Kaede replied.

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