You could hear a pin drop in the vast stadium.
Whether it was the student spectators outside, the first-year freshmen, seniors, or even the assistant coaches and Kenneth Miller himself, everyone was in shock.
What did they just hear?
After seven or eight seconds, someone finally reacted.
- "Hey! Freshman, do you know who you're talking to?"
- "Is this how you speak to a senior?!"
- "Come on, this isn't just an attitude issue. Where does this kid get his confidence? Doesn't he know about our Shoyo High School basketball team and Senior Kenneth?"
- "After all, he's a transfer student who just came from overseas..."
- "Maybe he thinks being tall gives him an advantage."
- "Are you crazy?!"
The noisy voices suddenly became animated, almost shaking the roof of the basketball stadium.
This kid has provoked the wrong person.
Thomas Harris (formerly Hanagata Toru) covered his forehead, but Kenneth laughed.
He had seen many arrogant people, but he had never seen anyone as bold as this.
Even Amu from Kainan, or Sendoh from Ryonan, who was hailed as a super rookie, had never dared to say such things to him, not even in national competitions.
"Then come on," Kenneth said, picking up the training basketball from the ground with a smile. "I want to see how you'll destroy my faith in basketball!"
---
**The Showdown**
"There's a game in the gym! There's a game in the gym! It's the showdown of the century!"
"Senior Kenneth is going against the super crazy freshman who transferred from overseas!"
"It must be fake; how could Senior Kenneth challenge a rookie?"
"Do you know what the rookie said to Senior Kenneth?"
"Please teach me, senior? I want to defeat you?"
"Bah! The rookie told Senior Kenneth, 'Let's not challenge him one-on-one; I'm afraid it will destroy your faith in basketball!'"
"Ah? Oh my God!!!"
"I bet that rookie won't last more than five minutes!"
"Hurry up, hurry up! You won't see anything if you're late!"
As a long-established basketball school, any topic related to basketball spread rapidly throughout Shoyo High School.
In just a few minutes, news of Kenneth Miller challenging the freshman from overseas had spread throughout the school.
Boys, girls, and even many teachers were drawn to the scene.
This was not a competition stadium, and there were no stands, but the sideline was already crowded with at least one or two hundred people. Latecomers could only squeeze outside the gym door or squat at the small windows to look inside.
Before the game started, two figures stood in the gym. Kenneth Miller's 5'10" stature seemed much shorter than Jake's 6'4" frame.
But obviously, no one was optimistic about the taller player, as the entire gym echoed with shouts of Kenneth's name.
As the most dominant star captain of Shoyo in the past ten years, one of the Kanagawa twins, and with his handsome appearance, Kenneth had unparalleled popularity in the school, far surpassing even other star players like Thomas Harris.
"Prediction: 10 to 0!"
"Don't be so exaggerated. Senior Kenneth isn't the best at one-on-one duels. That guy is tall; maybe he can score one, 10 to 1!"
"Come on, senior! Freshmen have to put in the effort too; at least score one!"
"Haha, freshman, I'm rooting for you! You're brave!"
The gym buzzed with excited voices as everyone anticipated the match.
**First Possession**
Kenneth tossed the basketball to Jake outside the three-point line.
One-on-one bullfighting is indeed a disadvantage for shorter players, but playing small against big has always been Kenneth's forte. Not to mention his fateful duels with Amu over the past two years, he faced tall opponents over 6'3" every day in team games.
"Come on."
Kenneth clapped his hands, and the next second...
Jake raised his hand, and the basketball drew a high, perfect parabola in the air.
Kenneth was nearly a meter away, and the opponent's shot was so fast and smooth that he didn't hesitate at all. Even Kenneth didn't react in time.
*Swish!*
The basketball swooshed through the net, making a crisp sound as it passed through, then fell to the floor with a thump, thump, thump...
The buzzing noise at the scene did not diminish. Obviously, most people didn't realize that the game had already begun.
"Does it count as a game?"
"The newcomer scored first? Does this count as a three-pointer? 3 to 0?"
"Come on, there are no two-point and three-pointers in bullfighting games; only one point is counted."
"This newcomer isn't bad! He's pretty fast."
"It was just a sneak attack; I think it was luck!"
"Very good; the newcomer got his only point today!"
Kenneth was slightly startled, then he laughed.
Luck balls still rely on skill, and for a master of his level, he could see it at a glance.
The opponent's calmness when shooting, the textbook-like posture and soft touch, and the nearly perfect parabola of the basketball indicated this shot was not just luck.
It turned out that Jake was a shooter, towering over 6'3", and he had shown good basic skills in previous training. This was the type that Shoyo needed most at the moment, except for his overly arrogant attitude.
This guy might be a valuable asset.
I have to take him seriously.
"Very accurate."
Kenneth took the basketball thrown by the sideline players, and his interest in Jake grew stronger. While praising, he threw the ball to Jake again: "0 to 1."
1 to 0 and 0 to 1, the same score, but sometimes they do not represent the same concept.
Kenneth's eyes became focused.
The opponent's height of 6'4", extremely long wingspan, and resolute shooting meant that his shooting height made it difficult for Kenneth, who was only 5'10", to block him in a normal defensive position.
But on the court, there are many ways to interfere with a shooter, and blocking is just one of them.
Almost at the moment of handing over the ball, Kenneth moved close to Jake, shortening the distance between them to within reach.
Close defense means confrontation, and the intensity of that confrontation affects the shooting motion. What a shooter fears most is not just blocking, but entanglement.
Kenneth was confident in his ability to confront. His seemingly thin frame underwent intense physical training every day. Even Thomas, who was taller than Jake, found it hard to shoot easily against Kenneth's close defense. If one wasn't careful, they could easily be intercepted.
If he could trap Jake in this position, the opponent would have no room to shoot.
And if Jake was forced to shoot, Kenneth believed he could intercept the ball before Jake's shooting height reached its peak.
But as soon as the physical contact occurred, Kenneth felt the pressure and stability of a mountain.
This newcomer was not only tall but also too strong.
As soon as they made contact, Kenneth realized Jake was stronger than Thomas, which made it hard for Kenneth to execute his interference. Even with his body center of gravity pressed low, he was still being pushed back by Jake, making it difficult to maintain his balance.
Then Jake jumped.
Kenneth also leaped, but he felt himself getting farther from the opponent.
Jake's figure was at a 60-degree angle in the air, executing a standard fadeaway jump shot that was almost extraordinary, with a stunning amplitude.
A trace of surprise flashed across Kenneth's eyes, and Thomas, on the sidelines, pushed his glasses up, his eyes wide with astonishment.
This was Jake's signature fadeaway jump shot, a move Kenneth was very familiar with.
The taller the player, the harder it was to execute this move. Kenneth had nearly broken his back practicing it, yet Jake, despite being a rookie, jumped higher, had a larger fadeaway, and his body flexibility and stretchability were superior to Kenneth's, the most agile center in Kanagawa!
A player over 6'3" using such a move was unprecedented; not even Kenneth could block or interfere with him.
Kenneth couldn't even block his line of sight!
*Swish!*
It was still a perfect parabola, seemingly untouched, as effortless as shooting practice.
The basketball went into the net again.
When the basketball landed, the buzzing gym finally quieted down, shifting from wild noise to low murmurs.
"2-0..."
"So fast?"
"That guy is too tall. If he shoots accurately, it will be tough for Senior Kenneth to block him."
"It feels a bit unfair. Is that guy just shooting?"
"But I think his shots are very accurate..."
The chatter in the stands did not affect the two players battling on the court.
Kenneth's eyes were no longer merely focused but began to glimmer.
This freshman... seems to be more than just talk.
Kenneth began to feel a little threatened.
"Let's go again." Kenneth got ready.
Jake smiled and prepared for another shot while catching the ball.
Maybe it was because his first two shots were too quick and smooth, or perhaps the earlier shots had given everyone the impression that he was sure to shoot.
Kenneth jumped high.
He didn't have the height and wingspan of his opponent. If he wanted to block or interfere, he could only rely on explosive power to prepare in advance.
But the next second... what he saw was not the basketball, but the back of Jake's head.
Jake lowered his head, bent his waist, and stepped forward.
He was like a flash of lightning, easily rushing past Kenneth's right side, leaving only a blur of Kenneth in the air. Then, he became one with the ball, took a step, crossed the free throw line with two strides, and jumped high with a turn.
*Boom!*
The basketball was dunked with both hands, slamming into the basket.
A 180-degree turn and dunk!
The tremendous force shook the entire rim and made it buzz.
*Boom!*
That was the sound of Jake's feet hitting the ground as he landed from the dunk.
It seemed more shocking than the roar of the basket, as if he was stepping on the hearts of everyone present, making their hearts involuntarily "bang" and instantly silencing all other noise in the gym!
*(End of this chapter)*