Seiyo Middle School — In Front of the Basketball Gym.
Ake looked on in surprise at the figure walking out of the gym.
What he saw was a boy more handsome than most middle schoolers, wearing a friendly smile. But what stood out the most was his iconic, spiky hairstyle.
The image instantly overlapped with a memory in Ake's mind.
Sendoh Akira.
He hadn't expected to meet Sendoh here.
In the original Slam Dunk anime, it was never revealed which middle school Sendoh attended. However, fans had often speculated that he studied somewhere in Tokyo.
And now, it seemed they were right.
Ake hadn't imagined that Sendoh Akira would be attending a prestigious school like this one. Judging by that, his family background must be quite good — no wonder he was always skipping class and fishing by the sea.
Sendoh was the first to wave and greet him.
"Hey there, I'm Sendoh Akira from the basketball club. Welcome."
Ake smiled and replied politely, "Nice to meet you. I'm Ake Ryu. Please take care of me."
After a brief exchange, Ake filled out his registration form.
When Kirihara Hayato, the student in charge, glanced at the form, his eyes widened in shock.
What did he just see?
Three-time consecutive champion of the Elementary School Boys' Basketball League.
It might've been just an elementary-level competition, but it was still a solid testament to Ake's skill.
"That's seriously impressive," Kirihara said, visibly amazed.
Ake only smiled modestly. "It was just luck."
Sendoh, who had also seen the form, chuckled and shook his head. "That kind of record doesn't come from luck. Even at the elementary level, winning three years in a row takes real talent."
Kirihara muttered under his breath, "Looks like we've found ourselves a hidden gem."
And just like that, Ake officially became a member of Seiyo Middle School's Basketball Club.
After a quick introduction, he learned that the club currently had ten members, including himself.
The captain was a third-year student — the same Kirihara Hayato who had welcomed him.
The coach was a refined-looking man in his thirties or forties, with gold-rimmed glasses and a calm, intellectual aura — more scholar than sports coach.
Inside the gym, the players lined up neatly.
Kirihara stood in front of them and spoke in a firm, steady tone.
"Before we start today's training, let's welcome our new member."
He turned toward Ake and gestured for him to step forward. "Ake, introduce yourself."
Ake nodded and stepped out of line. "Hello everyone, I'm Ake Ryu. I'm 177 centimeters tall, weigh 65 kilograms, and my main position is point guard."
Kirihara nodded approvingly, then turned to the rest of the team. "Alright, everyone, your turn. Introduce yourselves."
The players began to speak one by one.
"My name's Kobayashi Koichi — center."
"Yamamoto Ryu, shooting guard."
"Ito Hiroki, point guard — same position as you."
Then Sendoh spoke with a friendly grin. "We've already met. I'm Sendoh Akira, small forward."
Those were the regular players. The substitutes followed, introducing themselves one after another.
Finally, Kirihara reintroduced himself, smiling slightly. "I've already said this, but just to repeat — I'm Kirihara Hayato, third-year, captain, and power forward."
Then he added with a grin, "By the way, don't underestimate Ake. He's a three-time elementary league champion."
At those words, everyone except Sendoh turned to Ake with visible surprise.
Their expressions were filled with a mix of awe and curiosity.
'Three consecutive championships?!'
A/N: Elementary and Middle School Championships only regional, not national, this also explains why throughout the whole manga, none of the players from outside of Kanagawa seem to know about player like Mitsui's MVP status at all. His fame also was at the prefecture level.
That was no small feat. If they had such an achievement, they'd probably boast about it for years.
It was clear this newcomer wasn't ordinary.
Naturally, everyone's thoughts drifted toward Sendoh — the other player whose application form mentioned a championship of his own.
Their eyes shifted to him instinctively.
Two players with championship titles in one team?
It was hard not to compare.
Before anyone could say more, the gym doors opened again.
A man stepped inside.
Kirihara immediately straightened. "Coach!"
The man nodded and looked over the players before his gaze landed on Ake. "A new face, I see."
"Yes, Coach," Kirihara said respectfully. "This is Ake Ryu. Here's his registration form."
The coach took it, quickly scanning through the details. His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"Hmm… three-time champion, huh?" he said, clearly impressed.
He looked up and addressed Ake directly. "I'm Nakamura Mitsuba, the coach of this basketball team. Your form says you're skilled at playing open positions. How about a little practice match to see what you can do?"
Ake nodded without hesitation. "Sure."
With that, Coach Nakamura divided the ten players evenly into two teams.
The regulars formed the White Team, while the substitutes became the Red Team.
White Team lineup:
PF No. 4 — Kirihara Hayato (3rd year, Captain)
SF No. 6 — Sendoh Akira (2nd year)
C No. 5 — Kobayashi Koichi (3rd year)
SG No. 7 — Yamamoto Ryu (2nd year)
PG No. 10 — Ito Hiroki (2nd year)
Red Team lineup:
PG — Ake Ryu (1st year)
Remaining substitute players
Moments later, both teams changed into their practice jerseys and took their places on the court.
Coach Nakamura blew his whistle sharply.
Beep!
The practice match had begun.
The ball was tossed high between the two centers.
As expected, the White Team's center, Kobayashi Koichi, used his slight height advantage to tap the ball toward his teammate.
It landed cleanly in Sendoh's hands.
Without any fancy moves, Sendoh glanced at the defenders' positions, then accelerated forward in one smooth motion.
The Red Team's small forward tried to block him, but the difference in skill was obvious — he couldn't even hold Sendoh for a single second.
Sendoh drove straight through the defense, gliding effortlessly toward the hoop.
With one fluid motion, he jumped and released the ball.
Swish!
The net rippled.
White Team 2 — Red Team 0.
The regulars had scored the first basket.
"Wow, that was so fast!"
"He's even stronger than last year!"
"How are we supposed to stop that?!"
The substitute players murmured in amazement, some already sounding defeated.
But Ake's expression remained calm.
To him, Sendoh's performance wasn't surprising at all.
It was just the beginning.
The teams switched sides — Red Team's turn to attack.