Takehiko Inoue

Hanamichi Sakuragi never has any luck asking out the girls at school until Haruko becomes interested in him, but he must join the basketball team in order to impress her.

"He may be a pain in the butt, but Hanamichi's athletic prowess and monstrous strength have not gone unnoticed by the captain of Shohoku's judo team. Hoping to take his troupe to a national title, the judo captain is willing to go to great lengths to lure Hanamichi away from the court and get him on the sparring mat. Will out-and-out bribery convince Hanamichi that judo's the way to go, or will he stay a basketball man to the very end?"--Page 4 of...

Though they initially got off to a rocky start, Hanamichi and Ryota Miyagi quickly form a bound based on their mutual experiences with heartbreak (and being all-around losers when it comes to the ladies). Their unlikely camaraderie also helps in firing up the rest of the Shohoku team and gives everyone a substantial moral boost. This all comes to an abrupt halt, though, when a group of thugs with a score to settle with Ryota crash a practice session....

"With just a minute remaining on the game clock, Shohoku still trails Ryonan by four points. Hoping to put this match away for good, Ryonan hands the ball to their ace Sendoh, but they make the fatal error of overlooking the incredibly erratic (and at times phenomenally talented) Hanamichi. With a shot block that sets up a clinching basket for superstar Kaede Rukawa, Shohoku still has a chance for the win, but have they already chewed up too much...