Thomas Harris (formerly Hanagata Toru) finally couldn't sit still anymore. He suddenly stood up from the bench beside the court, looking in astonishment at the freshman who had just landed.
Unlike the ordinary spectators in the stadium who were merely surprised that the newcomer scored against Kenneth Miller (formerly Fujima Kenji), he saw much more.
It wasn't just a fake move.
Kenneth himself was the best player in Kanagawa at executing fake moves—no one else could compare!
It was impossible to shake him with fake moves alone.
This could only mean that at the moment of their matchup, the freshman, regardless of his movements, eyes, or momentum, had deceived and even overwhelmed Kenneth!
Even more surprising was his speed.
Fast, incredibly fast!
At that moment, Thomas Harris even thought of Amu from Kainan... No, it felt like even Amu wasn't as fast as this freshman!
Before Kenneth landed from his jump, the freshman had already rushed past the free-throw line.
What kind of speed is this? What kind of explosive power is this? It felt like even if Kenneth wasn't caught off guard, the freshman could burst past him with sheer speed!
This is a big guy at 6'4", and he can actually compete with Kenneth in speed... It feels like they're not on the same level at all.
As for the final slam dunk, while impactful to ordinary audiences, it seemed insignificant compared to his fake moves and speed.
Kenneth might really not win...
Who is this newcomer from overseas?!
The stadium was silent at this moment.
Jake (formerly Lin Dong) picked up the basketball from the ground with one hand, walked over to Kenneth, who was still a bit surprised, and said with a smile, "Continue? Senior Kenneth."
---
Kenneth's dictionary obviously does not include the word "give up."
Of course, he had to continue, but the result seemed destined to remain unchanged.
After handing the ball to his opponent at the start, Kenneth never touched it again.
There were all kinds of fancy dunks, raw breakthroughs, and fake moves—from the basket to mid-range to three-pointers, his kaleidoscope-like offense showed no repetition.
Kenneth's expression shifted from strong interest at the start, to undivided concentration, then to a tense brow, and eventually even his movements became gradually stiff.
*Bang!*
Kenneth lost his balance due to a fake move and fell to the ground, watching as the first-year big man easily picked up the ball and laid it up.
10 to 0.
The huge, glaring score on the scoreboard kept the stadium in absolute silence from start to finish. In fact, there was no chatter after 3 to 0.
Jake did not pick up the ball again but turned to look at Kenneth, who had fallen to the ground.
Frankly, his opponent's level had surprised him a little. The speed was decent, making him take things a bit seriously.
Although his reborn body's muscle memory, physical fitness, and coordination aren't comparable to his previous life, the recovery training over the winter break, coupled with his top basketball awareness, made him feel he had recovered 50% to 60% of his peak level.
You know, in his previous life, he was a talented student personally recruited by NCAA Coach K and hailed as the future Jordan of his homeland. Even if he had only recovered 50% to 60% of his former strength, it felt excessive to use it against a Japanese high school student.
Moreover, there's a 6-inch height difference between him and his opponent, yet he still had to be somewhat serious in a one-on-one duel.
This shows that his recovery training is still too slow and that his physical confrontation is still lacking. Whether compared to himself at the same age or the NCAA masters he met in his previous life, he's still far behind.
This is also why he requested individual training, even though it might discourage someone who loves basketball.
However, if his opponent can't even handle this setback, it simply means he isn't suited for basketball.
Jake didn't care about this.
Even though he traveled to the world reminiscent of Slam Dunk, this place held no special meaning for him beyond some youthful memories.
His goal has never been the Japanese high school league. This world has his homeland, the Asian Championships, and the NBA. Those are the stages he longed to pursue in his past life and now.
Whether it's the characters in Slam Dunk or the Japanese high school league, they are just small stages for him, limited by his current identity.
If someone chooses to walk with him, they can be friends.
But if they choose to stand in his way, he will destroy them without mercy.
That's all.
*Ding Dong...*
With a crisp sound, a small system panel appeared in Jake's mind.
Competition Level: D (informal competition watched by over 100 people)
Points Reward (win): 1 point.
"It really triggered..."
He whispered to himself, and finally, a hint of joy appeared on his face. Just now, when it was 10 to 0, he didn't even blink.
This is something that had appeared in his mind since he crossed over, just like the system panels in those science fiction novels.
The rules are simple: participate in all basketball games recognized by the system.
The level of the game is determined by the influence and scale of the game, and corresponding points can be obtained by winning.
D is the lowest level of competition.
However, in the more than one month since he crossed over, he played one-on-one with others on the outdoor court near his residence, but there was never a system judgment.
It appears now, probably because there are more than 100 or 200 students gathered to watch the game, and the opponent has a good reputation, so it's recognized by the system as a game with a certain influence.
Points can be exchanged for various basketball-related items in the system mall.
There are only three items in the system mall, and the cheapest is 'McDavid's Original Kneepad,' which requires 100 points.
According to the description, wearing it provides normal knee protection and can also prevent injuries like leg fractures and dislocations.
Injuries are a player's worst nightmare. Most items currently available in the system mall are meant to protect players, which makes Jake envious.
That's why he chose to join the Shoyo Basketball Club on his first day of school.
Although the level of Japan's high school basketball league is average, as a formal competition, it should yield a lot of points.
This is also to gain fame quickly. At this time, the semi-professional youth competitions in his homeland have matured, and major universities place great importance on them. As long as he can attract the attention of the basketball community there, he can leave Japan to continue pursuing his true dream...
The meager 1 point can't buy McDavid's Original Kneepad or anything else. Jake chose to ignore the panel.
He walked over and extended his hand to Kenneth on the ground. Kenneth was slightly startled but was subconsciously pulled up by him.
"Senior Kenneth, I'm applying for individual training and the right to use the gym in the morning and evening," Jake said with a smile, not mentioning the game just now. "To maintain a better competitive state, after all, the summer league is about to start, and we are all members of Shoyo now."
Everyone in the gym was watching them. It only took Jake a few minutes to shift the atmosphere from noisy to silent.
Kenneth let out a long breath, as if he had finally come back to his senses from the game just now.
"Shoyo is actually a place that pays great attention to seniority... But I became the captain of the team in my second year, which was the first exception for the Shoyo basketball team." Kenneth laughed and said frankly, "Since I can make an exception the first time, why can't you make an exception the second time? I only have one request."
"What's that?"
"Let's train together." Kenneth's eyes did not show any frustration after being defeated but flashed with excitement: "I want to know why you're so strong; it must be worth learning from you!"
"And me!" Thomas Harris stood up. Not to mention the various kaleidoscope attacks that the first-year student used to defeat Kenneth, just that one backward jump shot was enough for him to practice for another three to five years!
"And me!"
"And me!" Hasegawa and others also began to join in.
Admiring strength is an innate habit, and it's something ingrained in the members of the Shoyo basketball team who are eager to win. Otherwise, Kenneth would not have become the captain in his second year, commanding seniors who were third years.
But with so many people... Is this still considered individual training?
Jake touched his chin with a slight smile, but before he could respond, the gym, which had been quiet for a long time, erupted into thunderous applause and carnival-like cheers.
"Come on, super rookie!"
"That freshman is impressive!"
"Even though he defeated the senior, he was very polite, and he's also quite handsome!"
"I think we can definitely beat Kainan this year!"
"Pah! I think we can dominate the country! Long live Shoyo Basketball Club!"