Slam Dunk: Muguro

Chapter 374 Senior Kogure is a hundred times better than me!
Rukawa's defensive skills far exceeded Mike Okita's expectations.

He thought he could create space by stopping suddenly and give himself an easy scoring opportunity.

However, Rukawa's composure and perseverance caused his plan to fail.

In this situation, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and force a shot, trying to put the ball into the basket.

To put it more nicely, it's a pull-up jump shot!

It is well known that even with talent like McGrady, his pull-up jump shot was not very efficient.

When McGrady's physical condition declined, his shooting percentage became even more appalling.

This is undoubtedly a style of play that is quite damaging to the team, and it's no wonder that McGrady was eliminated in the first round every year.

Rukawa Kaede has an excellent ability to seize opportunities; the moment Mike Okita jumped to shoot, he also leaped up.

Both of them have amazing jumping ability, second only to Sakuragi.

The difference is that Rukawa's ability to stay in the air and his flexibility are even better.

"Oops!"

The instant he made his move, Mike Okita thought to himself, "Oh no!"

Because he underestimated Rukawa's jumping ability!

Rukawa Kaede's fingers lightly touched the bottom of the basketball, causing the basketball's flight trajectory to change.

bang~
The basketball hit the backboard but didn't even touch the rim.

Mike Okita's attack ended in failure, and Rukawa once again proved his strength.

"As expected of the super rookie Rukawa Kaede!"

"I've heard of him; he was the top junior high school student in the country!"

……

After Rukawa Kaede saved the ball, the Buri players fell silent.

Coach Kazumi Kawasaki sighed softly to the side.

He was well aware of Rukawa Kaede's prowess!
Unfortunately, Rukawa had already joined Shohoku High School before he even graduated from middle school.

It must be said here that when Rukawa Kaede rejected offers from other teams, the reason was no longer "it's close to home".

Because after hearing that Rukawa Kaede was going to join Shohoku High School, the coaches automatically filled in the blanks and didn't bother to find out the real reason.

Shohoku is the best in the country, what reason do they need?
"You are the strongest opponent I have encountered since returning from America, and you deserve my full effort!"

Mike Okita's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression.

Rukawa Kaede didn't say anything and walked towards the three-point line.

In terms of mental attributes, Rukawa Kaede is arguably the best in Slam Dunk.

Seeing that Rukawa Kaede ignored him, Mike Okita shrugged and said, "I think your strength is no less than that of the number one high school student in the country, so you are definitely worth my all-out effort!"

"You're wrong! Senior Kogure is a hundred times better than me. I still have a very long way to go, and I may never be able to catch up with him in my lifetime."

Rukawa Kaede shook his head, his cold eyes filled with seriousness.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

Mike Okita looked unconvinced, thinking that Rukawa was just flattering him, especially since Kogure was watching from the side.

Island nations place great importance on hierarchy and order, with elaborate rituals permeating almost every aspect of daily life, especially when communicating with elders, where these rules are particularly important.

When facing seniors, one must be mindful of the meticulous rules and requirements in speech, behavior, and etiquette.

As the team captain and senior, Kogure has plenty of ways to make things difficult for Rukawa.

As for real-life examples, you can ask Kawada; he's very experienced in this area.

You agree, right, Zebei, who's always being bullied by his seniors!
Therefore, Kogure suspects that Sawakita went to America after the National Tournament, which may very well be due to this factor.

Mike Okita leaned closer to Rukawa and whispered, "Tell me secretly, is he really as strong as you say?"

"Ok!"

Rukawa Kaede nodded solemnly, then rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment before continuing, "I played against you yesterday, and I didn't score a single point!"

How many balls?

"11!"

Mike Okita gasped, his expression one of shock.

However, he believes it could just be a coincidence.

If you don't need to change possession after scoring, and you're in good form, you can take down even an opponent of equal caliber in one go. A prime example is Kevin Garnett.

Thinking of this, Mike Okita breathed a sigh of relief.

He believes that in this country, which is known as a basketball wasteland, it is impossible to have such a strong player!
However, he still couldn't resist asking, "What about the rules?"

"The rules are the same as they are now: possession changes regardless of whether a point is scored!"

Rukawa Kaede spoke the truth.

"Fuck!"

Mike Okita's pupils contracted instantly, and he couldn't help but swear.

What a pervert!
Mike Okita believes that Rukawa is on par with him in terms of strength, and since Rukawa was shaved bald by Kogure, he probably won't fare much better.

At this moment, he was already thinking about packing his bags and returning to America.

"Maybe he's in really good shape!"

Mike Okita waved his hand, giving himself another excuse.

"No, I've had my head shaved three times already!"

As everyone knows, Rukawa Kaede is an honest guy!

The reason it was only three times in a row was mainly because Rukawa would occasionally make a lucky shot.

Mike Okita remained silent, unable to resist glancing at Kogure.

Fortunately, Kogure did not accept his challenge, otherwise he would probably have had his head shaved in front of everyone.

The thought of that scene sent chills down Mike Okita's spine.

"continue?"

Rukawa tilted his head and pointed at the basketball in Mike Okita's hand.

Mike Okita instinctively passed the ball to him, and Rukawa Kaede immediately started his run.

Perhaps it was too sudden, or perhaps he was distracted, but Mike Okita was overtaken by Rukawa Kaede in one step.

shuh~
By the time Mike Okita reacted, Rukawa had already rushed into the paint and scored a layup.

It wasn't that he didn't want to dunk, but that he didn't trust the quality of the basketball hoops at the outdoor basketball court.

Rukawa picked up the basketball from the ground and reminded Mike Okita, "If you don't concentrate, you're going to lose badly!"

Having finally found a formidable opponent, Rukawa Kaede naturally hoped that his opponent would go all out.

"I was just affected by your trash talk."

Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving; Mike Okita was unwilling to believe that Kogure was that strong.

This is why he attributed Rukawa's words to trash talk.

Rukawa Kaede shrugged slightly, too lazy to refute.

A gentle breeze blew, ruffling Rukawa's slightly long bangs, but his gaze remained cold and focused.

"Rukawa Kaede, I'm getting serious!"

Rukawa's displayed strength made Mike Okita dare not be careless at all.

The next moment, Mike Okita first made a shooting fake, and then broke through with the ball.

In the original work, this guy never had a record of mid-range or long-range shots; he always focused on attacking the basket.

However, Rukawa Kaede was not familiar with Mike Okita and did not know his background.

This allowed Mike Okita to seize the initiative and successfully complete the breakthrough.

However, he did not completely shake off Rukawa Kaede.

Rukawa Kaede reacted quickly and entangled himself with the enemy again.

"Why is this guy so persistent!"

Mike Okita felt increasingly uncomfortable as Rukawa Kaede kept pestering him.

Such a level of defensive intensity is rarely seen even in America.

However, the die was cast, and Mike Okita jumped up immediately after stepping into the paint zone.

Rukawa Kaede leaped high into the air and slapped the basketball with his right hand.

To avoid Rukawa's block, Mike Okita attempted a reverse layup. However, Rukawa blocked his view, forcing him to rely solely on his instincts to flick the ball slightly.

After landing, Mike Okita stared intently at the basketball that was still spinning on the rim.

shuh~
"Looks like my luck is pretty good!"

As the basketball pierced the rim, Mike Okita visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

3: 2!

It seems that Mike Okita hasn't fallen behind much, but after these few rounds, Rukawa Kaede has gained a better understanding of him.

At this moment, Rukawa Kaede showed a thoughtful expression.

Don't let Rukawa Kaede's poor speaking skills fool you; it doesn't mean he's inflexible.

In reality, Rukawa Kaede is very quick-witted.

In the original story, he was the first player to discover Naito's flaws.

Furthermore, Rukawa Kaede also demonstrated outstanding intelligence when facing Minami Ryo and Sawakita.

He's just not good at expressing himself!

When it was Rukawa's turn to attack, he first dribbled between his legs repeatedly, causing Mike Okita to shift his center of gravity.

In an instant, Rukawa Kaede made a move to break through.

Mike Okita was being led by the nose and subconsciously took a step back.

Rukawa Kaede seized the opportunity instantly, pulled up for a three-pointer.

shuh~
The basketball traced a beautiful parabola, piercing straight through the rim, causing the tattered net to ripple instantly.

5:2
As is customary, a three-pointer counts as two points!
Mike Okita frowned slightly, finding the situation extremely troublesome.

Because he can't shoot three-pointers at all.

American high school basketball primarily focuses on physical development, resulting in mostly rough and tough guys, and Mike Okita was no exception.

In the original work, Mike Okita is known for his outstanding athleticism and scoring ability under the basket, but his mid-range and long-range shooting ability is not clearly shown in the series.

Offense and defense reversed!

After receiving the basketball, Mike Okita began dribbling.

Suddenly, Mike Okita noticed that Rukawa Kaede was now much further away from him than before.

This is advantageous for shooting, but disadvantageous for driving to the basket.

Unfortunately, Mike Okita's shooting was not ideal.

Left with no other option, Mike Okita dribbled the ball and drove to the basket.

Rukawa Kaede immediately shifted his feet to the side, blocking the breakthrough route while taking the opportunity to entangle with him.

Rukawa Kaede immediately began to use his Death Binding technique.

Despite his lack of skill, Mike Okita still felt uncomfortable.

Under Rukawa's pressure, Mike Okita's dribbling rhythm changed.

"It's now!"

Rukawa Kaede narrowed his eyes, instantly closing in and slicing the basketball with his right hand.

By the time Mike Okita realized what was happening, it was too late.

slap~
Rukawa Kaede made the steal.

"How can it be!"

Mike looked incredulous, his heart filled with unease.

"If you have no other options, then this is the end of it!"

Rukawa left those words behind and then went to the three-point line.

During this process, Rukawa Kaede began to wonder how Mike Okita became a five-star high school student.

Among the five-star high school players he knew, whether it was Ronnie Fields, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, or Hamilton, they were all far superior to him.

In short, Rukawa Kaede labeled Mike Okita as a fraud.

If Mike Okita can become a five-star high school student, then doesn't he also have a chance?
Thinking about this, Rukawa Kaede felt an urge to go to America.

Of course, it was just an impulse.

"Come again!"

Mike Okita forcefully slapped the ball to Rukawa Kaede, then spread his arms wide, ready to fight.

He must defend against this shot no matter what.

Unfortunately, Rukawa Kaede used the Cross Step!

Under Kogure's guidance, Rukawa's biggest improvement was in his crossover step.

During training, Rukawa always sets aside some time to practice the crossover step.

Through constant practice, Rukawa Kaede's cross step has reached a very high level.

In Kogure's words, Rukawa's cross step has reached LV8.

Of course, this is mainly due to Kogure's guidance, which saved Rukawa from many detours.

In the blink of an eye, Mike Okita's center of gravity shifted.

Rukawa Kaede took the opportunity to break through, and Mike Okita tried to stop him, but his body wouldn't allow it. He slipped and fell to the ground.

Mike Okita gasped in pain, but his heart was filled with despair.

shuh~
You could tell from the sound of the net that Rukawa had scored again.

6:2
The score clearly shows that Mike Okita has fallen into a slump.

Most importantly, Rukawa Kaede had already seen through his true intentions.

The duel between the two continued, and although the fight seemed intense, it was clear to anyone with a discerning eye that Mike Okita was at a disadvantage.

Although Rukawa was unable to completely shut down Mike Okita's scoring, Mike Okita's shooting percentage was still significantly affected.

This can be seen from the score of the two sides.

shuh~
Shortly after, Rukawa Kaede scored another goal, officially ending the match.

11: 4!

Mike Okita only scored 4 points, which can be described as a crushing defeat.

"I actually lost to a first-year player!"

Mike Okita looked disheveled and somewhat dazed, clearly having suffered a blow.

Not far away, the Buri players watching felt a chill run down their spines.

Since Mike Okita joined the team, they have been full of hope for the new season.

Now look what's happened, Mike Okita has actually been defeated, and by a player who's a year younger than him.

For a time, Wu Li's morale was dampened.

Coach Kazumi Kawasaki sighed. Before Buri could even set sail, it was dealt a heavy blow.

If this isn't handled properly, it could very well affect the matches in the following days.

"Rukawa Kaede, well done!"

The Shohoku players rushed forward to congratulate him, and Ayako took the opportunity to tiptoe and ruffle Rukawa's hair into a mess.

"Damn it, that fox is showing off again!"

Seeing Rukawa being praised by everyone, Sakuragi felt envious and jealous, thinking, "I could do that too."

Actually, if it were Sakuragi, the outcome would be hard to say.

Compared to his defense, Sakuragi's scoring ability is much weaker, making him an easy target.

"Rukawa Kaede is no worse than Sawakita was last year!"

A thought stirred in Kogure's heart, a feeling of nurturing someone.

Compared to Zebei last year, the two can be said to each have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Comparatively speaking, Zebei performed better on both offense and defense, while Rukawa had a stronger grasp of the situation and superior mental attributes.

"Professor Anzai, we'll head back now!"

Coach Kazumi Kawasaki did not linger. After bidding farewell to Coach Anzai, he left with the Buri players.

To mitigate the negative impact, he plans to give these players plenty of motivational speeches when he gets back.

As a disciple of Coach Anzai, Coach Kazumi Kawasaki is equally adept at giving motivational speeches.

(End of this chapter)