With a "bang".
The basketball hit the rim but didn't go in.
Standing under the basketball hoop were Yuji Oonan and Tadashi Noma, who were responsible for catching the basketballs that Sakuragi Hanamichi threw.
Yohei Mito stood outside the boundary, next to a square iron frame containing a dozen or so basketballs.
When the basketball hit the rim, Mito Yohei simply tossed it to Sakuragi Hanamichi.
After receiving the rebound, Yuji Oonan and Tadashi Noma will throw the basketball to Yohei Mito.
Shooting 20,000 balls in a week is really difficult for the average person, because after you shoot the ball, you have to pick it up yourself, and then run back to the three-point line to shoot again. How much time does that take up?
With Yohei Mito and his gang helping him, Sakuragi Hanamichi's shooting efficiency greatly improved.
One basketball after another was thrown out from beyond the three-point line.
However, so far today, Sakuragi Hanamichi has taken more than 200 shots before finally managing to make one three-pointer.
Three-pointers are really hard to shoot!
"Sakuragi, you need to adjust your shooting form a little," Coach Anzai reminded Sakuragi Hanamichi, making the corresponding gesture. "Yes! That's it! Try it again!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi nodded and said, "Okay."
Shooting three-pointers requires a lot of arm strength, but that's nothing for Sakuragi Hanamichi, who has a built-in cheat code.
Sakuragi Hanamichi has also basically mastered the three-point shooting form.
Right now, it's just a matter of constantly shooting and finding my rhythm.
There are no shortcuts to three-pointers; the only way is through continuous shooting practice, finding the rhythm of the shot, and developing it into muscle memory.
Coach Anzai set a goal for Sakuragi Hanamichi to shoot 20,000 balls a week, which is equivalent to 2,857 balls a day. However, Sakuragi Hanamichi rounded it down to 2,900 balls a day!
Time flies, and the first day of training came to an end quickly.
That evening, after taking a shower, Sakuragi Hanamichi sat in front of the TV and watched the replay of his shooting very seriously.
As he watched the video, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt more and more that this method was really effective, because he found several areas for improvement.
As he watched, Sakuragi Hanamichi drifted off to sleep.
Shooting 2,900 balls in a day is no easy feat, and even Sakuragi Hanamichi, who is practically gifted, felt a bit tired.
The next day, Sakuragi Hanamichi continued his three-point shooting practice.
On a sweltering summer day, Sakuragi Hanamichi was sweating profusely inside the basketball court.
My three-point shooting percentage was noticeably higher today than yesterday.
However, as he made one three-pointer after another, Sakuragi Hanamichi actually started to feel tired!
At that moment, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt the pounding of his heart, took a deep breath, and said in disbelief, "What's going on? I'm the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi! I'm a man with eight kidneys! How can I feel tired?"
Cicadas chirped loudly in the trees outside the basketball court, seemingly reminding people to close their eyes and take a nap.
Sakuragi Hanamichi glanced at the blazing sun outside the window.
The sunlight was blinding.
He felt dizzy.
"Hanamichi! Catch!"
Yohei Mito shouted Sakuragi Hanamichi's name and passed a basketball towards him.
Sakuragi Hanamichi immediately looked at Mito Yohei and hurriedly reached out to catch the basketball.
Without any hesitation, Sakuragi Hanamichi shot the basketball again.
However, at the moment he released the basketball, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt a tingling sensation in his arm.
The hot weather, coupled with the high-intensity training, meant that even the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi's body seemed to be struggling to keep up.
Just then, a calm voice appeared in Sakuragi Hanamichi's ears.
"Sakuragi-kun, are you giving up?"
Coach Anzai noticed Sakuragi Hanamichi's unusual behavior and asked him about it.
"Huh? Dad?"
Sakuragi Hanamichi caught the basketball passed to him by Mito Yohei again, but instead of shooting, he looked at Coach Anzai.
In a daze, Sakuragi Hanamichi seemed to see the scene of Mitsui Hisashi rushing out of the court.
In the scene, Coach Anzai slowly walks towards Mitsui Hisashi.
However, Sakuragi Hanamichi felt that the person lying on the ground was himself.
Exhausted, he looked up at Coach Anzai. Coach Anzai didn't say anything, but Sakuragi Hanamichi felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
In an instant, his eyes became misty.
There's no way around it; the image of Coach Anzai walking towards Mitsui Hisashi is like a memory etched deep in my soul. Every time I think of it, it stirs up a storm in my heart!
"Damn it! It's just shooting 2900 balls a day? That's nothing to a genius like me. Why would I feel tired?"
So what if it's hot? So what if my mind is foggy? So what if I'm tired?
"I'm Sakuragi Hanamichi, the genius! The words 'can't hold on' don't exist in my dictionary!"
"Is it because the training hasn't yielded very obvious results yet that I'm feeling anxious?"
"Calm down! As long as I keep shooting, I'll definitely find my shooting rhythm!"
"I am the genius Sakuragi Hanamichi! As long as I persevere! As long as I work hard! I will definitely succeed!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi was having a mental battle with himself!
"Hanamichi, are you alright?" Haruko Akagi asked with concern, her face full of worry.
Sakuragi Hanamichi glanced at Akagi Haruko, then at Mito Yohei and his group of good buddies, and suddenly gritted his teeth, his face contorted in a ferocious expression!
Sudden!
"ah!!!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi let out a hysterical roar!
Immediately afterwards, he slammed the basketball in his hand to the ground, caught it again, and quickly jumped up to shoot a three-pointer.
The ball still didn't go in.
However, that shout instantly brought Sakuragi Hanamichi back to his usual form.
He looked at Mito Yohei and said firmly, "Yohei, come here!"
Yohei Mito's expression changed, and he immediately passed the ball to Hanamichi Sakuragi, just like before.
Soon, Sakuragi Hanamichi launched one three-pointer after another.
This scene deeply moved Coach Anzai.
He hadn't expected Sakuragi Hanamichi to be so self-motivated, so demanding of himself, and so full of fighting spirit!
Coach Anzai has seen too many talented players, but Sakuragi Hanamichi is definitely the most special one!
It seems that he doesn't need anyone to urge him on; he will constantly put pressure on himself, keep moving forward, keep looking for a path that suits him, and keep working hard!
Why shouldn't someone like that succeed?
How could he not succeed?
Coach Anzai, watching Sakuragi Hanamichi find his shooting rhythm, murmured, "Sakuragi-kun! Keep it up! I have high hopes for you!"
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