NBA Skills: Dominating Kuroko no Basket

"Easy win!"

With the final whistleblowing, the team exited the court in high spirits, exchanging fist bumps to celebrate their victory.

Aomine grinned ear to ear as he jogged over to Shiro, animatedly bragging, "Did you see that dunk? Man, I was on fire ! How sick was that?" As he spoke, he mimicked the dunking motion, as if trying to relive the moment all over again.

Shiro, amused by Aomine's childlike enthusiasm, couldn't help but smile. A little exasperated, he gave a nod. "Yeah, yeah. It was sick, alright."

Momoi then strolled over, her eyes shining with admiration. In a voice as sweet as honey, she said, "Shiro, you were amazing too!"

Shiro's expression softened at Momoi's compliment, a gentle smile spreading across his face. His response was noticeably warmer compared to the casual acknowledgment he gave Aomine earlier. "Yeah, I know"

Coach Shirogane, always gentle and encouraging, clapped his hands together. "You all did great! I'm genuinely impressed by how quickly you first-years adapted to the training"

He cast a glance toward Coach Aoba from the opposing team, catching the subtle envy in his gaze.

Just then, a loud growl echoed from Murasakibara's stomach. The tall center patted his belly with a frown. "I'm starving... When are we going to eat?"

Akashi, ever composed, gave his teammate a reassuring pat on the back. "Hang in there, Atsushi. We'll eat soon"

Midorima, as usual, stayed calm and detached, maintaining his stoic demeanor while observing his teammates.

"All right, listen up!" Coach Shirogane called out, his voice shifting to a more serious tone. "Tomorrow's game will be against Shoei Junior High. Pay special attention to their point guard, Teppei Kiyoshi—he's a formidable opponent. I expect everyone to be on their toes"

Though Shirogane's tone was serious, he didn't seem overly worried. After all, based on their current performance, Shiro and the team had more than enough potential to make it to the finals.

"Got it!" the team responded in unison.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow across the sky, Shiro strolled up to Momoi with an ice pop in hand.

"Here, this is for you!" He smiled as he offered it, his gaze full of warmth.

Momoi's face lit up with joy. She eagerly unwrapped the ice pop, the cold surface making her shiver slightly, though her heart brimmed with happiness.

The rest of the team stood by the convenience store, each member receiving their own ice pop from Shiro. Grinning from ear to ear, they savored the simple pleasure, the sweet coolness enough to wipe away the day's exhaustion.

As they walked home together, laughter filled the air, and the street buzzed with their chatter. It was moments like these—ordinary yet precious—that bonded them as a team.

"Alright, see you all tomorrow. Let's give it our best!" Shiro waved goodbye.

"We'll give it everything we've got!" the team responded energetically, parting ways for the night.

The next morning dawned bright and breezy. The team gathered early at the school gate, anticipation written across their faces.

As usual, Aomine was chatting Shiro's ear off, unable to stop himself from talking.

Midorima stood quietly, deep in thought, his gaze fixed on some distant point. Meanwhile, Akashi scanned the crowd with calm, thoughtful eyes, giving off an air of quiet authority.

Murasakibara, chewing on a snack stick as always, looked entirely at ease, as though this ritual was a cherished part of his routine.

Momoi stayed close to Shiro, attentively listening to Aomine's endless chatter.

Soon, the bus arrived, and the team eagerly boarded. In no time, they reached the arena.

Inside, they made their way to Teiko's locker room, changed into their jerseys, and headed to the court with determined strides. Once there, they spread out, each player warming up at their own pace.

Aomine darted around like a panther, attacking the hoop with fierce intensity. He leaped through the air, graceful as an eagle, slamming the ball through the net with jaw-dropping force. His raw power and skill ignited the crowd's enthusiasm.

In contrast, Midorima maintained his usual calm focus. Standing at the three-point line, he locked his gaze on the hoop. With a smooth jump shot, the ball arced perfectly through the air, landing cleanly in the basket.

Shot after shot, he sank them with unerring precision, earning admiring glances from everyone on the court. Between sets, he glanced at the lucky item on the bench—a pen—drawing silent confidence from it.

Shiro, too, was in top form, working relentlessly on his drills. Quick dribbles, sharp crossovers, and smooth pull-up jumpers—he executed each move with precision.

Akashi glided effortlessly through the players, delivering pinpoint passes to maintain his feel for the game.

Murasakibara, meanwhile, slouched around lazily, seemingly disinterested in the hustle around him.

Suddenly, a tall player, bearing a friendly demeanor, stepped onto the court and approached Nijimura. "Teppei Kiyoshi" he introduced himself, extending a hand.

Nijimura returned the gesture with a grin. "Shuzo Nijimura. I've heard a lot about you. Too bad we didn't get a chance to play last year. I'm excited to watch my teammates go up against you this time."

With a friendly smile, Nijimura returned to his team. Kiyoshi watched him walk away, his expression growing more serious.

'This year's freshmen are no joke' Kiyoshi thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. 'If someone like Nijimura has already been replaced, this team must be something else'

The shrill blast of the referee's whistle signaled the start of the game. The crowd held its breath, their eyes locked on the center court.

Murasakibara stood opposite Shoei's center, their eyes brimming with intensity.

The referee tossed the ball into the air. In a flash, Murasakibara sprang upward, his massive frame defying gravity.

Despite Shoei's center's best effort to contest the jump, Murasakibara's sheer athleticism overwhelmed him. Swatting the ball toward Akashi, Murasakibara made a statement: this game was theirs to dominate.

Akashi caught the ball with ease, his eyes glimmering with confidence as he drove down the court.

Kiyoshi, however, was ready. Like a hawk, he closed in on Akashi, using his reach to disrupt the point guard's vision.

Unfazed, Akashi signaled for Shiro to set a screen. As Shiro executed a perfect pick-and-roll, Akashi slipped past, handing off the ball to Shiro in one fluid motion.

With Kiyoshi now in front of him, Shiro showed no hesitation. A sharp step to the left, followed by a sudden burst of speed, and he was past Kiyoshi before the defender could react.

Shoei's shooting guard dashed toward the paint for a last-second block, but before he could reach Shiro, a shadow flashed in front of him — Midorima had appeared out of nowhere.

Without hesitation, Shiro dished the ball to Midorima, who caught it mid-air and launched a perfect three-pointer.

Swish!

The crowd erupted in cheers, their excitement palpable.

"That pass was unreal!" Shoei's shooting guard muttered in disbelief.

Teiko had struck first, the scoreboard now reading 3-0. The game had only just begun, but Teiko's dominance was already clear.