It was 2000, a hot afternoon weekend, in small but comfy house located at a small town, where a boy was lying down on the floor after a nice home-cooked lunch. The thing that was going to happen next had changed the little boy's life, forever.
Okay, this might sound a little bit childish and unbelievable, but the next thing the little boy did was switching on the TV. The show that was on the TV screen was the 1st episode of "Slam Dunk", a famous Japanese anime that had popularized basketball in Japan. Of course, that little boy did not know anything about it. Sakuragi Hanamichi is the main character of the anime and he is famous for his innocent feeling towards basketball. That moment, the little boy thought to himself, hmm, basketball is fun, why not I start playing it.
It turned out most of his friends watched the anime and were interested in picking up a new game for their PE class. So every Wednesday, the day that the PE class was schedule, the boys and also girls will gather in the basketball court and start to play ball. Of course, none of them know how to dribble or shoot the ball. And their PE teacher did not teach them the right way to play the game. But they enjoyed the process of playing a new game.
Weeks gone by and they started to get a little bit better. The little boy was excited every night before PE class. Imagining himself grabbing rebounds and dunking the ball like Sakuragi. Let's be straight, who didn't ever dream of dunking the ball? Before he sleeps, he prayed that it will not rain during PE class.
Dream and real life are opposites. The little began to be left out by his friends. He was chubby and he couldn't run as fast as his friends. So they chose not to pass the ball to him. That little boy tried to play hard to gain acknowledgement from his friends but he failed. Yet, he didn't give up. He didn't miss any of the Slam Dunk episodes too.
Rejections on the court has no effect on his love for the game. As time grew, the passion grows. He worked hard everyday trying to show his friends that he is worth passing the ball to. Seeing that little boy has so much passion into basketball, his dad came home from work one day with a new basketball on his bike. The little boy had received his first basketball in his life from his dad. With a ball with him, he would cycle to the nearby court and start playing there. Sometimes with his baby brother, and sometimes with some friends from his neighborhood. Bare feet on the concrete court. His feet were burning, and so did his passion for the love of the game. Imitating Sakuragi's moves, he dream of being able to play like Sakuragi one day.
Then there was one day when he caught the ball at the free throw line. The boys and girls were in their PE class again. Without hesitation he shot the ball. It went in. That was his 1st basket in his life. His excitement of making the shot was not shared with his friends as his friends could score better than that. But that was enough for him. He smiled.
Years gone by in his primary school, and he was still chubby until he started his high school's life. His friends didn't pass the ball to him even if it was their last time playing together. But that little boy didn't let that caged his dreams. He continue to pursue it and the rest is a whole new way of life. No, he didn't make it to the NBA. He ain't even a player for his high school.
But basketball taught him a lot. He learned how not to give up easily. He learned how to make decisions. He learned how to value every teammate on the court. It is because of what he have faced before, he treated very teammate he played with the same. That is why he valued friendship so much. Basketball taught him how to live his life.
That was 14 years ago. When I first started to play basketball. I'm writing this from the land I dreamed of going there. The country of Basketball. I will not forget how pure was the feeling was when I first touch the basketball. It was Slam Dunk that planted the seed of passion in me. 14 years and I'm still improving my game. It was basketball that brought me here. Teaching me not to give up your dreams easily. I make it here with a scholarship, but not a sport scholarship. If it weren't for basketball, I would have give up when I was told I ain't making to nowhere by my teacher. If weren't for Slam Dunk, hell knows what the Fuck I will be playing now?
Baller4Life.
My heart is still beating fast every time I re-read the whole manga series.
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