Hanamichi Sakuragi: In Real Life

I am not that young, though I am not that old to have watched the Manga Series Slum Dunk. A lot of people is being fascinated with the game of basketball. Almost everyone knows how to play the game. Maybe, just maybe, NBA really popularized the sports.

Apparently, one story caught my attention, and surely, it is really worth to tell ;-)

Slam Dunk (スラムダンク Suramu Danku?) is a sports-themed manga series written by Takehiko Inoue about a basketball team from Shōhoku High School. It was first serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1990 to 1996 and had also been adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which had been broadcast worldwide, enjoying much popularity particularly in Japan, several other Asian countries and Europe. Inoue later used basketball as a central theme in two subsequent manga titles: Buzzer Beater and Real. In 2010, Inoue received special commendations from the Japan Basketball Association for helping popularize basketball in Japan.

Slam Dunk centers around Hanamichi Sakuragi, who starts as a delinquent outcast, becoming the leader of a gang. Wearing Shohoku Jersey number 10, Hanamichi, being very unpopular with girls, has been rejected by them fifty times. Yet, he finds out that Haruko Akagi is the girl of his dreams, and is happy when she's not scared of him like all the other girls he has asked out.

Haruko Akagi, who recognizes Hanamichi's athleticism, introduces him to the Shohoku basketball team. Hanamichi was reluctant to join the team at first because he had no previous background in any sports and thought that basketball was a game for losers (also because the fiftieth girl rejected him for a basketball player). Sakuragi, despite his immaturity and hot temper, proves to be a natural athlete with potential and joins the team in order to impress Haruko and prove that he is worthy of her. Later on, Sakuragi realizes that his love for the sport equals that of his crush on Haruko. Kaede Rukawa, wearing Shohoku Jersey number 11 — Sakuragi's bitter rival (both on the basketball court and love, even when Rukawa doesn't acknowledge Haruko's crush on him), the star rookie and a "girl magnet" - joins the team at the same time. Hisashi Mitsui, an ex-junior high school MVP, and Ryota Miyagi, a short but fast player, both also rejoin the team and together these four struggle to complete team captain Takenori Akagi's dream of making Shohoku the national champion. Together, these misfits gain publicity and the once little known Shohoku basketball team becomes an all-star contender in Japan.

But the real deal is, Hanamichi Sakuragi is real.

Hanamichi Sakuragi was born in 1968 in a family of the common working class. His mother passed away when he was very young, without the love of his mother he use the violence (out-on-the-street fights) to resolve his problems. As a young boy he was very tall, at the age of 12, he is as tall as an average of 1.75 mts, and his body began to acquire force and a lot of resistance through his fights. Once he had a fight with the students in the sports zone of the University of Tokyo; his abilities to fight, velocity and tough physicality have attracted the coach of the basketball team, and offered him to join the league.

In a party of practice, at the age of 17, against the National Team of Japan, Hanamichi of 1.89 mts, was the unique one that was not frightened by the professionals and noted 33 points alone: 10 shots, 3 nailed, 1 triple, 1 shot that did not find the terminology to explain, and 2 free shots. Although its team lost with only 59 points (59 - 115), had been an excellent first game for Hanamichi.

Basketball was in chaos, and he was named "The Hope of the Japanese Basketball". Nevertheless, its father fell sick a year later. Hanamichi went of, return to Tokyo, and this trip would cost him all. He descended of the bus in Tokyo and he was on the verge of crossing the street across the hospital when a car that went very fast hit him. Although he had the "body of steel", the impact simply was too strong. He collapsed, they carried him to the hospital. Unfortunately it was too late... before they sent him to the operating room (he) died from internal hemorrhage, only with 18 years of age. The World of the Japanese Basketball was completely destroyed, they called this loss "Colossal". The mangaca Takehiko Inoue created its series" Slam Dunk" based on the history of his youth.

So each time you watch the manga series, remember that the story is really based on the real Hanamichi Sakuragi.

Though he died in an unexpected and unfortunate way, surely his legacy will live throughout the Japanese Basketball history.

Cheerio!