Takehiko Inoue

Hanamichi Sakuragi's got no game with girls -- none at all! It doesn't help that he's known for throwing down at a moment's notice and always coming out on top. A hopeless bruiser, he's been rejected by 50 girls in a row! All that changes when he meets the girl of his dreams, Haruko, and she's actually not afraid of him! When she introduces him to the game of basketball, his life is changed forever...

"With just a minute remaining on the game clock, Shohoku still trails Ryonan by four points. Hoping to put this match away for good, Ryonan hands the ball to their ace Sendoh, but they make the fatal error of overlooking the incredibly erratic (and at times phenomenally talented) Hanamichi. With a shot block that sets up a clinching basket for superstar Kaede Rukawa, Shohoku still has a chance for the win, but have they already chewed up too much...

"The final four teams that will play in the round-robin tournament have been decided, and Shohoku's one of them. However, Shohoku's next opponent is Kainan, and they're known as the 'Kings' for good reason-they've made it to Nationals 16 years in a row. Ever since he joined Shohoku, Akagi has dreamed of playing Kainan. His wish is about to come true, but is it one he'll soon be regretting?"--Amazon.com.

"A motorcycle accident, bone cancer, a speeding truck crashing into a boy on a stolen bicycoe--tragic, life-changing events turn the worlds of three young men upside-down. These three very different personalities have only one thing in common--their passion for basketball."

"The fists continue to fly as Hanamichi and Ryota refuse to back down from their full-court rumble with a group of angry thugs. Luckily the fight comes to an abrupt halt when Kogure--one of the more sensible members of the Shohoku squad-begins reminiscing about one the combatants. He may be a punk now, but a little while ago, Hisashi Mitsui was a star player with almost limitless potential. Though a nasty injury cut his ambitions short, is Mitsui...

"As luck would have it, the basketball team narrowly avoids suspension over the all-out-brawl incident when Yohei and Mitsui's friends take responsibility. Now, with Mitsui back in the lineup for the first time in two years, Shohoku quickly resumes practice in preparation for their upcoming tournament. As punishment of the lack of discipline they displayed in the fight, though, Coach Anzai decides on a starting lineup for Shohuku's game without Hanamichi,...

"Meet Kiyohiko Togawa, a hard-edged, no nonsense wheelchair basketball athlete with a Spartan work ethic and a keen sense of competition. Long before he ever picked up a ball, Kiyohiko was just a skinny little kid in middle school barely beginning to discover his potential to become a track star until a vicious bout with cancer cut off his track career far too soon."