Long before I got into skateboarding or snowboarding, the origin of my athletic history was basketball. I started in my middle-school club. Basketball is one of the popular sports now, but back then I think it was quite a modest sport.
When I joined, it was still a modest sport
Basketball games were almost never on TV, and few people around me had played. I joined in such an era and did dribbling, layups and endless running. Plain, repetitive practice, but I kept going purely for the good feeling of the shot rippling the net.
SLAM DUNK changed everything
Before long, “SLAM DUNK” began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump and became a huge hit. Basketball's place in the world changed all at once. Basketball, which was supposed to be minor, became surprisingly mainstream. More and more people started because of the manga, and having started a little earlier, I remember feeling just slightly proud.
I drank the milk. But...
Basketball means height. To get even a slight advantage, I never skipped the milk at school lunch and slept well at night. Even so, I didn't grow taller. If I can't compete on rebounds, I can shoot from outside. After accepting that, I think basketball became more fun.
- When I started, basketball was still on the minor side
- SLAM DUNK's hit made it mainstream all at once
- The effort of drinking milk didn't pay off
背は伸びなかったけどね・・
Summary
The basketball I started in middle school was the origin of the “joy of moving my body” that led to snowboarding and skateboarding later. SLAM DUNK is still fun to reread today. And my height is still the same as back then.
KAZUKIN Rating
- 🏀 Basketball experience — ★★★★☆
- 📚 Attachment to SLAM DUNK — ★★★★★
- 🥛 Effort of drinking milk — ★★★★★
- 📏 Height growth — ★☆☆☆☆ (milk, you're not working)
- 😄 Feeling of being ahead of the times — ★★★☆☆
This article is a personal memory and opinion. “SLAM DUNK” is a work by Takehiko Inoue and Shueisha, and this article has no connection with the official work. Copyrights and trademarks belong to their respective owners.