About Sakuragi Hanamichi, a freshman of Shohoku High School who joins the basketball team because of the girl he has a crush on, Haruko. Although he is newbie in this sport, he is no ordinary basketball player.
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama
Cast:Hisao Egawa , Eriko Hara , Akiko Hiramatsu , Yukimasa Kishino , Takeshi Kusao , Hikaru Midorikawa , Toshiyuki Morikawa , Tomomichi Nishimura , Ryôtarô Okiayu , Yoku Shioya , Hideyuki Tanaka , Kiyoyuki Yanada , Hôchû Ôtsuka , Scott McCord , Christopher Ralph , Michael C. Pizzuto , Caitriona Murphy , Robert Tinkler
Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high school gangster who know nothing about basketball start to get interested about it after a girl name Haruko, who make him fall in love adore that sport very much.
Hanamichi meets Kaede at the rooftop, due of misunderstanding Haruko hates him. What will he do to fix the relationship. Then, he got a fight with Akagi, Shohouku basketball captain.
Hanamichi basketball's fight with Gorilla still continue, with Haruko now is no his side. How he manage to win over a long time player of basketball, Akagi?
Hanamichi decides to join the basketball club, which Akagi is against. Sakuragi tries to find a way to get on Akagi's good side for Haruko's sake.
Hanamichi goes back to hanging with Yohei and his gang.
The pick-up game match between the freshmen and upperclassmen continues to heat up.
Akagi learns from the captain of the Judo club, Aota, that the Judo club is plotting to recruit Hanamichi.
Hanamichi meets with Aota and is enticed into joining the judo club after being offered a photograph of Haruko.
Now that Hanamichi is serious about basketball, Akagi wants him to practice shooting layups, but all Hanamichi wants to do is dunk.
Hanamichi listens to Haruko lecture him in a morning practice session. Taking hints from Rukawa's form and Akagi's words, he finally makes a layup.
As Hanamichi practices alone in the gym, a Ryonan player drops in to scout Shohoku. He's so taken by Hanamichi that he leaks info on his own team.
Shohoku High's basketball team walks onto the court full of spirit.
The match begins and Shouhoku quickly lets the other opponent score.
Ryonan leads at halftime, but also realize they may have underestimated Shohoku. Sendoh notices the latent talent of Hanamichi, who enters the game.
With Akagi hurt, Hanamichi comes in with nine minutes to go. His unorthodox game on both ends completely throws Ryonan's coach for a loop.
Rukawa cuts Ryonan's lead to three. Ryonan's coach, anxious over Rukawa and Hanamichi, orders Uozumi to shut down Hanamichi, whose rebounding suffers.
Akagi returns and Hanamichi's rebounding recovers. Kogure gives Shohoku the lead but Sendoh takes it right back. Rukawa reenters with 2 minutes left.
With one minute left, Shohoku trails by four. After Rukawa scores two, Hanamichi gets a chance to put his stamp on the game with a dunk.
Haruko takes Hanamichi to buy his first pair of proper basketball shoes. Their features get him incredibly excited.
Basketball team member Ryota comes back after a fight put him in the hospital. He's beside himself when he thinks his crush Ayako is dating Hanamichi.
Hanamichi and Ryota engage in childish fight out of jealousy, but when Ryota confesses to Hanamichi about his crush on Ayako, they turn into buddies.
Mitsui's gang tries to sabotage the basketball team. They are unable to fight back, knowing the protocol that will ban them from the next tournament.
Rukawa lashes out at Mitsui's gang. Ryota hits one of Mitsui's flunkies. With the team in danger from all ends, some unlikely help arrives.
Hanamichi's gang arrives, turning the tables. Mitsui's gang loses the will to fight after Hanamichi and Yohei rain fury. Akagi comes and slaps Mitsui.
Hanamichi learns Mitsui was once on the team who came to Shohoku out of gratitude to Coach Anzai, but an early injury marked the start of his decline.
Mitsui's rivalry with Akagi had once pushed him to a crushing blow on his injured foot, demoralizing him to the point of leaving the basketball team.
A revitalized Mitsui joins the team for the Inter High prelims. Everyone is too excited too sleep. Filled with spirit, they face their first opponent.
The game vs. Miuradai starts with Hanamichi, Rukawa, Ryota and Mitsui on the bench out of punishment. Miuradai deems Akagi to be their sole threat.
Shohoku's punished players enter the game with Miuradai leading. Rukawa, Ryota and Mitsui excite the crowd as they quickly narrow the lead.
In the second half, Miuradai puts in Naito to stealthily rough up Hanamichi. Worse, Hanamichi gets called for fouls instead. Miuradai ties the game.
Naito manages to annoy Hanamichi into fouls. He then goes after Rukawa, but Rukawa immediately exposes Naito's weakness, helping Shohoku turn the tide.
Shohoku wins their first game, but Hanamichi is upset about fouling out. He fouls out of the next game too, prompting him to ask Akagi for advice.
Having fouled out of two straight games, Hanamichi is at his wits' end. Haruko proposes special morning practices, which he starts the very next day.
Hanamichi oversleeps on game day. On a failed shortcut, he finds Mitsui surrounded by a gang. He leaves them to Yohei and runs to the gym with Mitsui.
Hanamichi fouls out of the next two games as well. Although Shohoku has advanced to the quarterfinals, Hanamichi is mired in depression.
Shohoku plays against Shoyo, who pack the stands with team members giving well-coordinated cheers. Shohoku is gripped by a major case of nerves.
Shoyo takes control of the game, creating discord among Shohoku. Rukawa drives to basket and scores, getting Akagi and the others going again.
Reignited by Rukawa's remark, Shohoku finally plays to their potential. Ryota, despite his short height, cuts to the basket with blinding speed.
Ryota cuts into Shoyo's lead. Mitsui's 3-pointer ties it, but Shoyo regains the lead by halftime, with Hanagata dropping buckets.
Hanamichi's great rebounding rescues Shohoku. In the second half, he stays active on the boards. Rukawa's shot puts them ahead, but Shoyo responds.
Fujima's outstanding play gives Shoyo momentum. Shoyo's Hasegawa, who was once outclassed by Mitsui in middle school, yearns to beat Mitsui.
Hasegawa guards Mitsui tenaciously. With 10 minutes left, Shoyo leads by 6. Hanamichi picks up his fourth foul, putting him one away from fouling out.
Mitsui keeps scoring despite Hasegawa's intense defense. Shohoku cuts the gap to 3, but Hanamichi is unable to play assertively due to his four fouls.
With four fouls, Hanamichi is hamstrung. When Rukawa calls him out on not playing like himself, he bangs his head on the court and reasserts himself.
With 2:30 to go, the game is tied. Hanamichi drives headlong to the hoop. Undaunted by the two defenders in his way, he unleashes a thunderous dunk.
Hanamichi ruminates on his dunk-turned-foul. Takezono player Oda, Hanamichi's middle school classmate, injures his leg before his game against Kainan.
Oda tries to hide his leg injury in order to play against Kainan. Hanamichi blows off practice and heads down with his gang to Takezono.
Against Takezono, Kainan plays their bench team, which is still very good. Oda is hampered by his leg injury. Hanamichi encourages him not to give up.
Out of Shohoku, Kainan, Ryonan and Takezato, only two will make it to the nationals. Shohoku gets pumped up for the first game against Kainan.