BEEP BEEP BEEP—
A sharp, piercing whistle cut through the air, signaling the start of the full-court 5-on-5 game: the National Youth Team versus the current Men's National Team!
At the jump ball, thanks to his exceptionally superior static athleticism, Xiao Gao successfully tapped the ball, securing the first possession for the Youth Team.
Kota received the ball in the backcourt. His eyes scanned every player on the court before he raised his right index finger and called out, "Slow it down! Slow it down!"
Due to the language barrier, Kota couldn't yet communicate fluently with his Youth Team teammates. Before the game, they hadn't discussed many tactics in depth, only briefly going over some basic pick-and-roll plays.
This inevitably meant Kota couldn't orchestrate highly complex offensive sets. However, the purpose of this scrimmage was player selection. Stripping away complex strategies to better showcase the players' individual abilities wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Sun and Ebi.
Still, as a tactical maestro at heart, having so many intricate and advanced plays in his mind yet being unable to execute them left Kota feeling somewhat unsettled.
"Set a screen for me!" Kota waved to Xiao Gao. Since they were all playing together for the first time, Kota couldn't expect his new teammates to read his mind with just a glance, like his former teammates at Kaijo High used to. He had to be vocal.
Fortunately, Xiao Gao's solid frame was a major advantage. Even with zero chemistry, his screens were effective and reliable.
As Kota dribbled past Xiao Gao's screen, he surveyed the defense for weaknesses. Unexpectedly, a particular player moved into his line of sight.
Zhou Yi, for some reason, had directly switched onto Kota, gesturing to his original defensive assignment to swap.
Everyone on the court was momentarily stunned, except for Li Wenyu, who had almost anticipated this. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly as he silently began praying for Zhou Yi.
As teammates on the same club team, Li Wenyu knew Zhou Yi's capabilities all too well. While Zhou Yi was decent by national team standards, facing Kota was a different story. Li Wenyu would bet the game ball itself that if Zhou Yi could stop Kota one-on-one, he'd eat it!
Unaware of his captain's internal monologue, Zhou Yi studied Kota's dribbling form and decided to tease him. "Hey, rookie, tough journey all the way from Japan, huh? Tsk, tsk. I gotta admire your guts, kid. Not everyone has the courage to play ball overseas at your age!"
Kota frowned slightly, dribbling back to create space while observing the court. Don't misunderstand—his frown wasn't because of Zhou Yi's chatter. It was because, the moment Zhou Yi inexplicably switched onto him, a cutting lane had briefly opened up for a teammate on the wing.
Yet... that teammate hadn't seized the opportunity. Kota was confident that any of the five starters from his Kaijo High days would have capitalized on that opening instantly.
"Are they just lacking experience?"
Kota shook his head inwardly, dismissing the missed read for now.
It wasn't just his teammate's slow reaction. The National Team players were also caught off guard by Zhou Yi's impulsive switch, leaving a temporary gap in their defense.
However, their team defensive awareness was excellent. Several players quickly rotated to cover the exposed area, plugging the hole seamlessly.
"Not bad at all..." Kota murmured to himself, his eyes briefly flicking towards Sun observing from the sidelines. He was starting to gauge the coach's tactical level.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yi, still standing in front of Kota, felt ignored. Seeing Kota's eyes darting around everywhere except at him, a hint of irritation flashed across his face.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Am I invisible?"
Kota snapped back to attention. Looking at Zhou Yi, a realization dawned on him.
"Does he... think I'm an easy mark?"
Kota's eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately made a clear "clear out" gesture to his teammates. He was going iso!
"Oho, interesting! Trying to iso me?" Zhou Yi cracked his neck and waved Kota on cockily. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I don't care how talented or famous you were in Japan. Maybe you're a prodigy, but years of experience don't lie!"
"You look like you're under twenty. How many years have you played? Five? Ten? You know how long I've been playing?" Zhou Yi pointed a thumb at his chest, his face adopting a profoundly mysterious expression.
"Let me tell you! I started playing at four years old. I'm 25 now. That's 21 years of experience!"
"These 21 years, I've worked hard every day, honing my skills. Maybe I'm not as naturally gifted as some geniuses, but I have my own weapons!"
"I! Zhou Yi! Am a genius of hard work!"
Kota's brow furrowed slightly as he watched Zhou Yi's impassioned speech, feeling genuinely perplexed.
"Is it because my Mandarin isn't fluent yet? Why can't I quite follow what he's saying...?"
Seeing Zhou Yi take a breath, seemingly preparing for another soliloquy, Kota decided he'd waited long enough. He put the ball on the floor and attacked.
A few crossover dribbles to adjust his rhythm, then a quick behind-the-back change of direction created separation from Zhou Yi. Kota lifted his eyes, scanning for passing options. But just then, a figure lunged from his left side.
"You jerk! Don't you know it's called a cheap shot to attack when someone's mid-sentence!"
It was Zhou Yi!
After being beaten by half a step, he'd recovered quickly, using his good lateral quickness to catch up to Kota!
Sensing Zhou Yi's defensive position on his side, Kota's expression remained unchanged. He executed a quick behind-the-back dribble pullback, regaining his offensive space.
But this time, Zhou Yi stayed with him!
"You think simple moves like that will work on me? I can read players like you in an instant!"
Zhou Yi's overly confident tone sounded in Kota's ear again. This time, however, Kota was genuinely surprised. In his mind, Zhou Yi should have been shaken off by now.
That wasn't all! Staying with Kota wasn't enough for Zhou Yi; he actively reached in with his right hand, trying to poke the ball away.
Truth be told, this rather arrogant player did have some skills.
His steal attempt successfully triggered Kota's danger sense!
Feeling the hairs on his forearm stand up, Kota calmly spun, using his body to shield the ball and evade the steal. A glint of approval flashed in his eyes.
Simultaneously, he addressed Zhou Yi for the first time.
"Good timing on the steal attempt."
Before Zhou Yi could fully process the comment, Kota dropped his hips slightly and powered backward.
In that instant, Zhou Yi felt as if he'd been hit head-on by a freight train.
His body flew backward uncontrollably. Zhou Yi completely lost his balance, his arms flailing uselessly in the air.
Under the gaze of everyone on the court, Zhou Yi landed on the floor with a dumbfounded expression, watching helplessly as Kota calmly adjusted his form and drained a smooth, uncontested jumper.
Swish.
"Great shot, Kota!"
"Way to go! You sent Zhou Yi flying!"
Kota's teammates were the first to react, rushing over for high-fives. But Kota's attention was still on Zhou Yi.
His face neutral, Kota walked over to Zhou Yi, who still looked dazed, and offered him a hand up.
"Good defense. Your steal attempt was threatening."
Kota's words were concise and his expression sincere.
But to Zhou Yi's ears, they sounded like pure mockery.
"...That was a fluke! Just you wait! I'll steal the ball so many times you'll question your life choices!"
Zhou Yi's face flushed red, but he still took Kota's offered hand and pulled himself up.
Sensing the misunderstanding, Kota thought for two seconds and clarified, "I was genuinely complimenting you. Even though your core strength seems nonexistent, staying with me on those two drives and that final steal attempt were all solid!"
"Keep working hard!"
With that, Kota gave Zhou Yi an encouraging pat on the shoulder. Ignoring how Zhou Yi's face darkened even further, Kota casually put his hands behind his head and strolled back to his own half.
"Pfft!"
Li Wenyu, who had been secretly watching the exchange, couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. He looked at Zhou Yi, rooted to the spot and fuming, then at Kota, sauntering away as if nothing happened, a gleeful smirk spreading across his face.
"Serves you right for always picking on newcomers. Now you know... Now you get to feel a fraction of my pain from yesterday!"
Li Wenyu whistled a few casual notes, received the inbound pass, and without hesitation, passed it directly to Zhou Yi. He then positioned himself on the wing, crossed his arms, and settled in to watch the show, fully adopting a "not my problem" stance.
Under normal circumstances, Zhou Yi, very familiar with his captain's habits, would have sensed something was off. But right now, smarting from the embarrassment Kota had caused him and desperate to reclaim his pride, he missed the details.
His mind held only one thought: teach this cocky newcomer who got a little lucky a lesson he wouldn't forget!
Trash talk was supposed to be his specialty, Zhou Yi's domain! How could he accept being knocked down and then seemingly trash-talked by a rookie? It was utterly unacceptable!
This time, however, Zhou Yi was truly mistaken.
Given Kota's fundamentally sound skills, not just anyone could trigger his Danger Sense.
It only activated when a steal attempt posed a genuine threat!
Considering all the prodigious talents Kota had faced in Japan, including a monster like Akashi, you could count the number of players who had triggered this passive ability on one hand.
So, from Kota's perspective, managing to do so meant Zhou Yi deserved the praise. Unfortunately, Zhou Yi completely missed the intended compliment!
"Get me the ball!" Zhou Yi actively sought out Kota on defense, his face still clouded with anger as he called for the ball from his teammate. He then decisively signaled for a clear-out.
He was going to iso right back!
His teammates, playing along, dutifully spaced the floor, giving him a chance to answer.
Kota glanced around, confirming the National Team players had indeed cleared out. He gave his own teammates a reassuring look, then focused his full attention on Zhou Yi.
The two stood facing off at the top of the key, one visibly furious, the other completely calm.
Soon, Zhou Yi made his move. He initiated with a quick push-crossover followed by a between-the-legs dribble into a drive. This left-right rhythm change was one of his signature offensive weapons.
Kota appeared to bite on the fake, turning and retreating a step too slowly, allowing Zhou Yi to get half a step past him.
Seeing the open lane ahead, Zhou Yi's face lit up with anticipation. But just as he thought he had beaten Kota and could drive freely to the basket, he felt the ball get poked loose from his dribbling hand. Looking down, he saw the ball was gone.
"Run the break!!"
A loud shout came from behind him. Zhou Yi spun his head around to see that Kota had somehow stripped the ball and was already initiating the fast break.
On the Youth Team, the speedy Xiao Wang and Xiao Lin reacted instantly, sprinting downcourt the moment they saw Kota's signal.
Because of Zhou Yi's earlier clear-out request, the National Team players were spread out. Faced with this sudden transition attack, they could only offer token resistance before helplessly watching Kota feed a perfect pass to Xiao Wang for an easy score.
"Excellent play!" Coach Sun, watching intently from the sidelines, couldn't contain a low exclamation. His eyes followed Kota, who was exchanging high-fives with his teammates, gleaming with clear admiration.
If the previous possession, where Kota successfully scored on Zhou Yi one-on-one, merely proved his isolation skills translated to the full-court game...
Then this possession—where he stripped Zhou Yi, immediately pushed the pace, and organized his teammates for an easy score—demonstrated Kota's profound understanding of his role as a point guard.
"He could have easily taken that fast break opportunity himself, but he chose to pass to the better-positioned Xiao Wang. This player... impressive!" Coach Sun shook his head, reaching for his pen to put a definitive checkmark next to Kota's name. In just two possessions, he had seen everything you'd want in a point guard.
Elite one-on-one offensive and defensive skills, exceptional court vision, and a clear willingness to share the ball.
Based on this, the current Kota could solidly handle the starting point guard duties for the National Team. He looked like a franchise cornerstone you could trust to run your offense!
Ebi looked on, amused and exasperated, as Sun immediately tried to checkmark Kota's name. He quickly patted his shoulder. "Don't just focus on Kota! His spot is practically guaranteed anyway. Pay more attention to the others, will you?"
With that, Kaito gestured towards players like Xiao Gao on the court, urging Sun to observe their performances.
"Okay, Coach, I will," Sun replied obediently. But while his words agreed, his eyes remained glued to Kota, seemingly mesmerized.
Ebi: "..."
Fully understanding his protégé, whose passion mirrored his own younger self, Ebi knew exactly what Sun was thinking.
Even if Ebi, as his mentor, sang a player's praises, if that player couldn't demonstrate their value directly to Sun, then even if Kaito begged and pleaded shamelessly, Sun wouldn't budge.
"You guys need to step up... Don't just give the ball to Kota every time! Create your own shots!"
Kaito's face remained neutral, but internally, he was growing anxious.
After Kota's eye-catching start with a stellar offensive and defensive play, the Youth Team's overall rhythm began to shift.
Basketball is like that. Every player or fan has a bit of a "follow the leader" instinct. When one teammate performs exceptionally well or gets hot, others can slowly, subconsciously start relying on them more.
Naturally, that player ends up with more possessions, his performance potentially gets even better, while others, sacrificing their own shots, might see their stats stagnate.
Another Youth Team offensive possession. After some simple ball movement, it found its way back to Kota's hands.
Facing the persistently tenacious Zhou Yi, Kota ran a simple pick-and-roll and split action, once again assisting a teammate for a score.
The first half was nearing its end. The score was tight, 44-46, with the Youth Team holding a narrow two-point lead.
Kota's individual stats were already eye-popping.
22 points, 8 assists, 6 steals. Not counting the two defensive rebounds he'd grabbed, in less than a half, Kota had nearly scored half his team's points. The efficiency with which his assists and steals translated into points was also remarkable.
Of course, under normal circumstances, Kota wouldn't accumulate so many steals. While his one-on-one defense was freakishly good, if the opponent stabilized their offense and specifically avoided attacking him, his steal opportunities would plummet, no matter how high his success rate.
However... Zhou Yi, in this scrimmage, played the perfect role of a stat-padder for Kota.
After contributing 2 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal to Kota's line at the start, Zhou Yi didn't get discouraged. He fought back with increasing fervor!
Facing Kota, Zhou Yi repeatedly called for clear-outs to isolate, successfully adding significant numbers to Kota's steal column. Of his 6 steals, five came directly from stripping Zhou Yi!
The whistle blew, ending the first half. The score was frozen at 48-47, Youth Team leading by one.
Coach Kaito looked at the stat sheet, at Kota's terrifying numbers, then at the stats of his other prized students, and finally sank into deep thought...
"This won't do! I need to talk to him!"