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* In the ending stanza of the practice game between [[OpposingSportsTeam Ryonan]] and [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits Shohoku]], Ryonan's Ace [[DesignatedVillain Akira]] [[InconsistentSpelling Sendoh/Sendou/Sendo]] was able to [[TheBadGuyWins grab victory]] from the [[HopeSpot jaws of defeat]] by doing a last-second play like the gifted [[WorthyOpponent clutch]] [[HeroAntagonist player]] that he was. The addition of Hanamichi Sakuragi and Kaede Rukawa in Shohoku's starting line-up was enough to force Sendo to [[TheGlovesComeOff go all out]].
* During the fight between Mitsui's gang and the Shohoku High basketball team, Sakuragi beat down Tetsuo (the biggest [[JapaneseDelinquents biker thug]] who punched out almost everyone there) [[NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from pillar to post]]. He [[AndThisIsFor dedicates a furious punch]] for every one of his hurt teammates, but when it's his turn to "avenge" Rukawa, he only gives a [[TakeThat little pinch]]. Naturally, Rukawa wasn't amused.
* The modus operandi of Shoyo High School is nothing short of brilliant. Team Captain and Shoyo Ace [[TheStrategist Kenji Fujima]] could pass to all [[EliteFour four pillars]] of his team (Shoyo has one of the [[BiggerIsBetter tallest]] lineups in Kanagawa, having at least 4 players who are 190 cm/6'2" tall and above) and have them [[HardWorkHardlyWorks dunk or layup]] in the paint or [[StoneWall defend]] the other basket with their tallness. Once the opposing team expects him to [[DefensiveFeintTrap always pass]] to his teammates, he could then [[FrontlineGeneral shoot and score]] [[AsskickingLeadsToLeadership himself]] if pressed.
* In regards to Shohoku vs. Shoyo, Sakuragi was able to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1styjcbz2lg dunk]] on Toru Hanagata (Center) and Mitsuru Nagano (Power Forward). Sure, it resulted in him fouling out and getting kicked out of the game, but it was an [[DoomedMoralVictor awe-inspiring moment]] regardless.
** Even [[VitriolicBestBuds Rukawa]] of all people gave Sakuragi [[TheOneThingIDontHateAboutYou kudos]] over the dunk afterwards. Also, Sakuragi actually got cheered by the audience, getting the loudest cheers of the game. Mitsui then said, "Even my scores are [[NotBad overshadowed]] by his."
** Notably, it takes so long for the reality of it all to sink in for Sakuragi that it's not until the morning after that he goes back to bragging about his genius, after some prodding from Yohei.
* During the Kainan game (Kainan High is Kanagawa's [[DefeatingTheUndefeatable Number One]] High School Basketball Team), Shohoku's Ace [[TheRival Kaede Rukawa]] became an unstoppable force of nature, stealing the ball and scoring against the Kainan defense repeatedly while an injured [[BigBrotherMentor Takenori Akagi]], the Shohoku Captain, was benched and tending to his injury. By the time Akagi got back, the score was tied at 49-49 with 2 seconds remaining. He was actually a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmDn0YBBI0I human highlight reel]] the whole game. Alas, this amazing display was at the cost of [[GlassCannon Rukawa's]] [[PowerStrainBlackout stamina]].
* In the final few minutes of Shohoku's match against [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cs9GZjL_Tb8 Kainan]], Hanamichi Sakuragi was able to take the rebound against Kazuma Takasago then do a pump fake on him, leading Kazuma to jump too early. Hanamichi then jumped to do a slam dunk against a defending Shinichi Maki, the Team Captain of Kainan. Not only did the dunk count, he also [[BeyondTheImpossible drew a foul]] against TheAce of Kainan High.
* The Ace vs. Ace battle between Ryonan's Sendo and Kainan's Maki. Sendo did his signature last-minute three-point play (shoot the ball and draw a foul to get the free throw) that would've sealed the deal for Ryonan had the [[CombatPragmatist more experienced Maki]] not realize it at the last second, leading him to hold back and not fall for Sendo's trap.
** This led to a tied score and a [[LastStand War of]] [[EnduranceDuel Attrition]] during overtime that had Kainan emerge [[VictoryByEndurance victorious]] in the end. Maki then acknowledged Sendo as a WorthyOpponent, admitting he would've done the same thing were he in Sendo's shoes.
* Sakuragi again showed his value to Shohoku during the match against Ryonan. He not only almost fouled out Ryonan Captain Jun Uozumi. He also stopped Sendoh from doing his drive when even Rukawa was fooled by Sendoh's feinted pass. Finally, he scored the last shot of the game by dunking on Ryonan's Power Forward, Kicchou Fukuda.
** Moreover, remembering what happened in their practice game, Sakuragi immediately instructed his teammates to defend against a Sendoh counterattack in those last few seconds.
* Prior to Inter High, [[MentorArchetype Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai]] had Sakuragi undergo special training. He had to shoot 20,000 jump shots within 10 days. And you know what? The mad lad actually did it.
** In the manga, the fruits of his labor was shown during the early "championship-level" match against national champs Sannoh.
** In the anime, the fruits of his labor was instead [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aYFI8lyxmg shown]] during a practice match between Shohoku and the combined team of [[BossRush Ryonan and Shoyo]].
* Here's another demonstration of just how good a coach Anzai is. Before the match against Sannoh, the whole team (sans [[TheStoic Rukawa]]) was nervous. He manages to convince each one to get into the right mindset in his way: to Miyagi, he puts confidence in his skills to break the opponent's pace; with Mitsui, he points out Sannoh changed their lineup on his account, therefore they must be afraid of his skills; for Akagi, in the end, he didn't need to do anything because he managed to get in the zone in his own way; and for Sakuragi, he sees how he's attempting to come up with his own strategies and points out how focused he seems to be. Sakuragi answers that, after his failed dunk attempt at halftime of the preliminaries (see the Funny section), he's not afraid of anything anymore.
--> '''Anzai:''' Hm? Have you ever even been afraid of anything?\\
''(beat)''\\
'''Sakuragi:''' ''(having an epiphany; then, with ''beast-like'' eyes)'' Never.
* The final seconds of the death match between Shohoku and [[AlwaysSomeoneBetter Sannoh]]. With [[DarkestHour 8 seconds left]] and Shohoku down by [[NearVillainVictory a single point]], an injured Sakuragi (who at that point was running on pure adrenalin) sprinted to the best possible shooting position, which spurred Shohoku to do a fast break. Sannoh desperately tried to stop them, only for Rukawa to breach through their defenses and [[CharacterDevelopment unexpectedly]] pass the ball to Hanamichi, who in turn did a last-second buzzer beater that won the game.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._Sakuragi J.R. Sakuragi]] (born Milton J. Henderson Jr.) is an American-Japanese pro basketball player who's such a big fan of ''Slam Dunk'' that as part of his naturalization request to become a Japanese citizen, he renamed himself after Sakuragi. He ended up playing for the Japanese national team, the 2007 FIBA Asian championship, and the NBA.
* [[HesBack After 26 years]], new content for Slam Dunk has been announced with the release of a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xETjtPe53ko teaser trailer]] for the 2022 movie. Written by Takehiko Inoue himself, the movie eventually became the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_Japanese_films fifth highest-grossing anime film of all time]] at the time of this writing.