Tokyo, the Saionji residence.
Shin Saionji slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, his mind a chaotic mess.
—Who am I?
An unfamiliar environment, an unfamiliar body, yet his memories felt completely real. He clearly remembered that he had originally been a modern-day basketball fan, but now, he had become Shin Saionji—the only son of the Saionji financial conglomerate in Tokyo, a teenager about to enter high school.
Even stranger, he found himself standing at 189 cm, an absolute rarity among Japanese high school students.
Yet, he soon realized a far more crucial problem—he had never received any basketball training!
Just as he was filled with puzzlement, an electronic chime suddenly rang in his mind:
[Ding! Host consciousness awakening detected, basketball system officially activated!]
Shin Saionji froze abruptly.
[Current world: Slam Dunk]
"—Slam Dunk?"
His eyes widened as he instantly understood his situation.
This was a world he knew well: Shohoku, Kainan, Ryonan, Shoyo, Sannoh Industry... These names rushed into his mind. More importantly, basketball in this era had yet to be corrupted by modern tactics and was still dominated by isolation play.
Just as he was struck with shock, the system interface materialized:
What surprised him even more was that the system popped up a beginner's gift pack.
[Congratulations to the host for obtaining the beginner's gift pack, rewards are as follows—]
[Skills: "Demon King's Eye" (Enhanced Emperor Eye), "Formless Shot"]
Seeing these two skills, he couldn't help but gasp.
Demon King's Eye—an evolved version of the Emperor Eye from Kuroko's Basketball, capable of pre-sensing opponents' movements and tactical trends to make the optimal judgment.
Formless Shot—Daiki Aomine's signature skill, allowing him to release the ball at will from any angle and rhythm, leaving defenders completely helpless.
"This..."
He suppressed the wild elation in his heart.
The system hadn't directly enhanced his physical attributes, but instead given him two immensely valuable skills. If he could properly develop these two abilities, he could definitely stir up a storm on the basketball court of this era!
Meanwhile, the system prompted him once more:
[Host: Shin Saionji]
[Basic Attributes]
Height: 189 cm
Wingspan: 205 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Body Fat: 11% (Lightweight athlete standard)
Explosiveness: 60 (Average high school level)
Stamina: 58 (Slightly below average athlete)
Flexibility: 65 (Good)
Core Strength: 55 (Needs strengthening)
[Offensive Abilities]
Dribbling: 60 to 65 (Transitioning from beginner to qualified player)
Breakthrough: 60 (Average first-step speed, but good sense of rhythm)
Mid-range Shooting: 55 (Unsteady, needs honing)
Three-point Shooting: 50 (Practically none)
Formless Shot: 70 (Beginner adaptation stage, extremely high future ceiling)
Rim Finishing: 58 (Inadequate physical contact ability, prone to being blocked)
[Organization & Tactics]
Passing: 62 (Basically qualified, excellent predictive ability but immature technique)
Court Vision: 75 (Thanks to the Demon King's Eye, able to see through the game situation)
Offensive Tactical Understanding: 68 (Good in theory, but lacking practical experience)
Pick and Roll Utilization: 60 (Preliminary understanding, but average coordination ability)
Passing Selection: 70 (Accurate judgment, but lacks sufficient game experience)
[Defensive Abilities]
On-ball Defense: 58 (Decent footwork, but lacking physical contact)
Help Defense Awareness: 65 (Demon King's Eye allows him to anticipate opponent tactics in advance)
Steals: 55 (Inadequate technique, slightly slow hand speed)
Rebounds: 50 (Hardly participates in contests)
Defensive Stability: 60 (Occasionally makes good defense, but mostly gets broken through)
[Special Abilities]
Demon King's Eye (Enhanced Emperor Eye): Current proficiency 40/100 (Preliminary adaptation stage, can predict simple tactics)
Formless Shot: Current proficiency 35/100 (Able to shoot freely, but shooting percentage is unstable)
[Quest Issued: Join the Shohoku Basketball Team]
[Quest Reward: Skill "Instant Acceleration"]
—Join Shohoku?
Shin Saionji was slightly stunned, then a faint smile curved the corner of his mouth.
Shohoku was about to welcome its strongest point guard!
Actively choosing the point guard position.
He stared at the system interface with a firm gaze.
In this world, a height of 189 cm could handle multiple positions—forward, shooting guard, or even center.
Yet he chose the point guard position without hesitation.
—Because he loved the position!
Back when he was a basketball fan, he had always admired top point guards who could control the tempo of the game, such as Magic Johnson, Steve Nash, and Chris Paul. They could not only score themselves but also elevate their teammates, truly influencing the direction of the game.
Besides, he now possessed the "Demon King's Eye," a skill best suited for a playmaker.
Therefore, he was going to become the brain of Shohoku and lead the team to the pinnacle of the national stage!
As a traditional financial conglomerate, the Saionji family had originally arranged for him to enter a prestigious high school in Tokyo, but he submitted a request to his parents: "I want to go to Shohoku High School."
His father frowned: "Shohoku? Why?"
"The environment is free," he answered concisely.
The family had given him superior material conditions, but he disliked being overly restricted. Moreover, Shohoku's basketball team was just beginning to rise, which meant he would have ample room for growth without being bound by rigid systems.
His mother hesitated: "Are you sure you aren't going to a top school in Tokyo?"
"I've already decided."
Under his insistence, his family eventually compromised, approving his enrollment at Shohoku High School in Kanagawa Prefecture.
—Shohoku, objective achieved.
Although he had the system, his basketball skills were still quite raw. Thus, using family resources, he hired a retired NBA player as his private coach—Raymond Carter.
A playmaker who had wreaked havoc in the NBA during the 1980s, known for precise passing and driving, and who became a private trainer after retiring due to a knee injury.
On their first day meeting, Raymond Carter looked at him with a slight smirk: "I heard you're a young master who has never even touched a basketball?"
Shin Saionji replied calmly: "I want to become a top point guard."
"—A bit interesting."
From that day on, hellish training began.
Basic dribbling, low-center-of-gravity drives, high-intensity shooting drills... Raymond Carter pushed him almost to his absolute limit.
The effects of the Demon King's Eye gradually manifested; he could perceive defenders' positioning in advance while dribbling and find the optimal passing lanes. Bolstered by the Formless Shot, he gradually mastered how to consistently score under unstable conditions.
Three months later, Raymond Carter watched him break through with blinding speed and pull up for a jumper, finally nodding: "You already possess the foundation of a point guard."
—First-stage goal achieved!
Stepping into Shohoku
In April, it was opening day at Shohoku High School.
The spring breeze brushed gently across the streets, cherry blossoms falling, as Shin Saionji walked onto the Shohoku campus with his backpack.
He knew that here awaited a group of talented players destined to change the Japanese basketball world.
The red-headed "genius" Hanamichi Sakuragi, the cold genius Kaede Rukawa, the iron-willed captain Takenori Akagi...
And he would become Shohoku's strongest point guard!
He smiled slightly, walking into the classroom low-key, quietly taking a seat without drawing attention.
At that moment, the red-headed boy in the front row abruptly turned around, glaring at him with an annoyed expression: "Hey, you're tall."
Shin Saionji: "..."
—Hanamichi Sakuragi.
The corners of his mouth hooked upward slightly—a future teammate, and potentially a rival.
Yet he was in no rush to show off. Now wasn't the time.
The first step to entering the Shohoku Basketball Team was to join quietly and wait for an opportunity to stun everyone.