Sakuragi Hanamichi, a first-year student at Shohoku High School, who is 188 cm tall and has red hair, starts playing basketball; fellow student Haruko Akagi approaches Hanamichi.

On the rooftop of the school, Hanamichi encounters Haruko's favourite student, Ryukawa. Haruko sees her rivalry exposed and she is rejected. The frustrated Hanamichi collides with the basketball captain Akagi Takenori outside the gymnasium.

Gori and Hanamichi's confrontation continues, and the condition for the 1 on 1 game is set.

Akagi refuses to acknowledge Hanamichi's spot on the team; Hanamichi rushes into the club room and starts to clean it.

It's been a week since Hanamichi, who has little experience in the sport, joined the basketball club; when told to practise basics and dribbling alone in the corner of the court, Hanamichi, who joint the team to learn slam dunk, gets annoyed.

Hanamichi absorbs what was taught in the basketball club and begins to show signs of growth; coach Anzai tells everyone about a practise match with the prefecture's top four powerhouse, Ryonan High School.