Chapter 82 - The Rookie Begins Catching Up (2/2)

Aomine looked at the starry sky and said.

Aomine: ”If he doesn't develop a sense for the game, then he will be stuck at his current level.”

Kise's skills and techniques were excellent, but he wasn't able to use them properly. His talents were enough to advance him to Nijimura's level, but if he wanted to stand apart, he needed to develop the sense of the game.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

One week from that conversation,

Aomine grinned excitedly. He was looking at Kise with wide-eyes.

Kise was playing in a mini-game, and he was crushing it out there.

Aomine: ”He got it! He got the sense for the game.”

Midorima, who was passing by, was startled by Aomine's reaction.

Midorima: ”What happened? Why are you yelling?”

Aomine looked back at Midorima and pulled him forward to show him.

Aomine: ”Kise is finally getting the sense of the game.”

Midorima watched Kise for a while before nodding.

Midorima: ”Yes, I see that, but it is still at an elementary level.”

At that time, they heard Akashi speak, as he walked to beside them.

Akashi: ”Being at an elementary level is fine. At his growth rate, he will be at a game ready level by the time preliminaries arrive.”

Murasakibara also joined the group and chimed in.

Murasakibara: ”He will still be the weakest among us second-years.”

Aomine chuckled when he heard the words.

Aomine: ”He is strong enough. At least the strongest we have in our club.”

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

It was as the group was thinking, Kise was indeed beginning to understand how to move around the court. How to choose his moves, and how to actually play the game like a player.

Kise dribbled the ball and moved towards the basket.

He did an in-and-out dribble to pass one defender, left behind the second defender with pure speed, and on the last defender, he jumped and put the ball inside the basket with a hook shot.

Kise was beginning to understand when to make space, when to drive, or when to pass the ball.

He was learning to look at his defender and choose the type of layup he was going to use.

He was learning how to defend his mark and how to pressure him.

He was learning when to go for rebounds and when to wait for someone else to get the rebound. So he could get the pass for the offense.

Kise was developing as an all-rounded player. Some would take it as a compliment, and some would take it as an insult and mark him as a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none.

But that would only be for those who hadn't played against him. Even if he was the weakest of the future Generation of Miracles, he was still too much for ordinary players.

Basketball was the first that sport that Kise had played in which he had gotten far enough to develop a sense for it.

Kise had gotten far enough in other sports with skill collection alone, but now that he had found an obstacle in the form of his teammates, he had to develop something more to chase after them.

Kise was now truly enjoying basketball. Now, it wasn't just about defeating Aomine and the others. Now it was about getting good at basketball first and then defeating others.

Kise was playing basketball for the sake of playing it.

Thus began the origin of Kise Ryota, the player who would encompass his teammates perfectly and change the trend and outcomes of games on a whim.