Sakuragi, Hanamichi

桜木花道

The protagonist. At the start of the series, Sakuragi was a slacker who constantly tried to ask girls out but faced repeated rejection (his 50th rejection happened at the beginning of the series). He then met Akagi Haruko, falling in love with her immediately. This passion prompted him to join the Shohoku basketball team. However, as a complete beginner, he could not keep up with the rest of the team at first, despite his physical attributes (great height, athleticism, stamina, speed, and leaping ability). He considers himself a genius, possessing self-confidence that borders on arrogance. His most recognizable trait is his red hair, although he shaves his head as reparation for an error that caused a loss against Kainan.
Initially, Sakuragi was known for his poor basketball skills as a beginner; in his first few official matches, he fouled out of every game. However, his basketball skills improved throughout the series. First, he developed basic skills such as dribbling and layups. Then, trained by Akagi, he became a formidable rebounder; his rebounding became his claim to fame during the latter half of the series. He is also seen more than once defining the match for Shohoku in the final seconds, for instance, by dunking a ball that Akagi would have missed in the league round match with Ryonan. His jump shooting was subsequently developed by Coach Anzai, who had him take 20,000 shots in a week. He hit a buzzer-beating jump shot to win the match against Sannoh. However, he also injured his back during the match against Sannoh and underwent rehabilitation after Shohoku's subsequent loss to Aiwa Academy.
Despite the setbacks he has had to face, Sakuragi displays a great deal of tenacity and determination that carry him through and help compensate for his other failings, both on and off the court. Although his love for Haruko and rivalry with Rukawa are the main driving forces motivating him to succeed in basketball, his injury during the Sannoh match makes him realize that he has actually come to love the game, leading him to give his all for his team and bring them victory.