Degree of freedom!
In Japan, a country that extremely values "respecting the old and cherishing the young," this is a very attractive thing.
Take Shutoku High School, one of the Three Kings, for example.
Strong as Midorima was, Masaaki Nakatani only gave Midorima "three willful chances" per game.
Once these three willful chances were used up, Midorima also had to strictly follow the team's game plan.
After all.
This wasn't the NBA.
As the world's largest commercial league, the NBA attaches great importance to individual player performance.
Even compared to the team, they care more about individual player performance.
Team victory?
Get aside!
What I need is the victory of individual heroism!
I want to win the game, and I want the cheers too—this is the NBA!
So.
Playing in the NBA, if you can harvest stats while bringing victory to the fans, then in the hearts of Americans, you are the closest existence to Jesus.
But in amateur games, it's not like that.
Including the NCAA, which is closest to the NBA, players need to strictly execute the head coach's strategic deployment.
So there has always been a saying in the basketball world:
The best players in the US are in the NBA, and the best coaches are in the NCAA!
Coach K is a typical example; he led the Dream Team to the top of the world five times.
Fans were curious: Since he is so amazing, why doesn't he coach in the NBA?
The answer is actually simple.
His salary coaching in the NCAA is higher than in the NBA, and his power in the team is absolute.
According to published news, in the 13-14 season, Coach K's annual salary was 9.68 million dollars, while Doc Rivers, the highest-paid championship head coach in the NBA at the same time, got 7 million dollars.
In addition.
The NCAA doesn't have a role like a general manager, so no confusing operations will interfere with the head coach.
NCAA coaches can find players suitable for the team according to their own tactical needs and fully display their talents.
So.
When money doesn't have an overwhelming advantage, that kind of power is enough to keep coaches in the NCAA.
Therefore, the top league doesn't necessarily have the top coaches.
Japanese high school powerhouses are the same.
Coaches receive decent salaries and simultaneously control large amounts of funding given by the school.
This creates a situation where the head coach's status in the team is quite high, especially in powerhouse teams.
Players graduate in three years, but a good coach can support a team's glory for decades.
Harasawa being able to give Yuuto maximum freedom—this condition was undeniably tempting.
In fact.
Harasawa also felt that his biggest advantage in recruiting Yuuto lay in giving Yuuto the maximum space for free play.
He learned through game observation and conversation with the Homi Academy coach that Yuuto was a very assertive player; sometimes he would even intervene in tactics.
Homi Academy's "One Star, Four Shooters" strategy and off-ball cuts this year were all ideas provided by Yuuto. He understood how to utilize court time and space at a young age.
He was a very smart player.
Tōō needed such a player to lead that group of gifted guys in the basketball club.
"As long as you agree, Tōō can be your team starting now. You can even bring people to the basketball club with you."
Harasawa actually coveted Haizaki, Kuroko, and Ryo Sakurai as well.
When he learned that Haizaki and Kuroko chose Homi Academy because of Yuuto, and Ryo Sakurai was discovered by Yuuto...
Securing Yuuto became the thing he wanted to accomplish most right now.
Honestly, Yuuto was quite tempted.
Tōō had money, people, and gave him maximum freedom.
Such conditions were top-tier; it was hard to find a second one.
However, he still didn't agree immediately.
"I will give you an answer after the National Tournament ends. Right now, I just want to win."
"I understand."
Harasawa sighed inwardly.
He knew these geniuses wouldn't be secured so easily.
At their level, it wasn't teams choosing them, but them choosing teams.
The conditions Tōō could offer, most teams could provide.
So he meticulously prepared the "freedom" condition for Yuuto. But this kid was more mature than he thought.
"I await your good news."
After parting with Yuuto, Harasawa rushed back to Tokyo without stopping.
He planned to meet the Generation of Miracles.
Yuuto was his first choice; this point wouldn't change.
But before getting Yuuto's promise, he had to make more preparations.
There were only 6 geniuses, but just Tokyo had as many as 4 basketball powerhouses.
Besides that, there were basketball powerhouses in regions like Rakuzan, Yosen, Kaijo, etc.
No matter what, he had to bring at least one genius to Tōō!
Only then would Tōō possess championship-contending power in the next three years.
...
On the other side.
Yuuto and his old coach walked back, one old and one young.
The team bus had already gone back; they could take the subway back to Okukozome.
On the way, the coach asked him, "Why didn't you agree? Were the conditions they offered not good enough?"
In his view, Tōō was really a good place.
Strong lineup, and the head coach promised maximum freedom.
...
It was hard for other teams to offer such conditions.
"They're good. I'm very satisfied with Tōō's conditions, but I just want to focus on the game now."
Yuuto used the same reason to dismiss the coach.
Hearing this, the latter didn't say more.
Yuuto was a very special kid, more mature than any middle school student he knew.
So he trusted Yuuto's judgment, but...
"Harasawa started it; other guys probably won't sit still later."
He told Yuuto to be prepared.
If Harasawa hadn't been so anxious, most coaches would have waited until after the National Tournament to contact Yuuto.
Not using off-court factors to influence players during competition was an unwritten rule among coaches.
But since Harasawa chose to jump the gun, other coaches naturally wouldn't sit idly by.
Sure enough.
Final Four match.
Yuuto's physical condition had recovered to 70%.
What could 70% Yuuto do?
He could help the team destroy the opponent in a single quarter.
He handed over offensive power, focused on defense, and limited the opponent's single-quarter score to single digits.
With such a disparity in strength, a reversal was naturally impossible.
Homi Academy won the match with crushing force, breaking into the final of the National Tournament.
Yuuto was only one match away from the top.
Also on this day, Masaaki Nakatani arrived.
Like Harasawa, he came to invite Yuuto to join his team.
...
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