And as a result, the national population found themselves caught up in the sport, too, as the series helped to skyrocket the popularity of basketball, a previously highly-overlooked sport in Japan.
Lauded as one of the greatest sports manga of all time and definitely the bestselling one, Slam Dunk continues to move and inspire readers to this day. The series is about Hanamichi Sakuragi, a high school gang leader who joins the basketball team on a whim but soon finds himself passionately devoted to the sport. And as a result, the national population found themselves caught up in the sport, too, as the series helped to skyrocket the popularity of basketball, a previously highly-overlooked sport in Japan.