Winning isn't everything in the game of basketball, but who wants to come in second? It takes dedication and discipline to be the best, and the Shohoku High hoops team wants to be just that. They have one last year to make their captain's dream of reaching the finals come true—will they do it?

He may be a pain in the butt, but Hanamichi's athletic prowess and monstrous strength have not gone unnoticed by the captain of Shohoku's judo team. Hoping to take his troupe to a national title, the judo captain is willing to go to great lengths to lure Hanamichi away from the court and get him on the sparring mat. Will out-and-out bribery convince Hanamichi that judo's the way to go, or will he stay a basketball man to the very end?