Hanamichi Sakuragi is an impulsive and hot-tempered high school student with little interest in sports until he meets Haruko Akagi, a girl who loves basketball. Hoping to impress her, he joins the Shohoku High School team despite having no experience at all. Gifted with exceptional physical abilities, Sakuragi gradually discovers the demands of basketball, learns how to play as part of a team, and faces increasingly talented opponents. Through rivalries, training sessions, and decisive games, his original motivation slowly develops into a genuine passion for the sport.