The only anime about sports that I had ever seen sucked (in my opinion of course) and I wasn't sure if this was something for me. But I gave it a try and was everything but disappointed.
Plot & Episodes
Let's get started with how the animeis built. The story revolves around the basketballteam from Seirin High School. Freshmen Kagami and Kuroko both decided to join the team and display their unique basketball skills. As a team, they try to make it to the Inter-High competition, which is a championship with the country's best teams. Not a very uncommon plot seeing that this is a sports anime. What makes the story worth it is the characters and the development of these characters.
Most of the episodes are built around a basketball game, be it 'official' ones or practice games. Throughout these episodes, you get to know (a few of) the members of 'The Generation of Miracles': kids that used to play for the superior Teiko Middle School team, but went their separate ways after Middel School (Kuroko was one of them; the phantom sixth member).
Characters & Development
As I said, one thing that makes the anime worth it are the characters. They might seem typically shonen at first: bright hair colors, stereotype personalities and done-before characteristics. I, however, have the feeling that the characters are this, and much more. For example, Kagami might have that stereotypical "never quit, I will win"-agressive-style attitude that we've all seen before, and Midorima is the cool-glasses-guy who acts stuck up and knows best, but the way they behave and their actions beg to difference. The characters manage to capture my attention because they are unpredictable in their stereotype (if such a thing even makes sense... just watch the anime and you'll know what I mean).
Visual & Sound
These were, so to say, OK. Not outstanding, but not distracting either. I do think they could have done more with the visuals. Especially considering the moves the characters make, I think they could have made it far more spectacular visually. The camera-perspective the anime takes up could also be improved. You often get the same perspective, while they could have made it far more interesting if they swtiched up perspectives and introduced new ones more.
Theme
This is a thing where the anime in my opinion excells. The theme seems to be basketball or sports, but I specifically think it's team sports.
Let me start with saying that, even if you don't know the rules and regulations of basketball: no problem. The anime doesn't explicitly explain any, but you will understand more of it along the way.
This brings me to the struggles, feelings, thoughts, worries and problems the characters encounter, although a lot of the moves and actions made during games are very unrealistic for a couple of high school kids, are so so recognizable. I myself don't play basketball, but I'm a vivid field hockey player. Take for exemple [this might be a spoiler] Kuroko who tells Kagami that he used to hate basketball back at Teiko. How much it hurts to hate something you love and what it's like when your opponents lose the will to play, wich is the case with Aomine. When lose the will to do something you like most. These aren't superficial worries, but a legit form of sports psychology. I myself had the exact same experience: I transfered to a team where I started to hate hockey. I didn't want to train or play and it made me afraid to go to the training. The fear and/or hate might be irrational at some point, but it's there: One thing this anime does especially well is tackle actual problems everybody can encounter while playing a team sport (or maybe even in individual sports, but I wouldn't know since I don't play that ^^"). This anime has actually helped me look at my own life differently. I wouldn't go as far as say it's life changing or anything, but I'm sure I'll start tomorrow's game with another mindset and with 'The Basketball which Kuroko Plays' in the back of my head.
