Slam Dunk is different.
Yes, it has themes concerning friendship or teamwork but it hardly emphasizes on that. Slam Dunk is not merely a sports manga, it is a basketball manga. While most sports manga uses its sport as a means to tell a stories of thematic variety (mind you it's not a bad thing e.g. Ping Pong the Animation), basketball is essentially the core identity of Slam Dunk. They are practically inseparable.
Slam Dunk is a celebration and a tribute to the sport. It boasts human drama between teammates, underdog stories, explosive demonstrations of physical ability, and simply the catharsis of winning. These qualities are the reason why people love and follow basketball and it is also the reason why Slam Dunk is so beloved. The intensity of emotions felt at the end of Shohoku's match against the might Sannoh is no different from Cleveland Cavalier's miracle victory over the Golden State Warriors back in 2016. Takehiko Inoue's love for basketball and love for the passion of its players is so evident in the manga.
Slam Dunk contains some of greatest sports matches in all of sports manga like the second game against Ryonan and the struggle against the titanic Sannoh. Reading Slam Dunk is essentially watching the sport at its finest. Every game is as intense as an NBA finals game. Every demonstration of Sakuragi's potential feels like watching your favorite rookie succeed. Every exhibition of Rukawa's dominance is reminiscent of the greats of the sport. Every clutch shot, every game-saving rebound, every comeback, Slam Dunk is a manga of outpouring emotions. It is the pure essence of basketball packed in Takehiko Inoue's vivid and detailed drawings. Nonetheless, Slam Dunk is so good at evoking these emotions it doesn't matter if you follow the sport or not.
If you are a fan of basketball, reading Slam Dunk is a necessity. If you are not a fan, give it a chance, you might just love the manga and probably learn to love the sport as well.
