The gold standard of basketball manga that everyone knows! Famous quotes from Slam Dunk

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.

The sports manga SLAM DUNK began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1990 and sparked an explosive basketball boom.

In 2022, the film THE FIRST SLAM DUNK was released, and it became a major topic not only among longtime fans but also younger generations, underscoring its unwavering popularity.

This time, we’ve compiled a list of memorable quotes from characters appearing in SLAM DUNK.

If you’re not very familiar with SLAM DUNK yet, this article might help you discover its appeal—so don’t miss it!

The gold standard of basketball manga that everyone knows! Famous quotes from Slam Dunk (11–20)

It’s not time to panic yet.Akira Sendoh

When the time spent trying without getting the results you want drags on, that anxious rush starts to build in your heart, doesn’t it? These are words from Akira Sendoh, reminding us that calming that inner impatience and continuing to push forward with composure is what leads to results.

He says this to a teammate who’s getting flustered because the game isn’t going as planned, using it to steady both his teammate and himself.

Anxiety never leads to good outcomes; we should approach everything calmly—words you can apply to just about any situation.

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Damn, you kept me waiting for two whole years…Kiminobu Kogure

Even if there are moments when you feel hope that your dream might come true, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will happen right away.

This line by Kiminobu Kogure expresses the belief that even if it takes a long time to reach that dream, if you keep working at it, it will someday come true.

It also conveys the joy of seeing an ideal team—once only dreamed of—finally come together after two years, and the feeling that it was worth continuing this far.

These words make you believe that if you keep moving forward with faith, you can draw closer to your ideal.

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I will never give up.Shigeichi Taoka

In challenges like games, the more bad situations pile up, the stronger the urge to give up becomes.

Here are the words of coach Shigeichi Takaoka, who encourages a player on the verge of giving in with strong, resolute language.

Speaking to Uozumi just before he’s about to be ejected, the coach conveys that he himself hasn’t given up, calling on him to keep fighting with everything he’s got.

Precisely because the words are simple, the feeling of “I believe in you” comes through directly, leaving an impression that gives you strength.

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A must-see / Gotta check this outHikoichi Aida

When you take on a challenge, it’s important to build up knowledge about it.

Even if it doesn’t lead directly to results, it might help you identify a new path.

These are lines from Hikoichi Aida that convey the importance of acquiring such knowledge and of observing carefully.

It’s a phrase that appears repeatedly as a catchphrase, expressing the attitude that what matters is verifying and analyzing everything with your own eyes.

It also conveys the importance of figuring out what you’re good at and thinking about how to make the most of it.

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Because my beloved basketball is waiting for meHaruko Akagi

I’d like to introduce a famous quote by Haruko Akagi, a character from SLAM DUNK.

From Haruko’s words, you can really feel her deep passion for basketball.

These words also come from the growth, the bonds with teammates, and the sense of accomplishment she’s experienced through the sport.

She reminds us not to forget our passion for what we love and the importance of continuing to pursue it.

Because we all have something we can get absorbed in, we should remember that our daily efforts have meaning and give us the strength to live positively.

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In conclusion

This time we introduced some famous quotes from the basketball masterpiece SLAM DUNK—what did you think? Each one really reflects the characters’ personalities, doesn’t it? There are many more memorable lines in SLAM DUNK, so be sure to check them out!