The BEST episodes of Slam Dunk
Every episode of Slam Dunk ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Slam Dunk!
Hanamichi Sakuragi, an entering Shohoku high school freshman, holds a record for being rejected by 50 girls during middle school. His nearly 2 meters height and bright red hair causes most students to write him off as a delinquent. One day, a girl named Haruko Akagi approaches Hanamichi without any fear. When she asks Hanamichi "do you like basketball?" Hanamichi falls head over heels for the girl of his dreams. Without missing a beat, Hanamichi tells her he loves basketball, and the two head to the gymnasium where Hanamichi learns about the slam dunk. He also learns of Rukawa, one of the country's top basketball prospects, also a freshman at Shohoku.
#1 - Paramount Battle! Kainan vs Ryonan
Season 3 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/8/1995
The anticipated match up between two of the best teams in the region commences. One of the biggest surprises was how Sendoh was handling point guard duties, and was doing an efficient job of it with Ryonan getting a head start against Kainan.
#2 - "You are strong"
Season 3 - Episode 25 - Aired 8/12/1995
Uozumi has to sit out due to his fouls, which causes Akagi to dominate the paint and score easy baskets.
#3 - The Feeling of Victory
Season 3 - Episode 24 - Aired 8/5/1995
Uozumi gets a flashback of Coach Taoka's promise of bringing him to the national scene, but that promise is looking a little fuzzy with Shohoku dominating.
#4 - Fine Play
Season 3 - Episode 23 - Aired 7/22/1995
Sendoh and Rukawa continue to push against each other in the second half, but the highlight of it so far is Uozumi being forced to sit out with four fouls.
#5 - The Most Dangerous Challenger
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 7/15/1995
With Rukawa and Sendoh at full strength against each other, they've both carried their teams, advancing point by point in hopes of defeating one another.
#6 - Rukawa's Second Half Gamble
Season 3 - Episode 21 - Aired 7/8/1995
Everyone was confused on Rukawa's performance so far, scoring only two points. Though it became apparent in the second half; he saved up his energy for the second half in order to prevent what had happened to him during the final minutes against Kainan!
#7 - Gori's Resurrection Cry!
Season 3 - Episode 19 - Aired 6/17/1995
It seems that things are back to normal psychologically for Shohoku as Sakuragi wasn't as raged as expected by his friends, and Akagi finally solved some internal problems. The true match is about to start.
#8 - Gorilla Dunk II
Season 3 - Episode 18 - Aired 6/10/1995
In order to make Akagi come back to his senses, Sakuragi pulls off his cocky routine that more than motivates him back into playing normally.
#9 - Sakuragi Hanamichi the Saviour?!
Season 3 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/27/1995
Due to Fukuda's terrible defense and Sakuragi's equally atrocious offense, Taoka thought it'd be a harmless idea to match Fukuda up with him. However, it seems that the entire gym was in for a surprise as Sakuragi showed off his jumper.
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#10 - Sendoh's Scheme
Season 3 - Episode 14 - Aired 5/13/1995
Shohoku's representatives rush to Anzai's aid, and are surprised at how efficiently Sakuragi acquired a doctor. Meanwhile, Kainan was too strong for Ryonan and Sendoh to handle. They'll have to do better now that they're up against Shohoku.
#11 - Ultimate Showdown - Sendoh vs Maki
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 4/29/1995
Due to Uozumi being fouled out, and Fukuda being a terrible defensive player, Sendoh was forced to carry Ryonan on his shoulders all by himself. Though for Shohoku, greater events have become more of a priority.
#12 - Champions Kainan Show Their Skills
Season 3 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/15/1995
Sendoh is the entire pillar that's pushing his team forward right now, but the tables turn when Uozumo decides to argue a call from the referee.
#13 - Resurrection! Warrior Uozumi Jun
Season 3 - Episode 26 - Aired 8/19/1995
Coach Taoka's patience ran dry as he subbed Uozumi back in to help shoulder some of Sendoh's responsibilities on the court.
#14 - Three-day Special Training
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/8/1995
Akagi really wants Sakuragi to become part of their offense, so he trains him for three days straight on his shooting. To his surprise, Sakuragi was pretty enthusiastic about it.
#15 - Buzzcut Counterattack!
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/25/1995
Sakuragi's new haircut was the news of the school the next day. During practice, he decided to work twice as hard in order to prevent another mistake like that happening again. When Mitsui was the one guarding Sakuragi, all of his weaknesses and shortcomings started showing.
#16 - Shohoku's Cliff Edge
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/18/1995
Sakuragi is in an emotional hangover after the events of the previous match, so in order to come to himself, he decides to change his appearance.
#17 - Anzai, Bet on Victory!
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/25/1995
Anzai formulated a plan to destroy Kainan's formidable backcourt combo of Jin and Maki by playing zone defense, and their offense started crumbling. Sakuragi, when shooting from the free throw line, decided to shoot it differently by throwing up a granny shot.
#19 - The One that Dominates the Game
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/11/1995
Rukawa's strong performance made it seem like Shohoku has a chance of winning, but what got everyone's attention was when Akagi came back from the locker room.
#20 - King Kong's Younger Brother
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/4/1995
Sakuragi did a pretty good job of filling in for Akagi, though it was Rukawa who pushed Shohoku into a fierce comeback against Kainan. He single handedly brought Shohoku back within five points.
#21 - Gori's Injury! Desperate Situation!?
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/28/1995
Shohoku isn't about to let their chances slip away against Kainan, however, things quickly changed when Akagi injured his ankle, forcing Sakuragi to take over his spot as center.
#22 - Sakuragi's Confinement's Secret Weapon
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 1/21/1995
Takato seemed to have devised the perfect plan to counter-attack against Sakuragi, which is sending in the extremely small and weak Miyamasu. In an unbelievable turn around, the plan worked in which Sakuragi was horrible embarassed, allowing Kainan to widen the gap. Rukawa however, seems to be heating up.
#23 - Miscalculation!? Hanamichi at His Best!
Season 2 - Episode 25 - Aired 1/14/1995
The match between Shohoku and Kainan has been tight and intense all the way through, but it was Sakuragi who stood out the most with his cocky attitude and amazing athleticism. However, Kainan's coach is planning something to get Sakuragi off the court.
#25 - Rukawa's Demonic Presence!
Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 12/9/1995
Understanding Anzai's words, Rukawa immediately makes it his goal to become the best player in Japan, even taking it at a higher level during practice against his own teammates.