Naaalala niyo ba si Sakuragi ng "Slam Dunk?" Ito pala Ang Kwento Nya sa totoong buhay!

Do you still remember the legendary anime Slam Dunk? Most of the 90s' kids grew up watching this television series. As kids, we idolized the well-known anime character, Hanamichi Sakuragi. This red-haired character is smart, funny, and remarkable.

But what if I tell you that your favorite anime character is actually a real person? Yes, you read that right! Contrary to the popular belief, Hanamichi Sakuragi is inspired by a real person, who is just as interesting in real life as he is on television.

Born in 1968, the real Hanamichi Sakuragi grew up in a family of common working class. Motherless at a tender age, the young Hanamichi made the streets his home. At age 12, he was already incredibly tall compared to his peers, with an average height of 1.75 meters!

After seeing Hanamichi's tenacity in a street fight, a basketball coach invited him to join their team. From then on, Hanamichi will soon make a name for himself as one of the most phenomenal rising basketball stars. He was even dubbed as "The Hope of the Japanese Basketball."

However, this basketball legend will not live long enough to see his legacy. When his father got sick, Hanamichi returned to Tokyo to take care of him. After alighting from the bus, a lightning-fast car hit him on the streets. Hanamichi was only 18.

In spite of this tragedy, Hanamichi Sakuragi went on to become one of the most popular basketball stars in Japan. Many people dubbed his loss as 'colossal.' Soon after, manga artist Takehiko Inoue created "Slam Dunk," inspired by Sakuragi's real-life events.

Are you also a fan of the TV series Slam Dunk? We'd love to hear from you, so don't hesitate to share your thoughts with us in the comments section below. For more updates on the latest happenings, feel free to follow us on Facebook.