slam dunk (series)

A 1990-1996 basketball manga series by Inoue Takehiko.

Sakuragi Hanamichi is a delinquent from Shohoku High School with an extremely unlucky love life. One day he meets and falls in love with basketball fan Akagi Haruko, and to impress her, he joins their school's basketball team, captained by Haruko's hulking older brother Takenori, only to learn that he is better suited to the sport than he would ever admit.

The series was immensely popular, becoming the 7th best-selling manga of all time and single-handedly popularizing basketball in Japan.