Kiyota, Nobunaga
Summary
Nobunaga Kiyota is a first-year small forward wearing jersey number 10 for Kainan. Standing at 178 cm and weighing 65 kg, he is often described as the personification of arrogance, serving as a parallel to Sakuragi but displaying slightly more skill during the Kanagawa Trials. He constantly brags about being the true star rookie of Kanagawa rather than Rukawa, yet this confidence frequently leads him to underestimate opponents, particularly Shohoku. This hubris results in embarrassing moments, such as when Akagi dunked over him to flatten him and when Sakuragi successfully faked past him to score. The two rivals exchange insults, with Kiyota calling Hanamichi "Red-furred Monkey" while Hanamichi refers to him as "Wild Monkey." Despite his boastful nature, Kiyota holds a deep respect for his teammates, especially his captain Maki. Known for his exceptional leaping ability and ball-handling skills, Kiyota manages to dunk and block shots regularly despite his 178 cm stature. In a memorable play during Kainan's match against Ryonan, he dunked over Uozumi, overcoming the height disadvantage. As the only first-year player among Kainan's starting lineup, his presence highlights his unique talent within the team.
