| Introduction |
| “ | I have no stamina no strength. So no matter what I wanted some kind of weapon. So ever since grade school I've done nothing but hook shot | ” |
—Kaname Shigeyoshi, to Sora Kurumatani | ||
Kaname "Mokichi" Shigeyoshi (茂吉 要, Shigeyoshi Kaname) is a first-year center who plays for Kuzuryū High. Everyone at Kuzuryū High calls him Mokichi. Due to his tall height, Kenji has nicknamed him 'Noppo,' which means a tall and lanky person.
Appearance[]
Kaname is a tall individual, being about 200 cm. He has medium length black hair and corresponding eyes. He also has abnormally long arms. When he is not playing basketball, he wears a face mask. His jersey number is 12, and he wears 'ASICS JAPAN series' sneakers.
Personality[]
Kaname comes across as a shy individual. He speaks slowly and is a man of few words. He also shows little to no expression on his face. Nevertheless, he sometimes casually makes sarcastic remarks to people who have insulted him. He is also considered as an academically smart individual as he often receives perfect scores in all of his subjects.
Biography[]
Kaname lives in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture. His parents are wealthy construction company owners. Because of this, his house is the size of a mansion with a garden equipped basketball court. He also has an older sister named Sayuri. Although a son of wealthy business operators, Kaname usually commutes to school on a bicycle.
In middle school, Kaname was close to 180cm tall and played for the mighty Saijo Junior High. He was a well-known talent, but because of his height, people expected too much of him. He couldn't stand the pressure, especially from his teams' manager, Tsukishima. So, in his second year, he quit playing basketball. He entered Kuzuryū High instead of Saijo High because he didn't want to play basketball or study hard. He instead chose to become a member of the Chemistry Club. Later on, when all the clubs at Kuzuryū High participated in a friendly basketball match, Kaname displayed his skyhook shot, catching Sora and others' attention. Afterward, Sora's team approached him to join their basketball club. Kaname refused, however, lying that he was too sick to join. Later, he apologized for his lie, and after a 1-on-1 confrontation with Kurumatani, he was allowed to join the club.
Skills[]
Due to his low stamina, he mostly starts as a substitute. Nonetheless, he is gradually adapting to a starting center role. He specializes in hook shots and has quite an advanced technique. His hook shot is nearly unstoppable; attempting to block Kaname often results in the defender to get a goaltending violation. On the other hand, Kaname lacks in his physique. Physicality isn't his strong side, but he is improving in that regard. Due to his height and reach, his presence allows him to help the team whenever he can do so. He also has good eye coordination, as demonstrated when he caught up with Chiaki's passes.
| Physical Ability | 8/10 | |
|---|---|---|
| Technique | 10/10 | |
| Stamina | 4/10 | |
| Mental Strength | 9/10 | |
| Special Ability | 10/10 | |
Etymology[]
- The name Kaname means "pivot, vital point, cornerstone, keystone" (要).
- Kaname's surname Shigeyoshi means "lush, luxuriant" (茂) (shige) and "lucky, good" (吉) (yoshi).
Quotes[]
- "It's not Mokichi. It's Shigeyoshi Kaname." - to Sora Kurumatani (Chapter 60)
- "Stop. Such an irritating thing. All I wanted was to play basketball and yet they selfishly decided to have expectations of me. And then selfishly got disappointed, when those expectations didn't pan out!! - to Sayuri Shigeyoshi (Chapter 62)
- "I thought Kuzu-High didn't have a basketball club? Turns out they have created a basketball club." - to Sayuri Shigeyoshi (Chapter 62)
- "I was sick and tired of the expectations and I had grown used to all the disappointments. But the truth is I never cared about any of that. On the day of the final match our sempais... Tsukishima-sempai... What I feared the most was losing your guiding light." - to himself (Chapter 65)