In Kuroko no Basket, Haizaki is portrayed as a rather detestable character. Since his time at Teiko, he has had a rude way of speaking and frequently caused trouble both inside and outside of school. In terms of responsibility, Haizaki is the typical problematic member: he was frequently late, skipped practice, feigned illness, and maintained an inappropriate attitude. Nevertheless, thanks to his genuine talent, he still occupied a spot in the starting lineup.
As for Nijimura, he found this conduct extremely grating. Nijimura would often growl in anger and use strict measures to force Haizaki to practice, even chasing him to arcades and not hesitating to use physical force if Haizaki was disrespectful. However, Nijimura did not think Haizaki was merely lazy, as Akashi perceived; instead, he believed the boy was running away. As the "Captain of the Teiko Basketball Team," as he stated, Nijimura persevered to the end to give his member one last chance to change himself.
Conversely, Akashi viewed the issue more realistically and strictly. He cared about the collective spirit of the team and did not accept an irresponsible individual affecting the group. Akashi once questioned why Nijimura put so much effort into someone so undeserving, because to him, the results were not worth the effort invested. Ultimately, when he saw Kise as a better choice for the starting lineup, Akashi decided to ask Haizaki to leave the team to protect the common interest.
Clearly, the perspectives of Akashi and Nijimura were completely different. One tried to understand and be patient, while the other prioritized efficiency and discipline. It is difficult to say who was right or wrong because each leadership style has its own logic.
However, if we were in the captain’s position, most of us would probably agree with Akashi. Without the empathy born from past experiences like Nijimura’s, it is truly difficult to be tolerant of someone who is both unfocused and negatively impacts everyone else's morale like Haizaki.
Even though the way Akashi solved the problem could be seen as cold and ruthless, it was perfectly reasonable given his position.
Akashi was someone who sought absolute perfection in everything. As the vice-captain, he always dedicated himself to the team, observing other members and providing evaluations and strategies. Setting aside who Akashi was as a person, having someone on the team who, despite being strong, only brought trouble (skipping practice, arriving late, avoiding matches, lacking respect for others, fighting, causing conflicts both inside and outside the club) like Haizaki would leave anyone—regardless of the reason—feeling unsatisfied and wanting to kick them off the team.
Akashi had realized this lack of responsibility and had warned Haizaki many times, but Haizaki only laughed, acted irritated, and mocked that concern.
At this time, only Nijimura—a person who had had similar experiences—could be patient and tolerant toward Haizaki. In the CD drama, there is a conversation that begins with Akashi’s question about Haizaki. When Akashi expressed concern that the senior’s efforts would become meaningless if Haizaki stubbornly refused to change, Nijimura was very calm and said that he himself had no specific expectations; he understood that this affected the whole team and was just asking for a little more time.
This proves that Nijimura was not blind. It was the humanistic perspective of an experienced predecessor, an older brother wanting to use his final remnants of warmth to "redeem" a younger brother who was losing his way.
Next is Nijimura’s response to Akashi’s opinion that Haizaki skipped things out of laziness.
Nijimura: "Delaying giving an answer and just wandering aimlessly... To those who always look straight ahead and walk firmly like you, that would be considered laziness. But the way I see it, his truancy... is more like running away. The key is that he is afraid of tying himself down to a single place."
Drawing from his own past stumbles, Nijimura was able to deduce Haizaki’s motive. He also admitted that he truly believed that one day, Haizaki would change, just as he himself had in the past.
Furthermore, Nijimura posed a question that left Akashi speechless.
Nijimura: "The reason Haizaki joined the basketball club is likely just because he has more talent for basketball than the others. So, if he is always skipping practice, why doesn't he just quit altogether?"
That’s right—everyone knows Haizaki always acts aloof, as if basketball is a cheap hobby and he is ready to give it up at any moment, but do his actions really support that?
Even though he always speaks with indifference, treating basketball as a mere pastime and claiming he is ready to quit at any time, Haizaki’s actions betray him. If he truly loathed it, he would have quit the club long ago instead of wasting time dragging things out, enduring Nijimura’s discipline, or Akashi’s warnings.
Haizaki’s nature is a mix of arrogance and fear. He realizes he has talent, but he is afraid to admit that he is truly serious and loves it, because if he were to be serious and still fail (or be left behind by the other "monsters" of the Generation of Miracles), it would shatter his self-esteem. His skipping practice and acting indifferent serve as a safe shell: "I’m not the best because I don’t try, not because I’m inferior to anyone."
Ultimately, both captains did the best they could within the scope of their responsibilities and ideals. Nijimura gave Haizaki the understanding he deserved as a growing child, while Akashi gave Haizaki a harsh, practical lesson that he was forced to accept upon entering the world of adults.
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