 From Kiminobu Kogure's revelation of Mitsui's prior history with basketball, Hotta realizes that Mitsui deep down wants to play again, and is persuaded by Sakuragi's gang to assume responsibility with them for fighting the team.Though Hotta and his friends failed to win in fights against Sakuragi's gang or even Rukawa, they are portrayed as among the best fighters in Shohoku.Hotta and his cronies later become supporters of the basketball team during the National Championship Tournament (though even they get scared by the aggressiveness of the Toyotama crowd), largely because of their friendship with Mitsui, who they give the epithet .