Masaaki Nakatani

Birthday: June 3 / Age: 40

Coach of the Shūtoku High School basketball team. An English (mainly grammar) teacher. A former member of the Japan national team, his jersey number was 5 during his active years.

He speaks in a drawn-out manner but possesses the tactical insight befitting a coach of a powerhouse school, and he maintains a strict attitude towards his players. He is aware of the risks of having Midorima on the team and allows Midorima to be selfish up to three times a day.

He is an old acquaintance of Kagetora Aida and Harasawa. Kagetora calls him "Marbo," which he does not appreciate. Like Kagetora, he has a wife and daughter.