Norio Hotta runs the delinquent crew at Shohoku—a group of third-year troublemakers who basically own the school's reputation for toughness. He first notices Sakuragi on day one when Sakuragi gets into it with two of his guys, which prompts Hotta to march into his class and challenge him directly. But before Sakuragi's crew can even show up, Hotta and his three friends run into Rukawa on the roof and get completely demolished by him solo.
Despite his street cred, Hotta's closest connection is to Mitsui. He was there backing him up a year prior when Mitsui fought Miyagi, and when Mitsui returns and decides to attack the basketball team with his gang, Hotta provides the muscle again. Once Kogure spills Mitsui's history as a player, Hotta catches on that Mitsui actually misses basketball deep down. After Sakuragi's gang convinces him to take the fall for the attack alongside them, Hotta does it—essentially saving the basketball team from trouble.
What's worth noting is that while Hotta and his friends don't actually win against Sakuragi's crew or Rukawa, they're still considered some of Shohoku's legitimately best fighters. By the time nationals roll around, they've completely switched sides and become dedicated supporters of the basketball team, cheering them on (though even they get shaken by how intense the Toyotama fans are). They even give Mitsui a special nickname—Honoo no Otoko, the "Flaming Man"—a testament to how much his passion for the game means to them.
Content compiled by AnimeList.moe from publicly available sources.
