Norio Hotta is a third-year student at Shohoku High School who serves as the leader of a gang of delinquents that are widely regarded as the most formidable fighters in the school. He first appears on the opening day of the school year when he notices Hanamichi Sakuragi getting into a scuffle with two of his underlings, prompting Hotta to directly challenge Sakuragi by interrupting one of his classes. Shortly after this, before Sakuragi and his own group can arrive to back him up, Hotta and his cronies encounter Kaede Rukawa on the school rooftop, and Rukawa single-handedly knocks out all four of them. Despite these losses in physical confrontations, Hotta and his gang are portrayed as being among the toughest brawlers at Shohoku. Hotta is a close and loyal friend of Hisashi Mitsui. He supported Mitsui when Mitsui challenged Ryota Miyagi to a fight about a year before the main story, and he later provides muscle for Mitsui again after Miyagi returns to school, joining Mitsui in an attack on the basketball team. However, when Kiminobu Kogure reveals Mitsui's past as a basketball player, Hotta comes to understand that Mitsui truly wants to play the sport again deep down. He is persuaded by Sakuragi's group to share the blame for the attack on the basketball team, which allows the team members themselves to avoid punishment for fighting. After this turning point, Hotta and his gang become enthusiastic supporters of the Shohoku basketball team, largely out of their friendship with Mitsui, to whom they give the nickname Honoo no Otoko, meaning Flaming Man. During the National Championship Tournament, they attend the games as fans, even being intimidated by the aggressive Toyotama crowd. Hotta's role in the story is that of an antagonist who transitions into a steadfast ally, and his development is defined by his growing recognition of Mitsui's true passion for basketball and his own capacity for loyalty and personal growth beyond delinquent behavior.