Shirley Takamoto

Shirley Takamoto
(Jaguar, F/G)
ID# 784

Drawn by Ada
No. 11 – Williamsburg Minutemen
Position	Swingfur
Species	Jaguar ( Felidae )
Gender	Female
Nickname(s)
Samba
Personal information
Born	(1992-10-25) October 25, 1992 Marietta, GA
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Shoots	Right
Career information
School	Atlanta Felidae University
FBA draft	2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall
Selected by the Pittsburgh Keystones
Pro playing career	2014–present
Career history
2014-Feb. 2021	Pittsburgh Keystones
Feb. 2021-2022	Edmonton Excavators
2022-present	Williamsburg Minutemen
Contract information
Contract year	2021
2023 Salary	$10 million
2024 Salary	$10 million
Player Contacts
(IC) Agent	Unknown
(OOC) Creator	Sam Gwosdz
(OOC) Actor	Sam Gwosdz
(OOC) Usage	Ask me before any use

Biography

Shirley Takamoto is a unique mix of three cultures. She was born in Marietta, Georgia to a Japanese father, Kosuke Takamoto, and a Brazilian mother, Erika da Silva, both jaguars. Takamoto and da Silva met in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They eventually married and, shortly after, at Erika's wishes, the couple emigrated to the United States and settled in the Brazilian-influenced section of Marietta, Georgia.

Shirley was born in 1992. Her pretty black hair and bright brown eyes and almost-constant smile made her the talk of the small neighborhood for a little while. Kosuke and Erika both became American citizens six years later. The family had a modest living. Kosuke worked diligently as an electronics technician while Erika stayed home to take care of Shirley. She learned to speak in three languages: English, Japanese and Portuguese, picked up from American media and each of her parents.

As Shirley grew up, she discovered just how dear each of her parents held their native cultures. Her father was very proper on manners and face and prayed at a small shrine every day. Her mother held tradition and expression even more importantly than her husband did and took a large interest in her daughter's appearance. . This resulted in Shirley developing interesting facets to her personality: she is very polite to her seniors and also has impeccable Japanese-style table manners. Shirley never forgets important dates and is kind and respectful to those she encounters, as well. The jaguar also knows when it's time to celebrate and makes it memorable for those that witness it, in a good way. She also takes care of her looks, preferring a style with no makeup.

On some occasions, however, Takamoto felt torn between cultures, as she began to notice when she was a teenager. Kosuke and Erika were just fundamentally different in their personalities, she realized, and it pained her to catch them debating and sometimes arguing on how to properly raise her. To a degree, she also felt this pull in school. Because even though she was reasonably adjusted, she occasionally wondered what it was like to be a real American. She found basketball as a good step to realizing acceptance and gaining confidence in that regard.

Being in the Atlanta area, the local basic cable package carried two stations that broadcast Tennessee Moonshiners and Huntsville Mayors games. While Takamoto remembers Jackson Price (Fisher, G, retired) and a young Saul Tortuga (Otter, C, retired), the most vivid memory for her is of Tennessee's Carlos Fernandes (Jaguar, F, retired). Her mother seemed to like his gregarious personality and smooth moves as a forward. Fernandes inspired Shirley to beg her father to set up a real basketball hoop in their driveway. He agreed, seeing as it was a way for Shirley to improve her own talents.

And improve she did.

Shirley's skills grew and grew as she spent countless hours training with her hoops and playing in her own driveway, with neighbors and Marietta High School. She developed a strong jumpshot and drive to the hoop as her deceptively strong frame allowed her to create space and bully just about anyone inside. With that ability to create space, her jump shot became nearly unstoppable. On defense, her stealing and deceptive speed is a deadly combination as it allows her to create her own fast break. With her ability to create her own space, she can grab a lot of rebounds as well. Takamoto never flinches in her assignment when there are few seconds left on the clock. Few were more supportive than her, as she was always ready with a congratulatory pat on the shoulder or a quick word of advice.

The downside to her game is that she is not good with passing at all; her floor vision is better for setting screens and moving to get the ball. Her ability to block is below average as she prefers to have a little space while she works. Because she doesn't pass well, the offense can stall if she doesn't have a play when she has the ball. Thus, she has a hard time creating her own shot if she can't dribble again. Nevertheless, her positive tactics allowed Takamoto to flourish at small Atlanta Felidae University of just a student-body of 7,500. She became the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder during her four years there as a leader of the Torches. During her senior seson, she led the Torches to their first-ever FCAA tournament appearance. Even though they were defeated in the first round, it was a landmark time for the school. Takamoto majored in business and minored in theater, so as to have a backup with her hobby and family.

If there is one other huge thing that Takamoto has, it's a flair for showmanship while on the court. After hitting a jumper during her freshman year, she pulled off a very unique-looking dance as she jogged backwards that it was immediately dubbed the "Samba Shimmy" and several teammates tried to emulate it with varying degrees of success. Occasionally, she has been asked to tone the antics down, but it was hard to, seeing as she fundamentally found them harmless. That might turn off some furs. Off the court, Takamoto has also showcased her joy for the samba, performing in full costume during Carnaval time. She has even performed during some halftimes at Torches home games. That, combined with her antics, gave her the well-earned nickname "Samba". After Takamoto declared for the FBA Draft, her father Kosuke spoke to her personally: "Always chase your dreams. There's no limit to what you can do if you work hard every single day." Truer words were never spoken.