I always think about Tobio acknowledging Shouyou from their very first meeting. He is the only person in that gym that DIDN& #39;T underestimate him.

From the very beginning he noticed Shouyou& #39;s strengths. "High athletic ability, reflexes, the skills necessary to exercise body control and finally tenacity for victory."

And he has always reiterated this, adding to the list, while making sure Shouyou is fully aware of it.

And at the end of the game, he gave him solid advice and Shouyou stopped crying, as the first part of their promise took shape.

If he were as self-centred and egotistical as people think, he wouldn& #39;t have bothered to do that, he& #39;d have easily said "you suck, go home"

Except he didn& #39;t!
He wasn& #39;t laughing at him for losing his first real game, for promising something seemingly impossible (at that point in time).
He has never ridiculed Shouyou& #39;s goals and has always helped him achieved them-

and it& #39;s /precisely/ through always competing, through making sure Shouyou knows whenever Tobio& #39;s still ahead, hence motivating him to work tenfold harder, to strive even more fiercely to catch up, otherwise Tobio will have /won this time too/.