"R-E-S-P-E-C-T"
I must admit I never saw myself writing this column. Not this column as in The Real Deal, but this particular column, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T". But we all change, and I have realized some things about myself, who I am and who I want to be and really am.

What the hell am I talking about? Well, as you all read in my last column, I had a lot of things to say about one PureSugar of the Killer Bees. Now, obviously off the court me and him are very close, but I chose to say a lot of things about him on the court, as he did about me. And now I realize that disrespect on the court is hard to contain, and that sooner or later it seeps into your life off the court as well.

I have a lot of respect for Pure. Here is a guy who's about 5'3", maybe an inch or two taller. I'm maybe average height for our league, and I'm 5'11", eight inches taller. Not to mention such players as Courtney Thomas, who has about a thirteen inch advantage. But this isn't "Feel Sorry For The Short Guy". There's more to Pure than "overcoming height".

Pure didn't really seriously start to play basketball til about 1997. Before then he would sheepishly include himself in a game or two back at the house on Franklin Avenue, where we played the first HBL installment that year. When it came to start the HBL in 97, we didn't even think about him. I mean, he wasn't a player, right? Just a guy to make sure we have enough people?

In the spring of 1998, me and current Killer Bee, Shooter, received an unexpected surprise, to say the least. For some reason, we figured something in the water, Joker and Pure (then called "Crash") wanted to challenge US, the HBL champs? We laughed, we accepted, we...got our asses handed to us. Pure had a knack for getting the ball to Dad no matter how well guarded, and an even bigger knack for nailing wide open jumpers after he would sneak out of my eyesight. So what Pure did is basically, in one year, went from someone who hardly played the game to a serious threat in the HBL!

How did he do that? Going out to the street to shoot on the portable hoop, day in, day out. Making up free-throw shooting games to keep himself busy, honing a deadly shot and becoming a player. And then, in the 1998 season, he surprised everyone by aiding Joker (then "Batz") to a 4-4 finish, and a first place tie. They were the complete underdogs. I mean imagine it, Jay and Bryce, me and Shooter, and Joker and Pure? You bet. Pure was there to do whatever had to be done, and had already earned himself the title of Team Player of the year. Not to mention a budding clutch shooter as well.

Last year, Pure amazed us as much as anyone in the league. I mean the shots he would calmly swish in crunch time were unbelievable. I remember a game last year, against the SabreCats...The Cats were undefeated through two weeks, seemingly unbeatable! The lowly Lightning had taken them into overtime somehow. Oh, that's right, Pure hit a late three to take a three point lead with under ten seconds left. Joker answered the call with a three and we're in OT. Now, Bryce is a great player, but Pure sealed the deal. With Joker in his face both times, and about a minute left, Pure hit two threes in a row to put the Lightning from up 2 to up 8, and put the nail in the coffin. That's clutch.

How about the 1999 HBL Finals? Pure hit an unbelievable 42% on threes while being guarded, hacked at, and watched very closely. Even with the size deficit and the Cats looking for him to shoot, he managed to not only get his shots, but make them. Oh, and let's not forget he was tied for most steals in the Finals as well.

One more thing: Pure is one of the smartest players I've ever played with or against. He knows just where to cut to lose his man off the ball, when to set the pick and when to clear out, and has overcome his size to even give Joker problems in the post. With no organized non-HBL basketball experience to draw on, he just knows what to do.

Skeptics (I know you're out there) will call this me being on Pure's "jock" or kissing up. Well, that's fine. Stay bitter. But that's not what this is. I'm treating an amazing story and person the way they should be treated, with respect. Pure has basically been playing basketball for about three years now, and shoots threes as well as anyone in the league. He's always added new facets to his game, including driving to the hole on guys with a foot of height on him, and taking punishment from much larger guys while playing defense in the post. As for me, I'm taking a new attitude. I don't need to have contempt for others to be competitive. I can be competitive without talking trash or starting arguments. And I don't think I should hide my feelings of respect for each and every talented HBL player, and we all are. And PureSugar is as worthy of my and your respect out there as anyone in this league.

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