May 23, 9:53 PM

Ducks tumble to 2-15

Streetballer Gill tests pro waters

BY JOHN CALKINS
FLORIDA TODAY

MELBOURNE -- He's not a basketball player, he's a baller.

He doesn't pass, he drops dimes.

He's "White Chocolate," and if you're a fan of traditional, fundamental basketball, stop reading right now.

Randy "White Chocolate" Gill made his second appearance with the Brevard Blue Ducks on Sunday, playing only three minutes and taking only two shots.

The Ducks lost the game, falling to 2-15 with a 109-97 loss to the Brooklyn Kings.

Gill, a streetballer by trade, is testing the waters of professional basketball to see if he can make the transition from the streets to the hardwood.

Most of all, he just wants to prove himself.

"I get paid a lot of money to play basketball," he said. "I come down here to play for nothing, just to prove I can play."

When he's not a Blue Duck, Gill travels around the country, flaunting his street skills at major cities.

Streetball, a playground game which developed in New York in the 1940s and has stretched to thousands of cities worldwide, is basketball with flexible rules, allowing players the freedom to show their creativity in one-on-one and team situations without stopping play for minor violations.

Originally from Washington D.C., he got national exposure when he was selected as one of 12 players to compete on MTV's "Who's Got Game" -- a reality show hosted by Magic Johnson.

After going undefeated on the show, Gill won the competition and collected the grand prize of $100,000.

"To meet Magic and for him to have his hands on me was a great experience," Gill said. "I dominated that show."

Domination is something that comes naturally for the 26-year-old.

Just ask Indiana Pacers point guard Jamaal Tinsley.

"This summer, I was playing in a tournament at Rucker Park," Gill said. "I had a great game. I was playing against Jamaal Tinsley and I put up 38 (points) on him."

Blue Ducks owner Mike Richman is happy to have the energetic Gill suit up.

"Randy may be a street baller, but he's got a tremendous basketball IQ," Richman said. "He knows when to pass and when to shoot."

Gill played college ball at Maryland's Bowie State, which he led to its first winning season in 2000. Not only did college help his growth as a basketball player, it's where he says he got his alias.

"I played on an all-black team in an all-black conference," Gill said. "So they just started calling me 'White Chocolate.' "

So, which does he prefer -- the street or the hardwood?

"Basketball is basketball," he says. "But I don't play fake basketball, I play real basketball."

Contact Calkins at 242-3688 or e-mail sports@flatoday.net

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