Image by <a href="https://pixabay.com/users/ca_di-1674723/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1206011" class="keychainify-checked">Carola Dittrich</a> from <a href="https://pixabay.com/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=1206011" class="keychainify-checked">Pixabay</a>


![basketball-1206011_1920.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/deeanndmathews/23ydJjxqzTGrhCyzaC3Z3tJrmiLNRjpJGwa4LNnS1Vewsu8Bpm2khsU9wgj5rYk6d1yT2.jpg)


When Thomas Stepforth Sr. was just teenage Tom Stepforth, a neighbor noticed how he got a bird's nest back into a tall tree and then put all the chicks back in it – four leaps up in a row, and three chicks safely at home.  

“You should try out for the high school basketball team, son – I know you're kinda small, but you've got careful hands, and a body made for the air.”

It turned out that Tom Stepforth had a vertical leap of 38 inches, and from a good head start could jump six feet in height and far more than that in length.  That got him on the high school team, where he played solid offense became an absolute terror on defense.  At one game, he rejected a basket so firmly that the scout from Virginia Tech who had heard about him actually had to catch the ball to keep from getting hit in the head with it.  

And that was how Tom Stepforth made it into college, on a basketball scholarship to Virginia Tech, where he played spectacular D1 basketball while finally getting the education and connections that would later lead to his becoming a billionaire as a businessman, not an athlete.  He was indeed too small for the NBA, but in Virginia, “The Airstepper” was a legend so great he nearly got in trouble with an athlete eight years younger who had heard that he had learned his moves from Tom.

“Sir, I never said any of that,” Mr. Stepforth said, putting both hands up in surrender as the world-famous basketball player playfully brought it up.  “You don't need to mop the court with me to make the point, although it would be an honor for me if you felt it needed to be done!”

The two men became good friends, often discussing matters around being wealthy Black men in America working through love, loss, divorce, the loss of a father and mentors, friends, and other things.  Occasionally they played one-on-one.  The younger athlete always won those games, but he appreciated the older businessman's ferocious competitiveness, and his respect: “I train and stay in shape for the honor of not boring you as you win.” 

This, of course, led to a phone call the next time the retired athlete billionaire saw the businessman billionaire in the news for the extraordinary feat of aged athleticism that had saved his and his daughter's life.

“You know, Tom,” he said, “you are *never* boring.  I've posterized a lot of great players, and even some space aliens, but I don't think I've ever posterized a car accident!”

Mr. Stepforth's laughter brightened the entire emergency room at Lofton Dynast Hospital.

“Your Airness,” said Mr. Stepforth, “I so appreciate your call, and that you noticed!”

“Look, man, I learned I had to watch you in our first game when you rejected one of my shots into the next county – as tiny as you are, and eight years older!  But this here? You deserve a promotion, man – henceforth be *Lord* Airstepper!”

“Your Airness, I am honored, and accept the title with grateful humility, knowing you're going to mop the court with me when I get out of here to keep me from getting a big head.”

“Oh, you know that!”

*Meet Mr. Stepforth's good friend, His Airness ...*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAr6oAKieHk