But Davids always find their ways to slay Goliaths. Cheeky ways, if you are basketball’s ball-handler.

Romil and Milay Haria, shorter still at 4’5” alongside team-mate Moses (another shortie, as they get called) stand out in the Don Bosco hoopsters’ mini teams, since they stand so small. But unleash them on the court, and their clean, quick dribbling stands out against the taller guns.

Playing a mini-tournament recently at the Late Bachhoo Khan courts, the two won a hearty applause from the goodly crowd at Nagpada - which watched the pint-sized twosome attack from the two flanks_a fake here, a steal there_adding up to some exasperated grunts from rivals. Quick passing _ the cheeky low-passes that so annoy the big boys_ the two managed to cause the only distress to their opponents.

“Fine dribblers with a good basketball sense. But I hope they grow up. They are small even for minis!” said former great Abbas Moontasir, who himself at 5’11’’ had defied size to pulverise hulking rivals. A day later, American David Jones - a shooting specialist flown down from San Antonio, was praising Haria’s shooting-posture, pointing to firmly-grounded fundamentals. The 6’1” who missed out on the big-league, often snidely reminded of the slight height (by NBA standards), was later seen urging the Bosco gathering: “No matter who you are, what size you are. If you want to, you can do very well by working extremely hard.”

“I’ll be what I am - I know I won’t shoot up to being a 6’7” or someone,” says Khuthia, who started the game with the junior Hoppers team, and is a regular at Indian Gymkhana’s courts.

“I don’t want to grow too tall because I like dribbling, and being a giant won’t help,” coddles Milay, who’s earned the reputation of faking some of the biggest boys in the schools’ hoop-business, and is serious about taking his hobby further.