There was no problem in choosing the person I was to interview on this clear autumn day.
First of all, Kenny Battle's height—officially six feet six—made him stand out in a restaurant crowded with average-sized guys and girls. However, what really drew my attention to the tall man in sunglasses was the diamond-encrusted basketball-and-ring pendant that hung on a thick chain around his neck.
It was certainly an amazing piece of jewelry. But if anyone could make that statement, it would be Battle, the legendary West Aurora High School and University of Illinois athlete who is the only Aurora to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft.
“It’s my love for basketball,” he says, stroking the unique silver collar that flows just above the Air Jordan logo on his red Nike sweatshirt.
“Basketball is who I am. It's what made me who I am today.”
Kenny Battle today, at age 61, is a husband of 31 years, father of six, grandfather of two, youth coach and recently named president of the Chicago Chapter of the National Retired Basketball Players Association.
But what Battle will always be known in this community is the way he played the game – with a non-stop hustle that motivated any team he played for; it inspired fans, even those on the opposite side; and made many coaches admire his endless energy.
All of the above and more were highlighted at a recent Aurora City Council meeting, where Battle was praised for the impact he made during those glory years and for what he has given to youth sports since.
This celebration has been a long time coming, say some West High alumni, including former players who not only attended that board meeting to honor their fellow Blackhawk, but were also featured in a video praising his exceptional talents and leadership.
“Everyone wanted to be like Kenny Battle… Kenny Battle was the GOAT of Aurora,” said Randy Stewart, referring to the acronym that stands for “greatest of all time.”
For Gerald Harris, vivid memories included not only the times “Kenny dunked on me” when he was on the team, but also the time he did the same to Michael Jordan in a summer league game in Chicago that was “so disgusting that everyone in the gym went crazy.”
Scott Younger, who was Battle's teammate at West High, remembers how Kenny “stole the show” with his “shirt dunk” that “still encapsulates what he meant to the game.”
It was, Younger continued, “that burning fire that fueled everything he did on the court… and he never seemed to get tired, never gave up.”
For Kenny Cahill, this is official recognition from the city of Aurora, not only for what Battle meant to the basketball community, but also to the Aurora region as he returned and coached for many years.
Famed former West Aurora coach Gordie Kirkman also contributed to the tribute, releasing an audio recording that recalled how the stands filled to capacity as people from other communities came to watch the Blackhawks standout. And he praised Battle for his effort and enthusiasm, calling him “one of the hardest working athletes I've ever been around.”
Battle told me that he really appreciated the love shown to him at this wake. But he also appreciates what the city itself has meant to him since he arrived in 1979 from Mississippi with his eight siblings and recently widowed mother, who worked two jobs to support her children.
The family lived in Westwood Apartments, where young Kenny was determined to make it to the NBA.
“It was never a question,” Battle insists, attributing that steely determination to his “energetic” mother, who never slowed down or complained about working two jobs: in a factory and on a farm.
“Being the second oldest child, I understood the value of a parent doing what they have to do to take care of their family,” he says. “If my mother never got tired of going to work doing manual labor, why should I get tired of doing what I like, and it’s much easier?”
To say Battle was a talented athlete would be an understatement.
Whether on the basketball court, football field, baseball field or track, he was often considered a man among boys. So it's no surprise that he was on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore, earned college letter baskets as a junior, and as a senior not only set scoring records, leading his team to third place in the IHSA, but also earned the nickname “The 360 King” for his towering dunks.
Because Battle wanted his family to watch him play, he settled on Northern Illinois University, where he averaged 20 points per game. He transferred his freshman year to the University of Illinois after former Western head coach John McDougall was fired as NIU's head coach. It's no surprise that, as captain of the University of Illinois Flyin' Illini team that reached the 1989 NCAA Final Four, he was selected in the upper echelon of that year's NBA draft.
Battle was drafted late in the first round by the Detroit Pistons and then almost immediately traded to the Phoenix Suns. After four seasons in the NBA, including stints with the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, as well as several more years in other professional leagues, Battle, now married with a young son, retired. According to him, this decision was made after a long journey, when he realized that the game he loved would take away from him the only thing that meant even more to him.
“Family will always come first,” Battle insists, noting that his mother and eight siblings are doing great, as are his children, all of whom were standout athletes who were offered Division I scholarships in either football or basketball.
Battle returned to Aurora in 2001 and lived in Plainfield for many years until he and Tiffany moved to Naperville four years ago. In addition to coaching at Illinois Tech, Malcolm X College, Joliet Catholic Academy and his high school, Battle led the KB Hoops youth basketball program in Aurora for about 15 years. He also worked for a number of years with the late Fred Rogers and his youth program under former Mayor Tom Weisner.
Battle says he still has several camps in cities across the state and is committed to starting the basketball program in Aurora again.
“Just when you think you might retire, they bring you back,” he says with a laugh, then notes that he'll likely never hang up those basketball shoes entirely.
Known throughout his illustrious sports career for his all-out style of play, Battle has no plans to change anytime soon, he said. That's one reason he recently took over as president of the Chicago chapter of the National Basketball Retirees Association, which had been dormant for some time.
There is a large “brotherhood” of former players in the Chicago area who are committed to giving back and who understand that by working together they can have a much greater impact, Battle said.
That connection, he adds, is also shared by generations of West Aurora High School athletes who value what it means to be part of Blackhawk's proud heritage.
Which brings me back to the diamond pendant he saw in a department store jewelry case about a year ago.
“As soon as I tried it on,” he says, “I decided it would never fail.”
Like the large cross he also likes to wear, “it’s a symbol that shows who I am,” continues Battle, who then offers a philosophy as bold as the pendant itself.
“It’s the unwillingness to accept something imperfect…failure is never an option.”
