Kenny Battle

Kenneth R. Battle (born October 10, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player.

High school career In 1984, Battle led Aurora West High School to third place in the Illinois High School Association Class AA state basketball tournament. Battle led the tournament with 86 points in four games for third-place finisher Aurora West.

In 2007, the Illinois High School Association named Battle one of the 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament.

College career Battle played collegiately at Northern Illinois University from 1984 to 1986 before transferring to the University of Illinois. He was known as "King of the 360s" while playing at Northern Illinois. He was the captain of the 1989 Illinois team nicknamed the Flyin' Illini. The team reached the Final Four before being topped by Michigan. Battle was a fan favorite due to his hustle and spectacular slam dunks. The Illini awards the Kenny Battle Inspirational Award to the player who shows the most hustle during the season.

Professional career Battle was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the 1st round (27th overall) of the 1989 NBA draft and then traded on draft day to the Phoenix Suns along with Micheal Williams in exchange for the Suns' first round draft choice (24th overall pick), Anthony Cook. Battle played in 4 NBA seasons for the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors. His best year as a pro came during the 1991-92 NBA season when he split time with the Suns and Nuggets, appearing in 56 games and averaging 6.1 ppg. However, Battle's best game as a pro came on November 10, 1990, when he scored 23 points on 8/14 shooting in a Suns 173 – 143 victory over the Nuggets. Prior to that, he competed in the 1990 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, where he finished in last place (8th).

Battle won a Continental Basketball Association (CBA) championship with the La Crosse Catbirds in 1992.

Battle briefly joined the Fargo-Moorhead Beez of the International Basketball Association in 2000. Currently Kenny is the director of basketball at Camp Judaea in Hendersonville, North Carolina.

Honors

Basketball 1985–96 – NABC National Dunker of the Year 1985 – 2nd Team All-Mid-American Conference 1985 – Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year 1985 – Honorable Mention All American 1986 – Youngest player in MAC History to Reach 1,000 Career Points. 1986 – 1st Team All-Mid-American Conference 1986 – Honorable Mention All American 1987 – Illini Co-MVP 1988 – 3rd Team All-Big Ten 1988 – Honorable Mention All American 1989 – Team Co-Captain 1989 – Preseason Wooden Award Nominee 1989 – 2nd Team All-Big Ten 1989 – Honorable Mention All American 1989 – NCAA All-Regional Team 1989 – Kenny Battle Leadership Award 1996 – Inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame as a player. 2000 – Named to the Northern Illinois University All-Century Team. 2004 – Elected to the "Illini Men's Basketball All-Century Team". 2008 – Honored jersey which hangs in the State Farm Center to show regard for being the most decorated basketball players in the University of Illinois' history.

Career statistics

College

Northern Illinois University

University of Illinois

Combined college statistics SeasonGamesPointsPPGField GoalsAttemptsAvgFree ThrowsAttemptsAvgReboundsAvgAssistsAPGStealsSPG1984–891232,18417.88111,425.569553806.6866995.72371.92882.3

NBA Source

Regular season

Playoffs