Battle forces new 'old' breed of basketball into Aurora

He starred at the University of Illinois and enjoyed a successful NBA career, but Kenny Battle has one more dream to lasso - owning and coaching his own professional basketball team.

And he's doing it in his hometown of Aurora.

Battle, now 43, is bringing a new version of the American Basketball Association to town with the formation of his own team, the Aurora Force.

Play in the 48-team league, which has no relation to the original ABA that disbanded in 1976 other than the red, white and blue ball, begins in December.

The Force will call the Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., home when it competes against teams from Chicago, Cleveland, Dayton, St. Louis and Gary.

"I'm continuing my dream and staying connected to the game I love by bringing a semiprofessional team into my hometown," Battle said. "Aurora has always been a very basketball-minded city so this is a great opportunity for myself, the city and the young men that will play here."

Rosters won't be set for a few more weeks but Battle expects a majority of his players to be products of the basketball systems at East and West Aurora high schools.

While none of them may ever crack the NBA, Battle said he hopes his players will get video to shop themselves to international and developmental leagues such as the Continental Basketball Association.

Battle hearkened back to his days as a standout on West Aurora's 1984 Class AA third-place team and a starter on Lou Henson's Illini Final Four team in 1989 before entering the NBA.

"I was lucky and I made it to the top and played with the best of the best, but not every talented young basketball player has that opportunity," Battle said. "By starting this team and bringing it to Aurora, we are giving guys a chance to yearn for that as part of their goals. They'll now have an opportunity to play for the hometown squad."

City officials are welcoming Battle with open arms, if not an open checkbook. Assistant Chief of Staff Chuck Nelson met with Battle earlier this summer to see how the city can help with either money or in-kind donations.

"We fully support Kenny's efforts to bring professional basketball to Aurora but we haven't determined what assistance we can offer," Nelson said. "Revenue is down this year and 2009 doesn't look any better so everything comes down to priorities."

Nelson said a city filled with storied histories of basketball rivalries will be quick to support Battle's efforts and the team.

"The man has devoted his whole life to this game," Nelson said. "Kenny knows this will be an uphill battle but he wants to own and operate a basketball team and he's doing it. Kudos to him."

Joe Newman, co-founder of the new ABA, said he plans to help smooth the way for Battle's success in Aurora, making it less of an "uphill" venture.

"Working with pros like Kenny is one of our goals as a league," Newman said. "Owning a professional team is a positive thing and something we like to see players achieve so we bend over backward to accommodate owners like Kenny."

Newman said the league office provides marketing and business plans and leaves it up to the team to execute them.

"Right now, Kenny has the tools he needs to build a classy, professional organization that Aurora can be proud of," Newman said. "And he has to because anything less will not be successful.

" At (5 feet 8 inches) I'm not a basketball expert but I know if you're going to do business right."

Battle said he has taken the league's plan to heart and will start by building his team with "character guys." His players, he said, will organize reading programs in schools, visit sick children in hospitals and host basketball clinics.

"To play for me these guys will have to work hard, have good character, always be respectful to the fans and abide by the rules of the game," he said.

Newman said Battle will have no problem finding those guys who play "for the love of the game" with salaries ranging from $100 to $500 a contest with 30 games played over a four-month season.

The harder part will be generating enough local sponsorship revenue to keep the team on its feet in the early going. Both Battle and league officials hope that money will come in once the community sees the talent on the court.

"Your city will be awe-struck by the talent," Newman said. "I'm willing to say any ABA team, especially one Kenny fields in Chicago, can beat the bench of any NBA team out there."

ABA rules

Some unique rules you'll need to know when watching the Aurora Force beginning this December:

3-D Rule

When the 3-D Rule is on, an additional point is added to the point value of a field goal. The 3-D Rule remains on until the team scores; attempts a free throw for a personal foul; or the other team gains control of the ball.

The rule goes into effect when the offensive team loses possession of the ball while in the backcourt or the ball goes out of bounds after touching the frontcourt.

6th Foul Rule

When a player has committed a sixth foul he may continue to participate in the game as a Sixth Foul Player. When a Sixth Foul Player commits a personal foul, the penalty is one free throw for the other team, plus the ball for a throw-in at a designated spot, nearest the foul.

3-10 & Out overtime rule

Overtime starts with a jump ball and consists of one three-minute period. If the game is still tied after three minutes, the first team to score 10 points wins.