MICHAEL KENNEDY – Advanced Basketball Skills Instructor
Achievements: 15 year pro/ 2004 and 2005 Nike Toronto Battlegrounds 2-time finalist
Alma Mater: San Diego State 1985
High School: Kingston College – Kingston, Jamaica
Favorite Workout: Walking
Michael Kennedy (born in Kingston, Jamaica) is a former professional basketball player who played 15 years in Europe. A 6'9 forward from San Diego State Kennedy played in Spain, France, Turkey, Israel and Taiwan.
Whether it was NBA training camps, pick-up at Pauley Pavilion, summer leagues at Rucker Park, DC Coalition, Fondie in Houston or the LA Summer Pro League, Michael Kennedy has played and trained with the likes of Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Ralph Sampson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Magic Johnson, Rick Carlyle, Byron Scott, Reggie Miller, Shaun Kemp, Manute Bol, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Dikembe Mutombo, Mark Ivaroni, Patrick Ewing, Reggie Theus, Rodney McCray, Tiny Archibald, Mike Di Antonio, Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre, Dominiq Wilkins, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, James Worthy, Michael Cooper, World B Free, Alonzo Mourning, and Leon Wood, to name a few.
If there is one basketball skill development instructor who was born to play and teach the game of basketball, it’s Michael Kennedy. A vintage soul reincarnate Mike Kennedy is one of the most well conditioned basketball players of our time. Standing 6’9” 267 lbs, this mammoth of a human being still rocks hoops with the best of them and teaches the game from a player’s perspective based on his past professional career.
An international instructor Michael has been involved with basketball development on a worldwide basis Bill Fitch (Head Coach, Houston Rockets- circa 1980’s) once referred to Mike as a “Freak of a human being with claws for hands”. This comment came about because of Michael’s unique turnaround jump-shot. If you have ever played against Michael or guarded him on the post you would understand why Coach Fitch made that comment back in 1987. To say that Kennedy has a unique way of playing and training players is an understatement. Built like a ton of bricks it’s evident why Michael is so high about players and their conditioning.
A big proponent of demonstration, Michael works just as hard as his player during camp demonstrating each technique to the point so his students don’t miss a beat.
A team-mate of Michael Cage at San Diego State, Kennedy played a major role in the university’s first trip to March Madness in 1985. Michael recorded 22 points and 14 Rebounds in the WAC conference tournament championship game, which led SDSU to its first NCAA birth.
After San Diego State, Michael moved on to playing pro ball internationally with pre-season stints with Houston and Philadelphia.
In 2004 and 2005 at the tender age of 40 and 41 Mr. Kennedy was back-to-back finalist in the Toronto Nike Battlegrounds one-on-one championship proving without a margin of a doubt that age is nothing but a number! Spectators witness Michael display extreme levels of focus and concentration and pure basketball skill-set to advance to the finals of this hardcore hoops competition 2 years in a row. Michael Kennedy, a landmark in the sport of basketball.
THIS IS YOUR ADVANCED BASKETBALL SKILLS INSTRUCTOR!
