A native of Washington, D.C., he played basketball at McKinley Technical H.S. (where all of his first five teammates received major college scholarships) and was an All-East performer at Rutgers. There he averaged 21 points per game in both 1983-84 and 1984-85. He scored 1,385 points for the Scarlet Knights. The battle played 10 years for the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA, averaging double digits in scoring four different seasons.

After playing in the National Basketball Association for twelve years, he retired and became an entrepreneur. In addition to owning several restaurants in the Jock & Jill’s chain since 1987, he was also the president of a construction and renovation company based in Washington D.C. that specialized in the development of multi-family dwellings, which created modern and affordable housing in the community.

Among his many roles, he was also the president of the Battle Foundation, a community service organization that provides food to the hungry in the Atlanta area. The organization has helped to feed over 60,000 people since it began in 1995. Rev. Battle is a former member of the Newnan Georgia Chamber of Commerce and currently holds membership in the Tyrone Georgia Rotary Club. As a highly sought-after motivational speaker, Rev. Battle has encouraged several groups including prisoners at the Rutgers University Rahway State Prison, The Washington D.C. School Board, and a host of churches and sports organizations. Currently, he focuses on uplifting in the community and enhancing the environmental and economic status of the community. The battle is married to award-winning vocalist Regina Belle.

Like Ms. Edwards, John fully shares our vision and is committed to contributing to the efforts of the CBA.