Note: The Fairfield University men's basketball will travel to Italy for a 10-day basketball tour that includes three games against Italian national teams. To preview the trip, the program will look back on Fairfield's ties to the country throughout the week, beginning with today's feature on Art Kenney '68. 

                A Hollywood legend, a middle school friend, and a high school teacher all played a role in Art Kenney's desire to visit Europe, namely Italy and France. The three individuals spurred a desire within the New York City native that drove him not only to achieve his goal of playing basketball overseas, but to earning accolades, winning championships, and seeing his number retired.

                His exposure started when he was a young child as Gene Kelly danced his away around Paris in the film "An American in Paris", touching off Kenney's imagination of the world outside the Big Apple. A few years later as a seventh-grader, Kenney met Mauro Sandanopoli and his family who moved from Milano to New York City.

                "Mauro and I became good friends, Kenney recalled. "I would go to his father's barbershop and he would cut my hair. I learned things about Italy through him."

The final piece was put in place when a high school teacher showed slides of a summer trip to Paris as a way to introduce Kenney and his classmates to France.

"As a high school student, I was a member of the French Club," Kenney said. "I was further intrigued and attracted to France when Mr. Hollihan brought in those slides of his summer trip to Paris and showed them to us before classes began."

                But like every child, Kenney put those dreams aside as he grew older and started to focus on the life that was before him. And, that life brought him to Fairfield University where he would play basketball under Head Coach George Bisacca. Kenney certainly had strong basketball acumen before arriving in Connecticut, playing at basketball powerhouse Power Memorial alongside a center by the name of Lew Alcindor. Alcindor, who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, would go on to win six NBA championships with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

                However, Kenney's basketball prowess continued to develop under Bisacca. The statistics flush out his improvement with each year to the point that Kenney was one of the team's top rebounders year in and year out, finishing his career with just under 500 rebounds in 69 games (7.1 rpg). His play around the glass also resulted in nearly 600 points over the course of his career.

                But it was Kenney's tenacity that was his greatest attribute on the hardwood, and that trait along with his ability to score and rebound would resurrect his dream of playing in France or Italy.

                "At the end of my senior year, Coach Bisacca spent time talking to me about the possibility of playing basketball in Italy," Kenney said. "And through those conversations, I received an invitation to try out for the Gulf Oil All Stars coached by Jim McGregor for a summer tour to South and Central America, followed by Europe with stops in Greece, Croatia, and France."

                During training camp, McGregor saw that Kenney had what it would take to play professionally overseas and asked if he would like to play basketball in Le Mans, a request that Kenney quickly affirmed.

                "During the Central American part of the tour, we played three exhibition games against the Panamanian National Team who were preparing for the Olympics in Mexico City," Kenney said. "In Naples, we had three scrimmages against the Italian National Team. Toward the end of the tour, we played an exhibition game in Barcelona against the Spanish National Team and I caused some problems when I broke a backboard on a dunk attempt."
                When the tour ended, Kenney considered returning to Fairfield University for a year of graduate school but McGregor offered another invitation to play with the TWA All-Stars, an offer that Kenney accepted.

                With part of his dream of playing in France fulfilled, Kenney still felt the pull of Italy and began to focus on making his way to that country. As he did throughout his young life, Kenney worked his way to that end by earning a roster spot with Simmenthal Milano.

                "I had seen Simmenthal Milano defeat Slavia Prague in Bologna in 1966," Kenney said. "The game was of interest since Bill Bradley played for Simmenthal Milano and it was broadcast on ABC's Wide World of Sports."

                Under the guidance of Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Cesare Rubini, Kenney would help Simmenthal Milano win 84 percent of its games over a three-year run that included winning the Italian League championship (1972), the European Cup of Cups (1971 and 1972), and the Italian Cup (1972).

                "With the three victories in the finals of 1972 (League, Cup of Cups and Italian Cup), we won a 'Piccolo Slam' and were awarded the Key to the City by the Mayor of Milano, Aldo Aniasi," Kenney said.

                During his time with Simmenthal Milano, Kenney scored 1,016 points, shot 53 percent from the floor, averaged 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game.

                "I was the last line of defense and my teammates and fans all appreciated my efforts," Kenney said. "The team appreciated that I recognized their strong offensive abilities and that my efforts focused on improving their stats by setting blocks, screens, and picks to free them up. On the defensive side, having focused on rebounding and defense at Fairfield helped me shore-up Simmenthal's defense."

                While his Fairfield background helped him in most instances on the court, there was one time that his Jesuit education cost him and his team.

                "I received a technical foul for saying a bad word under my breath, which I thought was only uttered to myself for a bone-head play I made," Kenney recalled. "The venue was a converted church (the Misericordia in Venice). My complaint was that the referee did not issue the technical. Instead, the technical and a one-game suspension were issued by the priest sitting at the scorer's table along with a penance. Coming from a Jesuit school, the priest said I should have better conduct."

                Despite the brief lapse, Kenney was well appreciated during his career in Italy. So much so, Olympia Milano retired his number 18 in May, 2013, becoming the first player to have a retired number by the team. Olympia Milano, which Kenney calls the "New York Yankees of Italian Basketball", is owned by Giorgio Armani. Two years later, Mike D'Antoni became the second and last Milano player to have his number retired.

                Kenney still keeps close ties with many of his coaches, teammates, and friends from his career in Italy. He continues to return to Italy as often as possible, and is immediately put to work by serving on panels, working with youth, and serving as an ambassador for the game in the country.

                "Last year, Olimpia Milano celebrated their 80th anniversary," Kenney said. "The press conference for the event was on my 70th birthday and what a present they gave me when they asked me to serve on the panel with Naismith Hall of Fame player Dino Meneghin, who was a rival when I played, and Hall of Fame coach Sandro Gamba. The next day, Dino and I were the first alumni players introduced to the packed crowd. Both players and fans embraced me."

                A movie theater, a barber shop, and a classroom may not be the most glamorous places to start a dream. But those settings spun a dream that has lasted 50 years, a dream that lives on for Art Kenney.