Basketball: Former Tall Black, New Zealand Breaker Kirk Penney inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame 

Former Tall Black and Breaker Kirk Penney has been inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2024, alongside some big names in the game including USA's Reggie Miller and Serbian Predrag Stojakovic.  

Penney is the second New Zealander to be inducted after current Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron was honoured in 2017.  

Seven players and one coach are being formally recognised for their contributions to basketball this year and will take part in an enshrinement ceremony in Singapore in September.  

Penney is being honoured for serving the Tall Blacks with distinction at two Olympic Games and four World Cups.  

The shooting guard played for New Zealand between 1999 and 2014, captaining New Zealand in 21 of the 179 games he played.  

One of only three New Zealanders to feature in the NBA, Penney made his New Zealand debut as an 18-year-old and quickly cemented himself in the side during a golden run for the national team.  

During that time the Tall Blacks played at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished fourth at the 2002 FIBA World Champs and played at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The team also featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain - in what will prove to be Penney's swansong at the top level.  

Penney also played 158 games for the New Zealand Breakers during two separate stints with the franchise.

Joining Penney on the list of inductees is former Olympic and World Cup winner Miller who is especially revered for his NBA contributions across 18 seasons in the league where he tallied 25,000 points, helped by 2560 three-pointers and five NBA All-Star appearances.  

The FIBA Hall of Fame was created in 2007 and has already seen the induction of 184 Hall of Famers from 45 countries and all five continents to date.  

The Hall of Fame is based in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Former Tall Black and Breaker Kirk Penney has been inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2024, alongside some big names in the game including USA's Reggie Miller and Serbian Predrag Stojakovic.  

Penney is the second New Zealander to be inducted after current Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron was honoured in 2017.  

Seven players and one coach are being formally recognised for their contributions to basketball this year and will take part in an enshrinement ceremony in Singapore in September.  

Penney is being honoured for serving the Tall Blacks with distinction at two Olympic Games and four World Cups.  

The shooting guard played for New Zealand between 1999 and 2014, captaining New Zealand in 21 of the 179 games he played.  

One of only three New Zealanders to feature in the NBA, Penney made his New Zealand debut as an 18-year-old and quickly cemented himself in the side during a golden run for the national team.  

During that time the Tall Blacks played at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, finished fourth at the 2002 FIBA World Champs and played at the 2004 Athens Olympics. The team also featured at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain - in what will prove to be Penney's swansong at the top level.  

Penney also played 158 games for the New Zealand Breakers during two separate stints with the franchise.

Joining Penney on the list of inductees is former Olympic and World Cup winner Miller who is especially revered for his NBA contributions across 18 seasons in the league where he tallied 25,000 points, helped by 2560 three-pointers and five NBA All-Star appearances.  

The FIBA Hall of Fame was created in 2007 and has already seen the induction of 184 Hall of Famers from 45 countries and all five continents to date.  

The Hall of Fame is based in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.