Kirk Penney

Kirk Penney
Kirk Penney
Born	November 23, 1980 (age 45); Milford, Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	1998–2018, 2022
Known for	Highest scorer for New Zealand national basketball team; 12th all-time scorer at FIBA Basketball World Cup; FIBA Hall of Fame inductee (2024)

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kirk Penney, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

Kirk Samuel Penney (born 23 November 1980) is a retired professional basketball player from New Zealand, distinguished as the highest scorer ever for the New Zealand national team and holding the 12th position in all-time scoring at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. In 2024, he was honored with induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

Penney's collegiate career spanned four years with the Wisconsin Badgers (1999–2003), where he earned two first-team all-conference distinctions along with All-American accolades. He became only the second New Zealander to compete in the NBA, making brief appearances for the Miami Heat in 2003 and later for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2005. His professional journey overseas included playing in Spain, the NBA Development League, Israel, Lithuania, Germany, and Turkey. Notably, Penney spent six seasons with the New Zealand Breakers competing in Australia's NBL, where he was awarded the MVP in 2009, secured four straight All-NBL First Team honors, led the league in scoring on three occasions, and contributed to winning an NBL championship in 2011.

On the international stage, Penney represented New Zealand at both the Sydney and Athens Olympic Games. He posted averages of 16.9 points during the 2002 World Championships and elevated his scoring to 24.7 points per game at the 2010 World Championships.

Early life

Penney was born in Milford, a suburb of Auckland. He attended Westlake Boys High School and played junior basketball within the North Harbour Basketball Association. At age 17, he joined their team in the New Zealand NBL, known then as the North Harbour Kings, during the 1998 season. That year, he earned recognition as the NZNBL Rookie of the Year and helped lead his team to the grand final. He continued to play for the Kings through the 1999 and 2000 seasons.

College career

During his freshman year (1999–2000) with the Wisconsin Badgers, Penney played a supporting role but contributed to their run to the NCAA Final Four, averaging 3.7 points and 1.4 rebounds across 34 games. In his sophomore season (2000–01), he elevated his performance to become the team's second-highest scorer, averaging 11.2 points per game.

In the 2001–02 season under head coach Bo Ryan, Penney led Wisconsin with averages of 15.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. His efforts helped secure a share of the Big Ten championship and earned him first-team All-Big Ten honors.

Penney's senior year (2002–03) saw further improvement as he averaged 16.2 points along with six rebounds per game while guiding Wisconsin to an outright Big Ten regular-season championship. He repeated as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and received honorable mention as an All-American. Over his collegiate career, Penney made 217 three-pointers, placing him third all-time in Wisconsin program history.

NBA and European leagues (2003–2007)

After going undrafted in the highly contested 2003 NBA draft, Penney participated in the Orlando Pro Summer League representing the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he led in three-point shooting accuracy. He secured a contract with Minnesota in September but was released prior to the regular season commencing. In November, Penney signed with the Miami Heat, marking his NBA debut and becoming only the second player from New Zealand to compete in the league, following Sean Marks. However, after just two appearances, he was waived when the Heat acquired Tyrone Hill.

Following his release, Penney transferred to Spain to play for Gran Canaria for the remainder of the 2003–04 campaign, where he averaged 10.6 points and 2.1 rebounds across 24 contests in the Liga ACB.

In mid-2004, Penney took part in Summer League competitions with both Minnesota and Chicago. He was then chosen sixth overall in the 2004 NBA Development League Draft by the Asheville Altitude. Demonstrating strong early performances, he earned an NBA call-up from the Los Angeles Clippers, appearing in four games and scoring two points before being waived in January 2005. Subsequently, he returned to Asheville, playing a key role in securing the NBA D-League championship.

August 2005 saw Penney sign a two-year deal with Maccabi Tel Aviv competing in the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Primarily utilized as a reserve shooter, he contributed to Maccabi’s run to the Euroleague Final Four as well as their 2006 Premier League championship. Over 19 Euroleague matches, he averaged 3.3 points per game.

In October 2006, Penney joined Lithuanian outfit Žalgiris Kaunas as an injury substitute. After helping them capture the Lithuanian Basketball League Cup, he parted ways and signed with Germany’s ALBA Berlin in February 2007 to complete that season.

New Zealand Breakers (2007–2010)

Penney signed with the New Zealand Breakers of the Australian National Basketball League in June 2007. During the 2007–08 season, across 31 games, he posted averages of 24.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest, earning a place on the All-NBL First Team.

In the 2008–09 NBL season, Penney made history as the first New Zealander to claim the NBL MVP, leading all scorers with an average of 24.1 points per game along with 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 31 appearances. He also secured another selection to the All-NBL First Team.

On 21 January 2010, Penney recorded a career-best performance by scoring 49 points and sinking nine three-pointers during a victory against the Adelaide 36ers. That season, his third consecutive All-NBL First Team honor was accompanied by averages of 23.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 19 games.

Skyforce and Spurs (2010)

Following the conclusion of the 2009–10 NBL season, Penney signed with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the NBA Development League on 24 March 2010. In just his second appearance, he led the team with 31 points, showcasing efficient shooting and making valuable contributions in rebounds and assists. He finished the regular season impressively with a 40-point outing against the Bakersfield Jam. Across seven games, Penney posted averages of 22.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as the Skyforce advanced to the first round of the playoffs.

Penney secured a contract with the San Antonio Spurs on 28 September 2010 but was released on 11 October after participating in one preseason game, where he scored nine points.

First NBL Championship (2010–11)

Penney returned to the New Zealand Breakers on 26 October 2010 for the remainder of the 2010–11 NBL season. He played an instrumental role in helping the Breakers claim their inaugural NBL championship, defeating the Cairns Taipans 2–1 in the grand final series. Over 29 games, he averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per contest, earning his fourth selection to the All-NBL First Team.

Return to Europe (2011–2015)

On 29 July 2011, Penney inked a deal with Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain for the 2011–12 campaign, finishing as the fifth highest scorer in the 2011–12 ACB season with an average of 14.4 points per game.

In July 2012, he joined TED Ankara Kolejliler in Turkey for the following season, ranking third in scoring within the Turkish Basketball League by averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting above 46% from beyond the arc.

Penney signed with Trabzonspor for the 2013–14 season. Mid-2014 saw him return to the University of Wisconsin to complete his academic degree. On 26 January 2015, he signed with Baloncesto Sevilla competing in Spain’s Liga ACB, where he averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists over sixteen games.

Illawarra Hawks (2015–2016)

Penney joined the Illawarra Hawks on 27 July 2015 for the 2015–16 NBL season. In only his third game on 14 October, he recorded a season-best performance with 36 points during a 96–75 victory over his former team, the New Zealand Breakers. After playing twenty-two games, a hamstring injury sustained on 17 January 2016 against the Breakers sidelined him for four matches. He returned on 6 February and contributed 28 points in a thrilling 104–97 overtime win over the Townsville Crocodiles. The Hawks secured third place with a 17–11 record and faced second-seeded Perth Wildcats in the semi-finals. Following a split of the first two games, they were eliminated after losing Game 3 in Perth. Penney finished the season averaging 20.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across twenty-seven games.

Return to the Breakers (2016–2018)

On 12 April 2016, Penney committed to a three-year contract with the New Zealand Breakers. He made his season debut on 7 October 2016 by scoring nine points in a winning effort against Melbourne United. Key performances included a 27-point game versus the Adelaide 36ers on 29 October and a career-high of 30 points against the Brisbane Bullets on 6 November. Penney participated in all twenty-eight games during the 2016–17 season, averaging averages of 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

The Breakers started strong in the following season (2017–18), achieving a robust 9–1 record before slipping to fourth place by year’s end with a final tally of 15–13. On 15 December 2017, Penney celebrated his milestone of playing his one hundred and fiftieth game for the Breakers. He announced his retirement effective at season’s conclusion on 22 February 2018. His final appearance came during an overtime loss to Melbourne United in the semi-finals where he contributed seventeen points off the bench. In his last campaign, Penney averaged 10.1 points, 2.7 rebounds, and one assist over twenty-two games.

Auckland Tuatara (2022)

In August 2022, Penney briefly came out of retirement to participate in the New Zealand NBL's final regular season matchup of the 2022 campaign, representing the Auckland Tuatara.

NBA

|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Miami | 2 || 0 || 9.0 || .167 || .333 || .000 || .5 || .5 || .5 || .0 || 1.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | L.A. Clippers | 4 || 0 || 3.0 || .333 || .000 || .000 || .4 || .3 || .0 || .0 || .5 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 6 || 0 || 5.0 || .222 || .250 || .000 || .3 || .3 || .2|| .0 || .8

Euroleague

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005–06 | style="text-align:left;"| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 19 || 0 || 7.3 || .588 || .478 || .714 || .8 || .1 || .2 || .0 || 3.3 || 2.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2006–07 | style="text-align:left;"| Žalgiris | 13 || 2 || 18.5 || .514 || .452 || .500 || 2.0 || .8 || .2 || .0 || 7.4 || 5.2

National team career

Penney made his first appearance for the New Zealand national basketball team at age 18 in 1999, going on to represent the Tall Blacks in two Olympic Games (2000, 2004) and four FIBA World Championships (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014).

He played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s unexpected fourth-place finish at the 2002 FIBA Basketball World Cup, averaging 16.9 points per contest while shooting an impressive 45.5% from beyond the arc.

In the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship, Penney was instrumental in New Zealand’s victory over Australia, delivering exceptional scoring, rebounding, and assisting efforts in both matches to capture the Al Ramsay Shield.

During the 2010 World Championships, he ranked as the second highest scorer with an average of 24.7 points per game, helping New Zealand reach the knockout stages with a record of three wins and two losses.

At the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Penney posted averages of 10.8 points and 4.5 rebounds across six games.

After a distinguished international career spanning fifteen years, he retired from national team duties in May 2016.

Penney was honored with induction into the Basketball New Zealand Hall of Fame in May 2022 and later enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in April 2024.

Coaching and administrative career

In August 2019, Penney began his coaching journey by joining the University of Virginia as director of player development and coaching staff consultant under head coach Tony Bennett. His tenure concluded following the 2019–20 season due to travel restrictions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which left him stranded in New Zealand after border closures.

In November 2023, Penney took on the role of special assistant to the head coach with the Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball program, maintaining this position until April 2024. Prior to the start of the 2025-2026 NCAA season in September 2025, he departed to return home to New Zealand.

Personal life

Kirk Penney is the sibling of Rodd Penney, who has played professional rugby union across New Zealand, England, and Italy. Kirk and his wife, Audra (maiden name Jeffers), who captained the Wisconsin Badgers volleyball team, are parents to four children. The family faced a three-year delay in returning to the United States because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately making their way back to Wisconsin in 2023.

Individual accolades

Awarded New Zealand NBL Rookie of the Year in 1998
Named Outstanding Kiwi Guard in the New Zealand NBL for 1999
Selected for the First Team All-Big Ten during the 2001–02 season
Earned First Team All-Big Ten honors and an Honorable Mention as All-American in 2002–03
Chosen as a Baltic Basketball League All-Star in the 2006–07 season
Multiple selections to the All-NBL First Team between 2007–08 and 2010–11
Received Australian NBL MVP award for the 2008–09 season
Honored as MVP of the 2011 Stanković Cup
Competed as a Turkish Basketball League All-Star and won the Three-Point Shootout from 2012 to 2014
Included in the All-NBL Second Team for the 2015–16 season

Team accomplishments

Big Ten Championship winner with Wisconsin from 2001 to 2003
Part of Asheville Altitude’s NBA Development League Championship team in 2004–05
Israeli Basketball Premier League and State Cup titles secured with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2005–06
Lithuanian Basketball League Cup champion with Žalgiris Kaunas during 2006–07
Australian NBL Championship achieved with New Zealand Breakers in 2010–11

New Zealand national team highlights

Champion at the 2000 William Jones Cup; finished 11th at the Olympic Games that year
Competed in the 2001 Goodwill Games
Helped New Zealand secure fourth place at the 2002 FIBA World Championship
Participated in the Olympic Games in 2004
Took part in the 2006 FIBA World Championship, finishing 16th
Winner of the Stanković Cup in 2007
Competed at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2008
Gold medalist at the 2009 FIBA Oceania Championship
Played at the 2010 FIBA World Championship, finishing 12th
Earned Stanković Cup gold again in 2011
Represented New Zealand at the 2014 FIBA World Championship

External links