Tall Blacks sharpshooter Kirk Penney has become the second Kiwi admitted to the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Penney, 43, is the only NZ player to attend four World Cup tournaments, highlighted by his involvement in the 2002 national team that reached the semi-finals at Indianapolis, before finishing fourth.
Over a career spanning 1999-2015, he made 179 appearances, scoring more than 2000 points and also attended two Olympics - Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.
Penney played professionally around the world, including Spain, Israel, Lithuania, Germany and Turkey, while also helping NZ Breakers to a 2011 Australian NBL crown and named 2009 ANBL Most Valuable Player.
He is also one of only three Kiwis to play in the NBA, along with longtime team Sean Marks and Steve Adams.
"It's an incredible honour for me and probably more than anything, it’s a testament to all the hard work by a great group pf people," he said. "We took enormous pride in carrying the Kiwi flag around the world.
"We shared some amazing experiences over the years and I think I was truly blessed to play with a couple of generations of really good New Zealand basketball players - and to be a part of building a foundation for future New Zealand basketball success.
"This honour brings back a boat load of incredible memories on the global stage with great people."
Penney joins another longtime teammate - current Tall Blacks coach Pero Cameron - in the international hall of fame.
