Former Tall Black Kirk Penney has been announced into the 2024 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Penney joins former teammate Pero Cameron as the second Kiwi ever to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.
Penney said it is an honour and a privilege to be elected into the hall of fame as a Kiwi.
"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 of people. We took enormous pride in carrying the kiwi flag around the world," Penney said.
"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 attended Westlake Boys High School, before going on to play at the University of Wisconsin and made his debut for the Tall Blacks in 1999 as an 18-year-old.
He went on to make 179 appearances for the Tall Blacks, scoring over 2000 points for New Zealand at international level. He was also part of the Tall Blacks' memorable 2002 World Championships campaign when they finished fourth.
The Kiwi also had a short stint in the NBA representing the LA Clippers and Miami Heat.
Penney will officially be enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame later this year, travelling to Singapore on September 14 for the enshrinement ceremony.
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