Farewell Captain Kirk

MELBOURNE (Paulo Kennedy's View from Downunder) - Kirk Penney has always been a good interview, and not because he could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.

Kirk is more of the thoughtful type than someone who can deliver entertaining sound bites on a whim. Whenever I asked him a question, there would be a trademark pause as he thought his way to the crux of it.

Perhaps my favourite response of Kirk's came during the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he starred to the tune of second place on the tournament's scoring charts, behind only the great Luis Scola.

I asked Penney how, when all the other superstars of the championship were playing in the NBA, Euroleague or ACB, he was able to step out of Australia's NBL and have such a huge impact.

"Keep in mind that I have played in the NBA, Euroleague and ACB," he said.

It was a pretty fair point, and he flashed that half-cheeky grin that is also a trademark to illustrate it, but it's what he said next that really stood out to me.

"So many people think there is this huge difference in talent between players around the world, but there's not. The level of talent is so even, man, the difference comes down to opportunity and mindset," he said.

.@KirkPenney​'s dedication to the Tall Blacks have made him one of the most admired player in @BasketballNZ history​https://t.co/d5Q8J7fWPi

— FIBA (@FIBA) April 29, 2016

I was one of those people, I must admit. But almost immediately after that conversation - that night in the stadium in Izmir and later in the tournament in Istanbul - I saw the players on the court in a different light, one where little things made the biggest difference.

The one factor Kirk forgot to mention, perhaps because it's a given for him, was hard work. Whatever league you watch around the planet there are talented players who are in that situation for a variety of reasons.

Often it's the country or continent they were born, it could be the teams they've chosen to sign with, the coaches they've had, the athleticism they're blessed with, the opportunities they've been given or the level of belief they have in themselves.

Most players are limited by those factors, a few are able to rise above it and become greats. Kirk is one of those few. Sadly, this week, he and fellow Tall Blacks veteran Lindsay Tait retired from international basketball, leaving a big hole for others to fill.

Penney wasn't born into a basketball country with incredible junior development infrastructure. He wasn't born a sky-walking athlete, he wasn't blessed with great size and he certainly didn’t have it easy all through his career.

Yet through relentless hard work and an unshakeable belief in his game and his jumpshot, he became a highly-respected star of world basketball, and perhaps that 2010 World Cup will be remembered as the watermark of his international career.

A whopping 37 points against Lithuania, 21 against Spain, 26 against Lebanon, 18 against Canada, 25 against France and 21 against Russia in the knockout round, albeit on a difficult, foul-prone night.

In terms of the best performances from Downunder, that matched anything the great Andrew Gaze produced at a major world tournament.

Of course, there have been many other brilliant Kirk Penney displays on FIBA courts - his 20 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting in a two-point loss to silver medallists Italy at the Athens Olympics undoubtedly a highlight.

Penney in action against Italy at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games

In 2002, Penney banged in 43 points in the World Cup medal round games against Yugoslavia and Germany as the Tall Blacks came up desperately short of a spot on the dais, while he torched the Germans for 29 points at the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

He scored in double figures 29 times in the final 37 games of his major tournament career. Remarkable. The final two hauls were in crunch wins over Ukraine and Finland at the 2014 World Cup, helping deliver the Kiwis to the knockout rounds.

He also loved playing the Boomers for the Al Ramsay Shield. He scored 20 or more in six of his last eight games against Australia, including hauls of 30 and 27 in his final FIBA Oceania Championship in 2011. Again, remarkable.

Sadly, he won't be at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila, but I'm sure all fans of the Tall Blacks, and devotees to world basketball in general, join me in saying thanks for the memories Kirk.

Only four countries have progressed to the knockout rounds of the past four World Cups - the USA, Spain, Turkey and New Zealand. It's an incredible achievement for a country that always has semi-professional players on their roster, competing against household global names.

But it's not about what league you play in, or how big your pay cheque is, how high your vertical leap measures or how many followers you have on social media.

Just ask Kirk, it's about opportunity, mindset and hard work. The Tall Blacks have all of those in spades, and Penney has played as big a part as almost anyone in developing that culture.

When the likes of Tom Abercrombie, Mika Vukona, Corey Webster and Isaac Fotu lead their country into battle in the Philippines, have no doubt they are carrying the same torch lit by Penney, Pero Cameron, Phill Jones, Dillon Boucher and their coach Paul Henare many years ago.

"We will be underdogs, but how many times are we ever the favourites going into a big contest?" Henare said.

"The Tall Blacks have shown through the years that we don't mind playing the part of David, often in the past we have thrived on it, and we aim to bring down a Goliath or two in July."

The odds aren't in their favour, but with nine players back from that plucky 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup team - including four of the top five scorers and rebounders - you'd have to think twice before betting against them.

New Zealand 14-player preliminary squad for 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila: Tom Abercrombie, BJ Anthony, Everard Bartlett, Finn Delany, Isaac Fotu, Shea Ili, Michael Karena, Jarrod Kenny, Rob Loe, Jordan Ngatai, Ethan Rusbatch, Mika Vukona, Corey Webster, Tai Webster.

Paulo Kennedy

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.