New Zealand National Team
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for New Zealand | ||
| Men's Basketball | ||
| Oceanian Championships | ||
| Gold | 2009 Oceaina | National team |
Penney debuted for the Tall Blacks at the age of just 18 (in 1999) and has now represented the Tall Blacks, his country's national team, at two Olympic Games (in 2000 and 2004) and three world championships (2002, 2006 and 2010).
Penney was part of the Tall Blacks' memorable 2002 World Championships campaign as they surprisingly finished fourth. Penney averaged 16.9 points per contest and hit 45.5% of his three-point shots.
With the decline of Pero Cameron, Penney has become New Zealand's marquee player on the international scene, but despite averaging 20.7 points during the Tall Blacks campaign for a 2008 Olympics berth, the team fell short of achieving their place at Beijing.
Penney, now one of the most senior Tall Blacks, is now captain of New Zealand. Penney led New Zealand to victory in the FIBA Oceania Championship 2009, beating Australia 177–162 on aggregate, after the two-match tie was drawn 1–1. Penney was influential in both games, with 23 points and 4 assists in Game 1, and a virtuoso 24-point, 7-rebound and 10-assist performance in Game 2, thus winning the Al Ramsay Shield.
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