Penney In Doubt
Tagged in: NZ Breakers, Tall Blacks
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NZ Tall Black Kirk Penney is in doubt for the Harvey Norman NZ Breakersí opening match of the Australia NBL season, against the Cairns Taipans at the North Shore Events Centre on Thursday, September 20.
Penney, the club’s major off-season signing, strained a calf muscle on his first day training with the club last Thursday and will be out of action for at least three weeks.
He has withdrawn from the Breakersí pre-season tour across the Tasman starting on Wednesday, and will concentrate on rehabilitation and strengthening work in the short term.
Penney says the swelling has subsided enough for him to have a scan on Thursday to determine the full extent of the injury.
ìAlthough Iíve had a calf niggle lately Iíve never had an injury like this before,î Penney said.
ìIt felt like someone had given it an almighty kick, but when I turned around and no-one was there, I knew I was in trouble.î
Breakers’ New Home
The Harvey Norman NZ Breakers have created and shifted into a purpose-built training and administration centre to provide the team with every advantage in their Australian NBL campaign.
The team is now training at the new home in Mairangi Bay on the North Shore – a former warehouse and office building that has been converted into an impressive training and admin centre.
With two full courts, gym and changing room facilities under the one roof, including hot/cold therapy and on-site physio, the venue is a major initiative by the Breakers to provide the best possible training conditions for the team.
Coach Andrej Lemanis said the coaching staff and playing roster was excited and pleased about the development, only the second in the NBL behind the Townsville Crocodiles (where Lemanis coached for seven seasons)..
ìIt is the best facility in the league and the right environment to call home,î Lemanis said.
ìItís an amazing resource that recognises how professional we are and where weíre trying to get to.
ìWeíre thrilled that we can access it whenever we want and donít have to work our schedule around other users.î
The club’s offices are also on site with the set-up including a computer video analysis lab for the coaching staff.
Breakers general manager Richard Clarke said the new home had been a year in the making and was a huge project for the club.
ìIt’s exciting to see the guys taking to the court in a place that already feels like home. This facility is truly basketball specific, and as good a training facility as any club could want.”
The venue will also benefit the local North Shore basketball community, with the training courts being made available for community use and local leagues when not being used by the Breakers.
“That is an important aspect of this project,î Clarke said. ìBasketball is booming on the North Shore, but there are not enough courts to cater for the growth, especially in the youth market.
“Being able to offer our facility so those youngsters get to play has been an integral part of our vision.î
The Breakersí full squad departs for Australia on Wednesday for a week-long pre-season tour, which will include two games against the South Dragons and match-ups with the Sydney Kings, Gold Coast Blaze and Brisbane Bullets.
