Mick Pennisi

{{Infobox basketball biography

| image = PBA - Globalport vs Barako Bull - Mick Pennissi-Barako Bull - 2015-1225 (23871084822) (cropped).jpg

| caption = Pennisi with the Barako Bull Energy in 2015

| name = Mick Pennisi

| number =

| position =

| league =

| team =

| nationality = Australian / Filipino

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|3|13}}

| birth_place = Australia

| height_ft = 6 | height_in = 9

| weight_lbs = 235

| high school =

| college = Eastern Michigan (1994–1997)

| draft_year_pba = 2000

| draft_pba = Direct hire

| draft_team_pba = Batang Red Bull Energizers

| career_start = 1995

| career_end = 2017

| career_position = Center

| career_number = 7, 34, 88

| years1 = 1995–1996;
1998–1999

| team1 = Townsville Suns/Crocodiles

| years2 = 2000–2008

| team2 = Batang Red Bull Energizers / Batang Red Bull Thunder / Red Bull Barako

| years3 = 2008–2011

| team3 = San Miguel Beermen / Petron Blaze Boosters

| years4 = 2011–2014

| team4 = Barako Bull Energy Cola / Barako Bull Energy

| years5 = 2014–2015

| team5 = Purefoods Star Hotshots / Star Hotshots

| years6 = 2015–2016

| team6 = Barako Bull Energy

| years7 = 2016

| team7 = Phoenix Fuel Masters

| years8 = 2016–2017

| team8 = GlobalPort Batang Pier

| highlights =

5× PBA champion (2001 Commissioner's, 2002 Commissioner's, 2005–06 Fiesta, 2009 Fiesta, 2011 Governors')
2× PBA All-Star (2003, 2009)

}}

Michael Alfio Pennisi (born March 13, 1975) is an Australian-Filipino former professional basketball player. After playing for the Townsville Suns/Crocodiles of the Australian NBL during the 1990s, Pennisi moved to the Philippines in 2000 and played the rest of his career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

College career

Pennisi played three seasons of college basketball in the United States for the Eastern Michigan Eagles between 1994 and 1997.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/mick-pennisi-1.html|title=Mick Pennisi|work=sports-reference.com|access-date=16 October 2023}}

Professional career

=Townsville Crocodiles (1995–1996; 1998–1999)=

Pennisi made his professional debut with the Townsville Suns of the Australian NBL in the 1995 season. He played a second season with the Suns 1996. For the 1998–99 NBL season, Pennisi returned to Townsville, now known as the Crocodiles.{{cite web|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=190395352&client=0-189-88242-125697-11143963|title=Player statistics for Michael Pennisi|work=NBL|access-date=16 October 2023}}

=Red Bull Barako (2000–2008)=

In 2000, Pennisi moved to the Philippines where he was signed by Red Bull Barako, then an expansion team in the Philippine Basketball Association. There, he was one of the team's stars, along with Lordy Tugade, Junthy Valenzuela, Davonn Harp, and Kerby Raymundo, leading Red Bull to two consecutive Commissioner's Cup championships in 2001 and 2002 PBA Commissioner's Cup. He was also a key player in Red Bull's 2006 PBA Fiesta Conference championship-winning squad.

=San Miguel Beermen / Petron Blaze Boosters (2008–2011)=

Pennisi was traded to the San Miguel Beermen after the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference in exchange for San Miguel's 2010 first round pick (which Red Bull traded to Barangay Ginebra which then used it to pick John Wilson).

=Barako Bull Energy Cola / Barako Bull Energy (2011–2014)=

On August 28, 2011, Pennisi was traded by San Miguel to Barako Bull Energy Cola along with Sunday Salvacion and the rights for the 2010 no. 8 pick (which was used by Barako Bull to pick Allein Maliksi for Dondon Hontiveros.{{ cite news |last=Belen |first=Reynaldo |title=Petron reacquires Dondon Hontiveros in draft day blockbuster |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/petron-reacquires-dondon-hontiveros-in-draft-day-blockbuster |work=InterAksyon |date=August 28, 2011 |access-date=February 10, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215200648/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/petron-reacquires-dondon-hontiveros-in-draft-day-blockbuster |archive-date=February 15, 2016 }}

On March 21, 2012, he achieved his 700th career 3-point field goal in the 1st quarter of their game against his former team, Petron Blaze Boosters. He became only the eighth player to achieve such feat joining a list that included Allan Caidic and Ronnie Magsanoc. On the same day also he made a controversy by reacting late in a flop when Will McDonald threw the ball, hitting Mick Pennisi in the head.{{ cite news |last=Golliver |first=Ben |title=Video: Mick Pennisi with the worst basketball flop of all time? |url=http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/17949498/video-mick-pennisi-with-the-worst-basketball-flop-of-all-time |work=CBSSports.com |date=March 21, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2015 }}{{cite news |last=Tordecilla |first=Jaemark |title=Mick Pennisi's flop goes viral |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/video-mick-pennisis-flop-goes-viral |work=InterAksyon.com |date=March 22, 2012 |access-date=May 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414002703/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/video-mick-pennisis-flop-goes-viral |archive-date=April 14, 2015 |url-status=dead }}

=Purefoods Star Hotshots / Star Hotshots (2014–2015)=

On December 8, 2014, Pennisi was traded to Purefoods Star Hotshots in exchange for Ronnie Matias and Isaac Holstein.{{cite news |title=Purefoods lands Mick Pennisi from Barako Bull ahead of PBA playoffs |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/purefoods-lands-mick-pennisi-from-barako-bull-ahead-of-pba-playoffs |work=InterAksyon |date=December 8, 2014 |access-date=February 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206032443/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/purefoods-lands-mick-pennisi-from-barako-bull-ahead-of-pba-playoffs |archive-date=February 6, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

=Return to Barako Bull / Phoenix (2015–2016)=

On September 19, 2015, Pennisi was sent by the Hotshots back to Barako Bull in exchange for Barako Bull's 2017 second round pick.{{ cite news |title=Star sends Mick Pennisi back to Barako Bull |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/star-sends-mick-pennisi-back-to-barako-bull |work=InterAksyon |date=September 19, 2015 |access-date=February 10, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921022004/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/star-sends-mick-pennisi-back-to-barako-bull |archive-date=September 21, 2015 }}

=GlobalPort Batang Pier (2016–2017)=

On November 11, 2016, Pennisi was traded by the Phoenix Fuel Masters to the GlobalPort Batang Pier in exchange for Doug Kramer.

On September 2, 2017, he announced his retirement after playing 17 seasons in the PBA.{{Cite web |url=http://www.spin.ph/basketball/news/mick-pennisi |title=Mick Pennisi calls it quits after 17-year PBA career to focus on poultry business in Thailand |last=Ramos |first=Gerry |date=September 2, 2017 |publisher=spin.ph |access-date=September 2, 2017}}

PBA career statistics

[http://stats.humblebola.com/pba/players/469-Pennisi-Mick Player Profile] at Humblebola!

=Season-by-season averages=

| align=left | {{pbay|2000}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 35 || 39.2 || .425 || .351 || .710 || 7.4 || 2.3 || .6 || 1.7 || 10.5

| align=left | {{pbay|2001}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 41 || 26.1 || .411 || .322 || .679 || 6.1 || 1.2 || .2 || 1.3 || 7.6

| align=left | {{pbay|2002}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 12 || 23.3 || .432 || .345 || .735 || 6.5 || 1.2 || .0 || .5 || 8.3

| align=left | {{pbay|2003}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 43 || 25.4 || .454 || .398 || .713 || 6.4 || 1.4 || .3 || .7 || 10.1

| align=left | {{pbay|2004}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 32 || 29.6 || .404 || .350 || .736 || 7.3 || 2.0 || .2 || .8 || 11.1

| align=left | {{pbay|2005}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 65 || 24.6 || .415 || .342 || .721 || 6.3 || 1.4 || .3 || .8 || 8.7

| align=left | {{pbay|2006}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 30 || 27.8 || .367 || .349 || .696 || 7.6 || 1.3 || .4 || 1.3 || 10.8

| align=left | {{pbay|2007}}

| align=left | Red Bull

| 50 || 27.4 || .385 || .376 || .720 || 6.4 || 1.2 || .3 || .6 || 8.6

| align=left | {{pbay|2008}}

| align=left | San Miguel

| 57 || 25.0 || .390 || .350 || .802 || 5.1 || 1.2 || .3 || .7 || 6.8

| align=left | {{pbay|2009}}

| align=left | San Miguel

| 46 || 18.6 || .419 || .400 || .962 || 4.1 || .8 || .2 || .6 || 4.5

| align=left | {{pbay|2010}}

| align=left | San Miguel

| 46 || 14.8 || .385 || .275 || .882 || 3.5 || .9 || .1 || .1 || 3.9

| align=left | {{pbay|2011}}

| align=left | Barako Bull

| 39 || 23.3 || .409 || .341 || .754 || 4.5 || 1.3 || .4 || .6 || 7.7

| align=left | {{pbay|2012}}

| align=left | Barako Bull

| 37 || 23.5 || .406 || .337 || .736 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .3 || .7 || 8.1

| align=left | {{pbay|2013}}

| align=left | Barako Bull

| 34 || 23.7 || .458 || .415 || .767 || 5.4 || 1.1 || .3 || .3 || 9.0

| align=left | {{pbay|2014}}

| align=left | Barako Bull / Star

| 41 || 14.5 || .338 || .289 || .654 || 2.7 || .7 || .1 || .3 || 3.7

| align=left | {{pbay|2015}}

| align=left | Barako Bull / Phoenix

| 35 || 17.1 || .395 || .402 || .824 || 3.2 || .7 || .1 || .4 || 5.1

| align=left | {{pbay|2016}}

| align=left | GlobalPort

| 19 || 13.0 || .440 || .400 || .625 || 2.4 || .5 || .1 || .2 || 3.5

|-class=sortbottom

| align=center colspan=2 | Career

| 662 || 23.3 || .407 || .355 || .748 || 5.3 || 1.2 || .3 || .7 || 7.5

Personal life

Pennisi's younger brother, David, also played in the Australian NBL.{{cite web|last=Henson|first=Joaquin M.|url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2000/02/23/108188/sporting-chance|title=Sporting Chance|work=philstar.com|date=23 February 2000|access-date=16 October 2023}}