Michael Dunkin Penberthy (born November 29, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. A point guard from The Master's College (now The Master's University), Penberthy went undrafted in the 1997 NBA draft but played for the Los Angeles Lakers, winning an NBA championship in 2001.

Mike Penberthy
Denver Nuggets
PositionAssistant coach
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1974-11-29) November 29, 1974 (age 49)
Los Gatos, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High schoolHerbert Hoover (Fresno, California)
CollegeThe Master's (1993–1997)
NBA draft1997: undrafted
Playing career1997–2012
PositionPoint guard
Number12
Career history
As player:
1997Idaho Stampede
1997–1998BCJ Hamburg Tigers
1998–1999Quad City Thunder
1999Cocodrilos de Caracas
1999–2000BCJ Hamburg Tigers
20002001Los Angeles Lakers
2002–2005Pompea Napoli
2005–2006Alba Berlin
2006–2007Snaidero Cucine Udine
2007Bipop Carire Reggio Emilia
2007–2008Snaidero Udine
2011–2012Los Angeles Slam
As coach:
2018–2019New Orleans Pelicans (assistant)
20192022Los Angeles Lakers (assistant)
2022–presentDenver Nuggets (shooting coach)
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As assistant coach:

Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life and college

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Born in Los Gatos, California, Penberthy graduated from Herbert Hoover High School at Fresno, California in 1993. He played college basketball for The Master's College in Santa Clarita, California, where he played with distinction, broke numerous school records (including most career points), was a 2-time NAIA All-American, and was later a charter member of the college for the 2003–2004 season. He held the NAIA record for consecutive games with at least one three-pointer made, with 111, until it was broken in December 2005 by Brandon Cole of John Brown University.[1] He graduated from The Master's College in 1997 with a B.A. degree in biblical studies.[2]

Professional career

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Penberthy tried out for the Indiana Pacers and tore his right hamstring; he took three months off and joined the Continental Basketball Association team Idaho Stampede, which drafted him from college. The Stampede cut Penberthy, who said he "hated" playing there, and he transferred to the German team Hamburg Tigers.[3][4]

During the summer of 1998, when the NBA locked out its players, Penberthy worked as a forklift driver at Turf Tek, a company managed by a cousin of his. The following fall, Penberthy joined sports ministry Athletes in Action and the CBA team Quad City Thunder but was cut due to a sprained right ankle. From April to June 1999, Penberthy played for the Venezuelan team Cocodrilos de Caracas.[4][5]

In his NBA career, Penberthy played in 56 games, all with the Lakers, and had averages of 4.9 points, 1.3 assists and 1.2 rebounds per game while playing 15.4 minutes per game on average. He won an NBA championship with the team in 2000–01.

The Lakers waived Penberthy on November 10, 2001.[6] Afterwards, he played basketball in Italy and Germany and competed in the ULEB Cups of 2005, 2006, and 2007.[7] While with Alba Berlin, Penberthy helped the team win the German Cup of 2006.[5] In 2011, Penberthy signed with the Los Angeles Slam of the ABA.[8]

Coaching career

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In the 2014–15 season, Penberthy was the shooting coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves.[9] In the 2018–19 season, Penberthy was the shooting coach for the New Orleans Pelicans. On July 31, 2019, Penberthy was hired as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers.[10] Penberthy won his second championship when the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals in 6 games.

In 2022, he started working as a shooting coach and pro scout for the Denver Nuggets.[11]

Personal life

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Penberthy married Wendy Jones, who attended The Master's College with him and played volleyball for the college. They have three children. Ty, Jaden and Kate.[2]

References

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  1. ^ NAIA star makes 3-pointer in record 112 straight games
  2. ^ a b "2003-04 Charter Members". The Master's College. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  3. ^ Bias, Kevin C. (April 9, 2001), "Identity Crisis", Sports Illustrated, vol. 94, no. 15, archived from the original on October 3, 2009
  4. ^ a b Turner, Broderick (December 20, 2000). "Lakers' shooting star". Riverside Press-Enterprise. Retrieved January 20, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b "Snaidero inks Mike Penberthy". Eurocup. January 19, 2007. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Brown, Tim (November 11, 2001). "Penberthy Becomes Victim of Numbers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
  7. ^ "Mike Penberthy". Doudiz. Archived from the original on April 19, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  8. ^ "ABA | American Basketball Association » LA Slam Acquires Former NBA Players". Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  9. ^ "Timberwolves Add Mike Penberthy, Jason Hervey to Basketball Operations Staff". NBA.com.
  10. ^ "Lakers Announce 2019-20 Coaching Staff". NBA.com. July 31, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
  11. ^ "Scouting/Player Development" (PDF). 2022-23 Denver Nuggets Media Guide. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
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