Eastern Michigan University. Photo: Pwojdacz ( talk ), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EasternMichUniPark.gif)
Eastern Michigan University. Photo: Pwojdacz ( talk ), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EasternMichUniPark.gif)
Michael Alfio “Mick” Pennisi is an Australian-born Filipino-Australian former professional basketball player. A center known for his perimeter shooting, he played in Australia’s National Basketball League before spending 17 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association, winning five championships and representing the Philippines internationally.
Background
Pennisi was born on March 13, 1975, in Queensland, Australia, to Alfio Pennisi, an Australian, and Anita Tomeda Quintos, a natural-born Filipino citizen. His Filipino citizenship was affirmed through Philippine legal proceedings based on his parentage and birth documents.
He developed as a basketball player in Queensland before entering American college basketball and then the Australian professional game. His younger brother, David Pennisi, also played in the Australian National Basketball League, linking the family to the sport's professional development in Australia.
Education
Pennisi attended Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he played college basketball for the Eagles from 1994 to 1997. Eastern Michigan competed in the Mid-American Conference and became known during the 1990s for strong men's basketball teams, including the 1996 NCAA tournament team that defeated Duke in the opening round.
His college career provided a bridge between Australian basketball and the professional leagues in which he subsequently played. Eastern Michigan's program also placed him within the expanding international recruitment of American college basketball during the 1990s.
Pennisi began his professional career with the Townsville Suns of Australia's National Basketball League in 1995 and returned to the Townsville franchise, by then known as the Crocodiles, for the 1998–1999 season. The NBL was Australia's leading professional basketball competition and provided the setting for his early development as a center with an unusual ability to shoot from outside.
In 2000, Pennisi moved to the Philippines after being signed as a direct recruit by Red Bull Barako, an expansion franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association. He became an important member of Red Bull teams that won the 2001 and 2002 Commissioner's Cup championships and the 2005–2006 Fiesta Conference. His left-handed three-point shooting distinguished him from many players at his position.
Pennisi was traded to the San Miguel Beermen after the 2008 Fiesta Conference and later played for the Petron Blaze Boosters. He won further PBA championships with the franchise in the 2009 Fiesta Conference and the 2011 Governors' Cup. He subsequently played for Barako Bull Energy Cola and Barako Bull Energy, Purefoods Star Hotshots and Star Hotshots, and returned to Barako before joining the Phoenix Fuel Masters and GlobalPort Batang Pier.
He represented the Philippines in international basketball, including the 2007 and 2009 FIBA Asia Championships and the 2007 William Jones Cup. Pennisi ended his professional career with GlobalPort in 2017 after 17 seasons in the PBA. He finished with a reputation as a long-serving center whose three-point shooting added a perimeter dimension to the position.
Achievements
Pennisi won five Philippine Basketball Association championships: the 2001 and 2002 Commissioner's Cups, the 2005–2006 Fiesta Conference, the 2009 Fiesta Conference, and the 2011 Governors' Cup.
He was selected as a Philippine Basketball Association All-Star in 2003 and 2009.
On March 21, 2012, Pennisi made his 700th career three-point field goal, becoming the eighth player in Philippine Basketball Association history to reach that mark at the time.
He represented the Philippines in the 2007 and 2009 FIBA Asia Championships and helped the national team win a bronze medal at the 2007 William Jones Cup.
Personality
Physical Characteristics:
Pennisi was listed at approximately 6 feet 9 inches to 6 feet 11 inches and played primarily as a center.
Interests
Sport & Clubs
Basketball
Connections
Pennisi's younger brother, David Pennisi, also played professional basketball in Australia's National Basketball League. His parents were Alfio Pennisi, an Australian, and Anita Tomeda Quintos, a Filipino citizen whose nationality supported Pennisi's recognition as a Philippine citizen.
Father:
Alfio Pennisi
An Australian national.
Mother:
Anita Tomeda Quintos
A natural-born Filipino citizen whose nationality supported Pennisi's recognition as a Philippine citizen.
Brother:
David Pennisi
Played professional basketball in Australia's National Basketball League.
FIBA Basketball player profile: Michael Pennisi
Documents Pennisi's birth date, Australian and Philippine national affiliations, and appearances for the Philippines at the 2007 and 2009 FIBA Asia Championships.
Gonzalez v. Pennisi
Philippine Supreme Court material documenting Pennisi's birth in Queensland, his parentage, and the legal basis for recognizing his Philippine citizenship.
Mick Pennisi retires after 17 seasons
Reports Pennisi's retirement from the Philippine Basketball Association after a 17-season career and describes his national-team service.
