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
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
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]