Basketball: Rickert the beacon for rising Breakers

Rick Rickert, who harboured dreams of playing in the NBA, now has his sights on playing for the Tall Blacks. Photo / Dean Purcell

If anyone can sympathise with Kirk Penney's predicament, it is his New Zealand Breakers teammate Rick Rickert.

Penney is up and moving again after six days of being confined to rest at home, yesterday shooting some baskets at the Breakers gym, albeit without his feet leaving the court.

Penney injured his back in training last Wednesday and missed the Breakers second win of the season last week over the Melbourne Tigers.

He has begun the slow and painful road back from two annular tears to discs in his lower back.

The first stage in that four-week recovery was to lie or stand - no sitting, for five to six days, and certainly no physical activity.

The league MVP will continue his rehab on the North Shore while the Breakers head to Wollongong to play the Hawks tomorrow night in the club's 200th game.

Penney admits being on the sidelines is not sitting well with him, but is glad to be making progress with his recovery.

"I just feel great to be up and at least out of home. After a week doing nothing I was going a bit stir crazy, it is not something that any athlete is used to or wants to experience," said Penney.

It's an experience Rickert is all to familiar with, after his first season at the Breakers was derailed by a serious back injury.

The 2.11m forward was enjoying a stellar first season with Breakers, leading the league in rebounding when he injured his back. A disc had blown out and his season was over.

Now in to his third season with the Breakers, Rickert's injury problems are well and truly behind him, but the Breakers import knows exactly what his stricken teammate is going through.

"I've talked to him about it a lot because it is something that can really get you down. Fortunately he doesn't need surgery so it's a case of getting through the rehab, but it's tough," said Rickert.

The Minnesota native has been close friends with Penney since college days, with the Tall Black star one of the key factors in bringing Rickert Downunder.

Rickert returned to the Breakers this season in a much publicised move that caught many by surprise, choosing a return to the club over other more lucrative offers with a view to settling in New Zealand with his family.

It was thought he would be beyond the Breakers budget this year but it seems there is more to life than money for the former NBA draft pick at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The new Dad was courted by other NBL clubs and at higher money than the Breakers could offer but he just couldn't see himself turning out for anyone else in this part of the world.

Rickert says he, wife Cici and their daughter Pepper are committed to making their home in New Zealand .

"It's a great place to be. There is a great family atmosphere around the club and my wife and I had a wee baby girl this year so it is a great place to raise her for her first year of her life anyway."

Rickert also has his sights set on playing for the Tall Blacks and is hoping the process can be worked through quickly enough for him to be a contender for next year's campaign at the world championships in Turkey .

"I would love to do that, obviously it depends on how quickly my citizenship can come through. So that's definitely a goal of mine," said Rickert.

"We're working on it right now and we'll iron out some of those details hopefully in the next few weeks."

It represents a dramatic shift in direction for the 26-year-old, who had long harboured dreams of playing in the NBA. But Rickert is happy with the new path his career is taking.

"My wife and I absolutely love it out here. It doesn't get much better than this, it really doesn't."

While the Breakers have had a patchy start to the season, losing two of their first four hit-outs, he believes his side are on the right track after last week's 79-74 win over the Melbourne Tigers.

"After the Melbourne game, I feel like we're in a better state of mind. We're just working on the little things and getting everyone on the same page as far as our plays go and our defensive intensity is starting to gradually pick up here."