Glen Denham


Glen Ivan Denham is a New Zealand former basketball player. He is of Māori descent.

Early life

Denham was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, the son of a teacher and butcher. His father was Australian and his mother was of Māori descent. He is the second of three children and grew up in Corstorphine, where he attended Corstorphine Primary School, and later Macandrew Intermediate School. Denham went to Kings High School from 1977 to 1982, where he was Head Boy. Whilst attending Kings, Denham played cricket and hit 100 runs against Shirley Boys in 1982, and won the Salter Trophy, which is awarded to the school's sportsman of the year. Denham attended Otago University in 1982, where he met his future wife and graduated with a Bachelor of Teaching. Whilst at university, Denham played for the Otago University men's basketball club.

Basketball career

Denham made his NBL debut in 1986 for the Waikato Pistons, later moving to play for the Canterbury Rams, winning championships in 1989 and 1990. He moved back to Dunedin, where his 1991 debut for the Otago Nuggets ranked number 121 in the Otago Daily Times 2011 list of greatest moments in Otago sport. Denham left the club in 1997, but returned in 1999. During his international career between 1984 and 1999, he captained the Tall Blacks for 13 years, setting a record as the longest standing captain in Tall Blacks history. He was also named most outstanding New Zealand forward three times. He played in the 1986 FIBA World Championship, where New Zealand placed 13th, with Denham averaging seven points per game.