Shane Heal

Shane Douglas Heal (born 6 September 1970) is an Australian professional basketball coach and former player.

Shane Heal

Heal as coach of the Sydney Uni Flames in 2022
Personal information
Born	(1970-09-06) 6 September 1970 (age 53) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Listed height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight	183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High school	Upper Yarra Secondary College (Yarra Junction, Victoria)
NBA draft	1992: undrafted
Playing career	1988–2009
Position	Point guard
Number	10, 11
Coaching career	2006–present
Career history
As player:
1988	Brisbane Bullets
1989–1991	Geelong Supercats
1992–1995	Brisbane Bullets
1996	Sydney Kings
1996–1997	Minnesota Timberwolves
1998	Sydney Kings
1998–2000	Near East
2000–2003	Sydney Kings
2002	Andrea Costa Imola
2003	San Antonio Spurs
2003–2004	Makedonikos
2006–2008	South Dragons
2008–2009	Gold Coast Blaze
As coach:
2006–2008	South Dragons
2012–2014	Sydney Kings
2014	Wellington Saints
2015–2016	SEQ Stars
2018–2020	Sutherland Sharks
2021–2023	Sydney Uni Flames
Career highlights and awards
As player: NBL champion (2003) All-NBL First Team (2003) 3× All-NBL Second Team (1994, 1996, 2001) All-NBL Third Team (2002) NBL Rookie of the Year (1988) NBL Most Improved Player (1990) NBL Good Hands Award (1990) 2× Gaze Medal winner (1997, 2004) 2× Greek League All-Star (1998, 1999) As coach: NZNBL champion (2014)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Australia FIBA Oceania Championship 2003 Australia

Playing career

Australian Institute of Sport

Heal held an Australian Institute of Sport basketball scholarship, and he played youth basketball there, from 1987 to 1988.^[1]

NBL

Heal spent most of his professional club career playing in Australia's NBL. He played with the Brisbane Bullets, Geelong Supercats, Sydney Kings, South Dragons and Gold Coast Blaze. He was a member of the Kings' 2003 NBL championship-winning team. Between 2006 and 2008, he served as player-coach of the Dragons. For the 2008–09 NBL season, Heal was part of the inaugural Blaze squad. He retired in February 2009, at age 38, after a 21-year career.^[2][3] In 440 games, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.1 assists.^[4]

Heal was named in the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.^[5]

NBL team records and achievements

Brisbane Bullets

• 2nd on three-pointers made (477)
• 2nd on assists (816)
• 4th on free-throw percentage (84.1%)
• 7th on points scored (2771)
• 7th on field goals made (951)
• 7th on free-throws made (392)
• 8th on steals (164)
• 6th on turnovers (387)

NBL league records

• First in assists per game in 1990 (8.3/24 games)
• First in assists per game in 2002 (7.5/29 games)
• Third in most points in a game (61 in 1994)
• Third in most assists in a game (20 in 1990)
• Second and third in most three-pointers made in a game (12 in 1994 and 2001)

NBA

Heal also had two stints in the NBA, firstly in the 1996–97 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he averaged 1.7 points per game in 43 games, and secondly in the 2003–04 season with the San Antonio Spurs, when he averaged 3.7 points in six games.^[6]

Europe

Heal also played professionally in Europe. He played with the Greek Basket League's Near East Athens, from 1998 to 2000. With Near East, he played in Europe's third-tier level FIBA Korać Cup, in the 1999–00 season, in which he averaged 15.2 points and 2.3 assists per game.^[7] Heal played in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club Andrea Costa Imola, during the 2001–02 season.^[8] He then played with the Greek club Makedonikos, where he averaged 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in Europe's second-tier level EuroCup's 2003–04 season.^[9]

National team career

Heal represented Australia's under-19 national team at the 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. Heal's international career highlights include representing the Australian Boomers at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 editions of the Summer Olympic Games. He was the captain of the team in 2004 in Athens. Heal also represented Australia at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship and the 1998 FIBA World Championship.^[10]

Many consider Heal's best international game came against the USA "Dream Team" in a warm up match for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The game, played at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, was won 118–77 by the US, though Heal topped all scorers with 28 points including hitting 8 of 12 three pointers. Heal had a running battle with NBA superstar Charles Barkley during the game with the two almost coming to blows at one point, though they hugged in mutual respect on-court after the game.

Coaching career

South Dragons

On 3 March 2006, it was reported in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper that Heal was considering coming out of retirement to captain the South Dragons, a new Melbourne-based NBL franchise to enter the league in the 2006–07 season.^[11] He officially signed with the team on 6 April as the Dragons' inaugural captain.^[12] On 23 October 2006, Dragons coach Mark Price resigned after the Dragons lost their first five regular season games. Price was replaced by Heal, who was appointed as player and interim coach for the remainder of the season.^[13][14] Heal took the club to the NBL playoffs in their first season, but then the team won just four of 26 games in 2007–08, including defeats in their last straight 13 matches.^[15] He was sacked by the Dragons on 1 February 2008.^[16]

Sydney Kings

On 24 February 2012, Heal was appointed head coach of the Sydney Kings for the rest of the 2011–12 NBL season.^[17][18] In his first game two days later, he guided the Kings to a 71–69 win over the Townsville Crocodiles.^[19]

Heal was named the Coach of the Month for January of the 2013–14 NBL season.^[20]

In March 2014, Heal parted ways with the Kings.^[21]

Wellington Saints

Heal coached the Wellington Saints during the 2014 New Zealand NBL season,^[22] and helped them win the championship in his one season.^[23]

South East Queensland

In March 2015, Heal was named the inaugural head coach of the South East Queensland Stars^[24] on a three-year deal.^[25] He was sacked in February 2016 when the team went into liquidation.^[25]

Sutherland Sharks

Heal coached the Sutherland Sharks women's team in the Waratah League for three years between 2018 and 2020. He guided them to a grand final appearance in his first year.^[26]

Sydney Uni Flames

In March 2021, Heal was appointed head coach of the Sydney Uni Flames on a three-year deal.^[27] He and his daughter left the Flames in January 2023 for reasons not publicly specified, and the departure is accompanied by an investigation from an independent firm.^[28][29]

Personal life

Heal's daughter, Shyla, is also a professional basketball player and has played on multiple teams where her father has been the coach.^[29][30]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Source^[6]

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1996–97	Minnesota	43	0	5.5	.268	.308	.600	.4	.8	.1	.1	1.7
2003–04	San Antonio	6	0	12.0	.292	.222	.800	.7	.8	.2	.0	3.7
Career		49	0	6.3	.273	.289	.700	.4	.8	.1	.1	2.0

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
1997	Minnesota	2	0	1.5	1.000	1.000	–	.0	.5	.0	.0	3.0

References

1. Excellence : the Australian Institute of Sport. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission. 2002. ISBN 174013060X.
2. Aussie legend calls final time out
3. Aussie Legend Shane Heal to Retire
5. MightyMite Sydney Kings announce 25th Anniversary Team 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
6. "Shane Heal". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
7. SHANE DOUGLAS HEAL BC NEAR EAST KLIMATAIR ATHENS.
8. SHANE HEAL STATS SEP 6, 1970 AUSTRALIAN.
9. SHANE HEAL Makedonikos EuroCup.
10. Shane Douglas HEAL (AUS) participated in 10 FIBA / FIBA Zones events.
11. Bernard, Grantley (3 March 2006). "Heal weighs up Dragons captaincy". Herald Sun.
12. South Dragons (2005). Heal back in black 21 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
13. South Dragons (2006). Price resigns, Heal new head coach 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 October 2006.
14. . NBL.com.au. 23 October 2006. Archived from the original on 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
15. NBL's South Dragons sack coach Heal
16. "Dragons and Heal part ways". South Dragons. 1 February 2008. ^{[dead link]}
17. . Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
18. . Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
19. . Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
20. Young, Heal win Player and Coach of the Month 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
21. Shane Heal to step away from Kings 22 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
22. Heal signs with Saints
23. Heal Not Returning To Saints 5 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
24. "New WNBL side as elite basketball returns to South East Queensland". The Sydney Morning Herald. 13 March 2015. from the original on 6 March 2022.
25. WNBL: SEQ Stars saved but coach Shane Heal pushed out by sponsor
26. Shane Heal set to be named Sydney Flames coach
27. BRYDENS SYDNEY UNI FLAMES LOCK IN NEW HEAD COACH SHANE HEAL
28. Waterworth, Ben (31 January 2023). "Basketball bombshell as Shyla Heal poised for shock late-season move amid Flames absence". foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
29. McMurtry, Andrew (31 January 2023). "Shock move amid bizarre Shane, Shyla Heal WNBL disappearance". news.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
30. Cormack, Michael (30 November 2015). "Shyla Heal looks to follow in her dad's footsteps by playing for Australia at the Olympics". couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 31 January 2023.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Shane Heal.

• Profile at Basketball-Reference.com
• NBL stats