Wikipedia

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 54)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight183 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High schoolUpper Yarra Secondary College
(Yarra Junction, Victoria)
NBA draft1992: undrafted
Playing career1988–2009
PositionPoint guard
Number10, 11
Coaching career2006–present
Career history
As player:
1988Brisbane Bullets
1989–1991Geelong Supercats
1992–1995Brisbane Bullets
1996Sydney Kings
1996–1997Minnesota Timberwolves
1998Sydney Kings
1998–2000Near East
2000–2003Sydney Kings
2002Andrea Costa Imola
2003San Antonio Spurs
2003–2004Makedonikos
2006–2008South Dragons
2008–2009Gold Coast Blaze
As coach:
2006–2008South Dragons
2012–2014Sydney Kings
2014Wellington Saints
2015–2016SEQ Stars
2018–2020Sutherland Sharks
2021–2023Sydney Uni Flames
Career highlights and awards
As player:

As coach:

Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Australia
FIBA Oceania Championship
Gold medal – first place 2003 Australia

Playing career

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Australian Institute of Sport

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

NBL

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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. He played his final season in the 2008–09 NBL season with the Blaze. 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]

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

NBL team records and achievements

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Brisbane Bullets

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  • 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

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  • 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

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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

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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

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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

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South Dragons

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Source[6]

Regular season

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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

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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

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  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
  4. ^ Player statistics for Shane Heal
  5. ^ MightyMite Sydney Kings announce 25th Anniversary Team Archived 13 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ a b "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 Archived 21 August 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 April 2006.
  13. ^ South Dragons (2006). Price resigns, Heal new head coach Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 23 October 2006.
  14. ^ "Heal new coach of Dragons". 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. ^ "National Basketball League | Sydney Kings: Sydney Kings sign Shane Heal as Head Coach for the remainder of the 2011-2012 season". Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  18. ^ "National Basketball League | Sydney Kings: Sydney Kings announce organisational changes". Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  19. ^ "National Basketball League: R21 Report: Heal leads Kings to 'violet crumble' victory". Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  20. ^ Young, Heal win Player and Coach of the Month Archived 6 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Shane Heal to step away from Kings Archived 22 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ Heal signs with Saints
  23. ^ Heal Not Returning To Saints Archived 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. Archived from the original on 6 March 2022.
  25. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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.
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