Quick Facts
Biography
Shane Douglas Heal (born 6 September 1970) is an Australian former professional basketball player, active entrepreneur and current head coach of the South East Queensland Stars women's basketball team.
Playing career
International
Heal's international career highlights include representing the Australian Boomers at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games, captaining the team in 2004 in Athens. Heal Also represented Australia at numerous FIBA World Championships.
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 USA, 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.
NBA
Heal had two stints in the NBA, firstly in the 1996–97 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and secondly in the 2003–04 season with the San Antonio Spurs.
NBL
Heal won the 2002–03 NBL championship with the Sydney Kings. Heal retired from basketball after his stint at the Kings. He later continued his career, coming out of retirement to play for the newly formed South Dragons initially as a player. This quickly changed after the coaching position became vacant and he was offered the job as the clubs player/coach, which he accepted. He was sacked from his job at the Dragons during his second season at the club, after multiple poor performances. Heal was signed in May 2008 as a player for the recently formed Gold Coast Blaze. Heal retired the second and last time, on 14 February 2009, playing the last of his 440 NBL matches for the Gold Coast Blaze and finished on a winning note, the Blaze completing a three-game winning streak despite an otherwise modest season.
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)
Australian Institute of Sport
He held an Australian Institute of Sport basketball scholarship from 1987 to 1988.
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. He officially signed with the team on 6 April as the Dragons' inaugural captain. On 23 October 2006, Dragons coach Mark Price resigned his position after the Dragons lost their first five NBL championship season games, citing family reasons. Price was replaced by Heal, who was appointed as player and interim coach for the remainder of the season. After multiple successful performances, his contract was extended to the end of the 2008/2009 season. However, on 1 February 2008, Heal was sacked from his job as player/coach at the Dragons after a poor season left the club struggling at the bottom of the table and himself battling fitness issues.
Sydney Kings
On 24 February 2012, Shane Heal became the coach of the Sydney Kings after former coach Ian Robilliard stood down. Robilliard took the post of Sydney Kings CEO after Stephen Dunn's departure as Executive Director. Dunn had been fulfilling the role of Executive Director in an unpaid capacity for nine months to assist the club. Heal began his Sydney Kings coaching career with a 71-69 win against the Townsville Crocodiles on 26 February 2012.
On 10 October 2013, Heal was named in the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team. On 4 February 2014, Heal was named the Coach of the Month for January.
On 21 March 2014, Heal announced that he would not be re-applying for the Sydney Kings' head coaching job for the 2014–15 season. His announcement was made following the Kings' loss to the Wollongong Hawks, ending the Kings' hopes of making the 2013–14 playoffs.
Wellington Saints
On 5 February 2014, Heal signed with the Wellington Saints to be the club's head coach for the 2014 New Zealand NBL season. After guiding the Saints to the 2014 championship, he announced on November 27, 2014 that he would not be returning to the club in 2015.
South East Queensland
In March 2015, Heal was named the head coach of the new WNBL side, South East Queensland Stars.