Shane Heal

In Australia and throughout the world, Shane Heal is one of the world’s premier guards, entertaining fans with his deadly long range shots, tremendous ambition, courage and his flat refusal to back down for anything or anyone.

Initially at Brisbane, Shane Heal stood out in his first season winning the NBL Rookie of the Year Award. Since then he has produced a series of impressive seasons.
Apart from 2003s history-making feats with the Kings, Heal will be best remembered for going toe-to-toe with NBA legend Charles Barkley in a practice game between Australia and the USA Dream Team prior to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
In Atlanta, Heal made international sporting headlines again by scoring 28 points against Gary Payton, Charles Barkley and the rest of the Dream Team that went on to win the Gold Medal. Following the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, Shane Heal had offers from six NBA franchises, and after nine seasons in the NBL became the first Australian to be signed directly out of the local competition by an NBA team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
After his two-year stint with the Timberwolves, Shane Heal moved to Greece to play for Near East Athens before returning to Australia and the Sydney Kings for the 2000-01 season.
In 2003 he became the first captain in Sydney Kings history to lead the franchise to the NBL Championship, also his first, before announcing his retirement from full-time basketball. Having represented Australia with distinction at three Olympic Games and at two World Championships, his pursuit of perfection and intensity to win has confirmed his place as one of Australia’s greatest sporting stars having excelled at all levels of his sport.
It is a remarkable feat that all of this has been achieved by a six foot player - making Shane Heal identifiable to a wide demographic as people can identify with him as someone who is normal and not a 6’10” giant.
Throughout his career Shane Heal has dispelled the myth that to achieve things in basketball you need to be tall and athletic, and has shown throughout his career with his flamboyance, dedication, courage and attitude that everything is achievable if you put your mind to it.
Shane was targeted to come out of retirement in 2006 and that year joined the South Dragons in their first year in the NBL as Player/Coach. He is currently playing for the Gold Coast Blaze in their second season in the NBL.
Shane Heal also continues to build his business interests off the court, with numerous commercial development projects, franchise businesses and is still highly recommended on the Public Speaking circuit as a keynote speaker.