NICKNAME/S: Hammer

BIO: Shane Heal was born in Melbourne (VIC), He attended Upper Yarra Secondary College and began playing basketball as a junior with the Nunawading basketball association. Heal received a scholarship to attend the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra) in 1987. He spent three years year there and played for the program’s state league team (1987).

NBL EXPERIENCE

Shane Heal made his NBL debut with the Brisbane Bullets at 17 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.

Heal averaged 15.0 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 27 minutes per game as a rookie, backing up starting point guard Darren Perry. Heal would earn the league’s Rookie of the Year award at seasons end.

Shane’s scoring punch off the bench propelled Brisbane to third on the ladder before they fell short to the Perth Wildcats in a elimination finals game.

GEELONG SUPERCATS
1989
At the end of the 1988 a group of local business men fought together to save the club, injected the team with some much needed financial assistance. The team was rebranded from Cats to Supercats Barry Barnes, who had been replaced by Brian Goorjian at Eastside Melbourne, was named head coach. Barnes had been a mentor to up and coming guard Shane Heal, who after winning Rookie of the Year with Brisbane, joined Barnes in Geelong for the 1989 season. Naturalised big man Jim Bateman (via Illawarra) was also signed to provide some addition scoring punch. The team was led by new import duo Daren Rowe (14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists) and Aubrey Sherrod (14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists). New recruits Bateman (17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 assists) and Heal (14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists) also impressed in their first seasons in Geelong and Heal averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Geelong improved from going winless the season prior to a 5-19 record in 1989 despite all of the off-court distractions.

1990
For the second year in a row, coach Barry Barnes was forced to build a new-look roster at the Supercats. John Dorge (via Brisbane) and Vince Hinchen (via Westside Melbourne) were added to the roster. The duo of Brian Vaughans and Daren Rowe were brought in to replace outgoing imports Sam Foggin and Leonard Mitchell.

The season didn’t start well for the Supercats. Although Vaughns (17.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.3 blocks) put up good numbers across four games, Geelong started the year 0-4 and Vaughns was released. This opened the door for explosive point guard Bobby Locke to join the team, who dropped 50 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals in his first NBL game. While the addition of Locke brought a new level of excitement for Supercats fans, the team wasn’t able to turn things around, losing the next three games before finally notching up a win against the Adelaide 36ers.

With Locke (31.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.4 steals) leading the team in scoring, 19-year-old Shane Heal (22.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists) delivering career highs in points, rebounds and assists and Daren Rowe (18.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 3.2 blocks) leading the league in blocks, Geelong were able to win more games this season (11) than they had totaled in the previous two seasons combined (5).

Heal would receive the league’s Most Improved Player award and average 22.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game.

1991
Thanks to a financial boost from the Supercats ownership group which was made up of four major owners, all local businessmen and approx. 30 other local shareholders, Geelong were able to return to the playoffs.

Coach Barry Barnes would lead the Supercats to a third place finish (17-9), their best result as a club since 1984. The team’s success a result of the talented starters, Bobby Locke (25.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.0 steals), Vince Hinchen (24.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals), Shane Heal (23.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 1.4 steals), Terry Dozier (22.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals) and John Dorge (14.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 4.3 blocks) who would all play a minimum off 33 minutes per game and Jim Bateman (7.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists) subbing in for whoever needed a rest.

Geelong’s team of ‘overachievers’ would fall short in the NBL elimination finals, losing to a North Melbourne squad featuring Scott Fisher and Paul Maley in three games.

BRISBANE BULLETS
1992
In 1992, Heal averaged 20.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 7.1 assists as the Bullets finished with a record of 12-12 and in seventh place during the regular season.

1993
In 1993, Brisbane replaced long time coach Brian Kerle with former Coach of the Year (1988) and 1989 championship winning coach Bruce Palmer. Under Palmers tutelage the Bullets finished the season winning 50% of their games (same as the previous year under Kerle) and made it to the semi finals before being eliminated in two straight games by Dwayne McClain and the Sydney Kings.

Heal averaged 17.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists for the season.

1994
In 1994, Heal averaged 25.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists as the Bullets finished with a record of 18-8 and in Fourth place during the regular season.

1995
Having lost to Adelaide in the quarterfinals the previous season, the Bullets re-tooled their roster prior to 1995. The early exit saw Brisbane revamp their frontcourt, releasing veteran forward Shane Froling and imports Dave Colbert and Andre Moore. Although Leroy Loggins, Rodger Smith, Robert Sibley and Wayne Larkins were retained from last season, coach Bruce Palmer set out to recruit a younger roster he could develop over the next 2-3 seasons. He signed Andrew Goodwin and Mike Mitchell (both from rival team Gold Coast), and added import Chris Munk as their replacements.

John Rillie, who had just graduated from Gonzaga University, was a late addition to the team signed to back-up Heal.

Heal (22.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists), Loggins (21.7 points and 7.5 rebounds), and Mitchell (20.9 points and 6.8 rebounds) would carry the team offensively, notching up 60+ points a game between them with Heal also adding 22.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game. Additionally, promising young talent John Rillie finished the season with 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and was awarded the NBL Rookie of the Year award but the ‘new look’ Bullets didn’t fare much better than the old ones. Brisbane finished in fifth place with a record of 16-10 and would suffer elimination during the Quarterfinalsstage yet again, this time losing to North Melbourne (0–2).

SYDNEY KINGS
1996
Sydney went through a period of major change prior to the 1996 season. From 1989 to 1995, the Kings had been coached by Bob Turner and had established themselves as a powerhouse franchise, particularly off the court. Corporate sponsorship through global juggernauts like Coca-Cola and Reebok had assisted in the enormous growth of the brand, resulting in numerous sell-outs at the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

But in 1995, the Kings struggled on the floor and failed to make the playoffs. And for a club that every year expected to not only make the playoffs but contend for a championship, that wasn’t good enough.

Bob Turner was replaced as coach by Alan Black, who had taken the Illawarra Hawks to the playoffs in 1993, 1994 and 1995 and was named NBL Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1995. Two foundation members of the Sydney Kings – Mark Dalton and Damian Keogh – were released from the club, as were a number of other players from the unsuccessful 1995 squad.

Black brought Hawks MVP Melvin Thomas along with him to the Kings and signed former Charlotte Hornets guard Tony Bennett as the team’s two imports. 25-year-old Stephen Whitehead (via Melbourne) joined the team, looking for more playing opportunities after serving a ‘apprenticeship’ behind stars Andrew Gaze and Lanard Copeland. But the key addition this year was owner Mike Wrublewski convincing Australia’s Boomers guard Shane Heal to move to Sydney and become the face of the franchise and captain of the team. Wrublewski even had the Kings swap their traditional purple and gold uniforms in favour of a black pin-striped design as a way to signify a new direction for Sydney in the hopes of re-energising a fan base.

Some addition by subtraction saw the Kings release Bennett during the pre-season and replace him with the high-flying excitement machine, Isaac ‘Ice’ Burton, out of Arizona State University. Burton (24.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.1 steals) and Heal (23.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists) formed a deadly combination in the backcourt. Up front, Melvin Thomas (20.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks) and Bruce Bolden (16.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks) were a unstoppable tandem, with both men adding toughness, rebounding and a deadly ability to knock down the midrange jumper.

Right from the start, they got the old Kingdome rocking, with Heal dropping 20 points in the fourth quarter of a unforgettable comeback win in the season opener at home against the North Melbourne Giants.

That set the scene for a incredible first two months, with Sydney jumping to a 11-3 record, winning their first eight games at home and leading the NBL standings. In one amazing stretch, the Kings won nine straight games, averaging 120.4 points per game over that span.

Those wins included a blowout win over the Gold Coast (131-112), which saw Shane Heal (35 points and 7 assists) and Melvin Thomas (26 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocked shots) putting up big numbers. A nail biter over Perthat home (122-121), where three players scored at least 20 points, and Thomas finished just two assists shy of a triple-double, and win over NSW rival Illawarra (128-106), where Isaac Burton (32 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) dominated both ends of the court.

Unfortunately, a mid-season injury to Heal slowed the team down, but when Shane returned, he led the Kings to wins in four of their last five games, taking them to a fifth-place 16-10 record and a playoff appearance.

Sydney (16-10) faced off against Canberra (16-10) in the Quarter-finals, behind import duo Robert Rose and Darnell Mee. On the back of a season-high scoring night, Stephen Whitehead (24 points and 5 rebounds) surprised everyone in game one, winning by 24 points in the opening game (113-89). The Cannons would get a huge boost from their supporting cast in game two, with Jamie Pearlman (29 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists), David Close (25 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Ray Borner (21 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals) as well as Mee (29 points, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks) all scoring over 20 points. Rose (11 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists) finished just shy of a triple-double with Canberra defeating Sydney by 47 points (146-99). The deciding game saw the stars of the series come out firing, with Canberra’s Rose (23 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Mee (20 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) going head-to-head with Sydney’s Heal (21 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Burton (25 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 steals) but it was the team’s supporting casts the made the difference. Outside of Heal and Bruton, the Kings managed to score a mere 43 points, while the Cannons remaining roster tallied 58 points, with Borner (18 points and 7 rebounds), Blakemore (17 points and 6 rebounds), and Pearlman (17 points and 3 assists) all having big games. Canberra closed out the series with the win (101-89) and headed into a semi final against Melbourne.

While the Kings were unable to progress past the first round of the playoffs, it was still a season to remember.. Sydney averaged 108.8 points per game in the regular season – the most points scored per game in a regular season in franchise history – and also set team records that have never been broken for regular season field goal percentage (51.6%) and three-point percentage (41.2%).

Burton led the entire league in three-point percentage, was third in the NBL in steals and would go on to become the first Sydney King to win NBL Defensive Player of the Year. Heal would finish among the league’s best when he earned selection in the All-NBL Second Team.

After their 1996 elimination, the Kings would not make the NBL playoffs again until 2001, when they made it to the first round before being eliminated by the Townsville Crocodiles.

1998
After a single season in the NBA, Heal returned to the Kings in 1998. With two years remaining on his NBA deal, Heal left Minnesota, citing the lack of playing time behind Stephon Marbury, disliking the cold weather and suffering a calf injury the week before the opening round, which would require him to earn his way back into the rotation and returned to Australia.

Since Heal’s departure in 1996, the team had undergone a number of changes. Bill Tomlinson replaced coach Alan Black, imports Melvin Thomas and Isaac Burton were replaced by Matt Nover, a former NCAA Final Four centre better known as ‘Ricky Roe’ from the movie Blue Chips and a 19-year-old forward named Stephen Jackson, who became the youngest import signing in NBL history.

Jackson had been the leading scorer in the 1996 McDonald’s All-American Game on a team that included future NBA All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and Richard Hamilton. He’d been headed to the University of Arizona but was ruled academically ineligible, throwing him into the ’97 NBA Draft (while the Wildcat’s won the NCAA title without him), where Phoenix selected him in the second round. He failed to make the Suns roster and, instead, chose to play his first year as a pro in Australia.

The Kings had built themselves around a young core of Aussie talent, which included Aaron Trahair, Matthew Nielsen, Stephen Whitehead and Scott McGregor.

Nover (7.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists) and Jackson (6.0 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 1 assist) got off to rocky starts, combing for a total of 36 points across the team’s first three games. Jackson, who would later average 20+ points per game across numerous seasons in the NBA, had become the first import in NBL history to go scoreless in his debut game. Nonetheless, the Kings were rolling, with wins over Canberra, Newcastle and Melbourne firing them to a undefeated start.

In Round 3, the team travelled to Adelaide looking to keep their steak alive when, late in the third quarter, disaster struck for Jackson. Attempting to block 36ers’ star Kevin Brooks, Jackson landed awkwardly, broke his foot and would miss the remainder of the season.

In round 6, even with Aaron Trahair dropping 40 points on 13 of 16 shooting, the Kings lost to Wollongong (99-108) and shortly after released Nover. Former King Dave Simmons, who had been released by Newcastle, and former Sacramento King’s big man Evers Burns were signed as import replacements.

After six games, Simmons (6.5 points and 6.3 rebounds) was released as the Kings made room to sign former North Carolina State point guard Kelsey Weems and allow Shane Heal and Aaron Trahair to play more minutes at shooting guard.

Through the multiple import changes and roster juggling, the Kings dropped ten of their next twelve games, missed the playoffs and finished in the tenth spot (12-18). Heal (20.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists) would lead the team in scoring while rising star Nielsen continued to improve, boosting his numbers from 9.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 27 minutes per game to 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 34 minutes per game. During their short NBL stints, Weems (20.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals) filled the stat sheet during his 12 games, while Burns (16.5 points and 9.4 rebounds) on the other hand, wasn’t quite the player he was in the NBA. Jackson went on to play 858 NBA games, winning a championship with San Antonio in 2003.

2000/01
Heal averaged 24.6 points and 4 rebounds, and 6 assists during a lacklustre season where the Kings limped home to a fifth place finish with a 17-11 record.

2001/02
In 2001/02, Heal averaged 24.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as the Kings finished with a record of 14-16 and in eighth place during the regular season.

2002/03
In 2002/03, Heal averaged 20 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 7.5 assists, playing a key role in the King’s rotation, helping the team finish reach a first place finish in the regular season with a 22-8 record.

SOUTH DRAGONS
2008/09
In 2006/07 Heal averaged 19.8 points and 2.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, and helped guide the Dragons to a seventh-place finish during the regular season with a 15-18 record.

2007/08
In 2007/08 Heal averaged 15.8 points and 2.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, as the Dragons finished in third place with a 5-25 record.

GOLD COAST BLAZE
2008/09
Heal averaged 15.9 points and 3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists during a lacklustre season where the Blaze limped home to a tenth place finish with a 8-22 record.

Shane Heal played sixteen seasons across five NBL teams. This included the Brisbane Bullets, Geelong Supercats, South Dragons, Sydney Kings and Gold Coast Blaze. He averaged 20.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists in 440 NBL games.

CAREER RANKINGS:
– 35th in total games played.
– 10th in total points
– 5th in total assists
– 37th in total steals
– 23rd in assists per game.

Dan Boyce (817 Posts)

Dan Boyce is a die-hard Sydney Kings fan who grew up in Melbourne during the roaring 90's of Australian Basketball and spent far too much time collecting Futera NBL Basketball cards.