“Perseverance conquers all.” Behind almost every successful player is their family who has supported them through thick and thin. One such story is of the Australian baller Shyla Heal, who has played on multiple teams throughout the world. Heal has represented teams in the local Australian league to the WNBA. Much of the credit goes to her father Shane Heal.

Not many know but Shane Heal went undrafted in the NBA in 1992 but he did not let that come in between his passion as he proved his mettle in leagues throughout the world and also played in the NBA. Today, EssentiallySports takes a closer look at Shane Heal.

Shane Heal’s early life

Heal was born on September 6, 1970, in Melbourne, Australia. He displayed his knack for basketball even in his early years as he held a basketball scholarship. He also played youth basketball at the Australian Institute of Sports from 1987 to 88. When Heal was 12 years old he expressed his resolve to represent Australia in the Olympics to his father. Heal often spent his time visualizing playing for his country and battling neck to neck against the USA in his backyard. 

Though Heal wasn’t the most athletic or the tallest kid, he developed his skills so that he could have a chance at his dream. He improved his three-pointer shot which compensated for the lack of height. Heal eventually grew up to be 6 feet tall, but it was his exceptional skills that paved the path for Heal. 

Heal’s brother and mother helped him develop his game. He often used to practice against them in his backyard. Once his height shot above his mother, she would use a broom to her advantage and block Heal’s shots. Heal would then challenge himself and practice for hours. He would devise different exercises for himself and take shots from different spots. Heal’s hard work finally paid off when he was drafted into the NBL.

Shan Heal’s playing career

Heal started plying his trade for the Brisbane Bullets in 1988. He was a crowd favorite and spent most of his years in the NBL. Apart from the Bullets, he was a member of Geelong Supercats, Sydney Kings, South Dragons, and Gold Coast Blaze. 

He played an incredible 440 games which speaks volumes of his longevity and his skills. He averaged 20.6 points per game and 6.1 assists per game. He also holds the record for topping the assists average in 1990 and 2002. Therefore, Heal demonstrated that he could play the alpha as well as the second fiddle whenever the situation demanded.

His resilience was high when he went undrafted in the NBA in 1992. But he didn’t let that deter his ambition. Instead, he signed a contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1996-97 and started his second NBA stint with the San Antonio Spurs in 2003-04. 2003 was a fairly productive year for him as he also won the NBL championship.

As for his national dream, Heal represented Australia in four Olympics and was also the captain at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Furthermore, he propelled his team to win gold at the 2003 FIBA Oceania Championship. 

He also made it to the 1994 FIBA World Championship and the 1998 FIBA World Championship. One of the major highlights of Heal’s career was when he plied his trade against the Dream Team in an Olympic warm-up game. He top-scored with 28 points and had a lengthy battle against Charles Barkley. Though Heal retired in 2009, his playing experience helped him during his coaching career.

Shane Heal’s coaching career

Heal’s tryst with coaching started when he was playing for the South Dragons in 2006-08. The head coach at that time resigned and the management signed Heal as the interim coach. He had the responsibility of both captaining the team and also being a mentor. Heal took the team to playoffs in the first season. However, an abysmal record from Heal in the second one led to him being sacked by the management.

Heal’s second coaching stint started when he was appointed for the Sydney Kings. Heal was also named the coach of the month for the Kings and helped them win games. In March 2014, he left the Kings. Since then Heal has gone on to coach numerous teams including those in the New Zealand NBL season and the Waratah league. 

In March 2021, he was also appointed as the coach for the Sydney Uni Flames. However, that ended when Heal and his daughter both left the team in January 2023 the reasons for which are being investigated by an independent firm. 

Heal’s story reminds us all of what can be done with hard work and perseverance. Heal despite not having the perfect build didn’t lose hope and instead chose to concentrate on developing his style and it paid him off when he got drafted into the NBL. Even when he went undrafted by the NBA, he didn’t give up and instead came to the league after a few years and had a merry time with the Timberwolves. Hopefully, fans would be inspired, and the budding ballers would take Heal’s example and work hard on their skills.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.