FIBA Basketball
AUS - Shawn Heal to return
SYDNEY (NBL) - Former Australian national team captain Shane Heal will return to elite level basketball this year in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). The South Dragons, a new franchise based in
SYDNEY (NBL) - Former Australian national team captain Shane Heal will return to elite level basketball this year in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL).
The South Dragons, a new franchise based in Melbourne, have attracted Heal with the promise of team captaincy and immediate success.
"No team has ever come into the league and done well straight away… It's taken Cairns eight years to make the top four. That is certainly not what this franchise wants to do and not what I want to be able to do - I want to be able to win straight away."
Heal retired from the NBL after leading the Sydney Kings to their first championship in 2003. The man nicknamed 'The Hammer', for his distinctive shooting style, then retired from all competitive basketball after the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Heal represented Australia on 198 occasions, including 2 World Championships and 4 Olympics, leading Australia in assists at 5 of those events.
Scoring at 21.3 points per game over his 363 game NBL career, Heal is regarded as a marquee signing for the new Melbourne franchise.
The Melbourne born point guard admitted that seeing the Commonwealth Games gold medal match, played at a sold out Vodafone Arena, sealed his decision to come out of retirement.
"One thing that certainly helped was the Commonwealth Games final…Walking in to Vodafone Arena with 10,000 people and knowing that was going to be the home court. I think that's going to be very exciting for all Dragons fans."
The South Dragons face the New Zealand Breakers in Auckland on the 26th of September in their inaugural NBL appearance.
Paul Kennedy
FIBA Official Correspondent
The South Dragons, a new franchise based in Melbourne, have attracted Heal with the promise of team captaincy and immediate success.
"No team has ever come into the league and done well straight away… It's taken Cairns eight years to make the top four. That is certainly not what this franchise wants to do and not what I want to be able to do - I want to be able to win straight away."
Heal retired from the NBL after leading the Sydney Kings to their first championship in 2003. The man nicknamed 'The Hammer', for his distinctive shooting style, then retired from all competitive basketball after the 2004 Athens Olympics.
Heal represented Australia on 198 occasions, including 2 World Championships and 4 Olympics, leading Australia in assists at 5 of those events.
Scoring at 21.3 points per game over his 363 game NBL career, Heal is regarded as a marquee signing for the new Melbourne franchise.
The Melbourne born point guard admitted that seeing the Commonwealth Games gold medal match, played at a sold out Vodafone Arena, sealed his decision to come out of retirement.
"One thing that certainly helped was the Commonwealth Games final…Walking in to Vodafone Arena with 10,000 people and knowing that was going to be the home court. I think that's going to be very exciting for all Dragons fans."
The South Dragons face the New Zealand Breakers in Auckland on the 26th of September in their inaugural NBL appearance.
Paul Kennedy
FIBA Official Correspondent