Australian Institute of Sport

Heal held an Australian Institute of Sport basketball scholarship, and he played youth basketball there, from 1987 to 1988.^[1]

NBL

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Heal spent most of his professional club career playing in Australia's NBL. He played with the Brisbane Bullets, Geelong Supercats, Sydney Kings, South Dragons and Gold Coast Blaze. He was a member of the Kings' 2003 NBL championship-winning team. Between 2006 and 2008, he served as player-coach of the Dragons. For the 2008–09 NBL season, Heal was part of the inaugural Blaze squad. He retired in February 2009, at age 38, after a 21-year career.^[2][3] In 440 games, he averaged 20.6 points and 6.1 assists.^[4]

Heal was named in the Sydney Kings 25th Anniversary Team.^[5]

NBL team records and achievements

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)

NBA

Heal also had two stints in the NBA, firstly in the 1996–97 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, when he averaged 1.7 points per game in 43 games, and secondly in the 2003–04 season with the San Antonio Spurs, when he averaged 3.7 points in six games.^[6]

Europe

Heal also played professionally in Europe. He played with the Greek Basket League's Near East Athens, from 1998 to 2000. With Near East, he played in Europe's third-tier level FIBA Korać Cup, in the 1999–00 season, in which he averaged 15.2 points and 2.3 assists per game.^[7] Heal played in Italy with the Lega Basket Serie A club Andrea Costa Imola, during the 2001–02 season.^[8] He then played with the Greek club Makedonikos, where he averaged 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game in Europe's second-tier level EuroCup's 2003–04 season.^[9]

National team career

Heal represented Australia's under-19 national team at the 1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship. Heal's international career highlights include representing the Australian Boomers at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 editions of the Summer Olympic Games. He was the captain of the team in 2004 in Athens. Heal also represented Australia at both the 1994 FIBA World Championship and the 1998 FIBA World Championship.^[10]

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 US, 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.

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.^[11] He officially signed with the team on 6 April as the Dragons' inaugural captain.^[12] On 23 October 2006, Dragons coach Mark Price resigned after the Dragons lost their first five regular season games. Price was replaced by Heal, who was appointed as player and interim coach for the remainder of the season.^[13][14] Heal took the club to the NBL playoffs in their first season, but then the team won just four of 26 games in 2007–08, including defeats in their last straight 13 matches.^[15] He was sacked by the Dragons on 1 February 2008.^[16]

Sydney Kings

On 24 February 2012, Heal was appointed head coach of the Sydney Kings for the rest of the 2011–12 NBL season.^[17][18] In his first game two days later, he guided the Kings to a 71–69 win over the Townsville Crocodiles.^[19]

Heal was named the Coach of the Month for January of the 2013–14 NBL season.^[20]

In March 2014, Heal parted ways with the Kings.^[21]

Wellington Saints

Heal coached the Wellington Saints during the 2014 New Zealand NBL season,^[22] and helped them win the championship in his one season.^[23]

South East Queensland

In March 2015, Heal was named the inaugural head coach of the South East Queensland Stars^[24] on a three-year deal.^[25] He was sacked in February 2016 when the team went into liquidation.^[25]

Sutherland Sharks

Heal coached the Sutherland Sharks women's team in the Waratah League for three years between 2018 and 2020. He guided them to a grand final appearance in his first year.^[26]

Sydney Uni Flames

In March 2021, Heal was appointed head coach of the Sydney Uni Flames on a three-year deal.^[27] He and his daughter left the Flames in January 2023 for reasons not publicly specified, and the departure is accompanied by an investigation from an independent firm.^[28][29]

NBA

Source^[6]