“The trash Gary Payton was saying to me, it was laughable, like I’m going to kill you after the game… literally, just silly stuff. I guess when I asked if there was a hole in ‘the Glove’ he didn’t appreciate it”
- Shane Heal sharing Trash Talking stories of when he went head to head with Gary Payton in the Olympics.
In this episode of the Aussie Hoopla podcast we interview the greatest three-point shooter in Australian history Shane Heal, the bleached blonde, pierced and tattoo’ed guard who never backed down from anyone shares some of the amazing stories which have led to him being one of the most popular players in Australian history.
Dan Boyce had the opportunity to ask Shane his side of some of the wild stories and moments which have made his career memorable to so many.
- The time he knocked out Grant Kruger
- Clashing heads with Gary Payton
- Going toe to toe with Charles Barkley
- Taking all of his Minnesota Timberwolves teammate’s money during shooting competitions
- Trying to shoot on a basketball ring in Greece while opposition fans sat on the backboard
Perhaps no other Australian player has had the heart and career of Shane Heal which has included playing in the Olympics, the NBA, Europe and of course the NBL.
Additional topics discussed include;
- Coaching in the NZNBL and how ready is Wellington to compete in the NBL
- Why he walked away from coaching the Sydney Kings
- Coaching NBA star Sam Young and how he fit into the Kings roster last season
- Fond memories of playing for Brisbane, Geelong, Sydney, Gold Coast and South Dragons
- Why Mark Price failed as a coach in the NBL
- His thoughts on why the league needs to expand in the next few years
- His relationship with Brian Goorjian, Brett Brown and other great coaches
- What playing for Australian means to him and why
- Winning his first NBL title in Sydney
- His 61 points in the NBL
- His regrets on not staying in the NBA with Minnesota
All of this and a lot more…