WELCOME
HOME GOD!!
At Atlanta in the 1996 Olympics while the Boomers where playing the Dream
Team, Americas Charles Barkley made some smart comment about Australians.
Most
people would probably want to fight back, but then remember who they are
talking to, and shut up. But Shane Heal had the guts to stand up for himself,
and all of Australia, and tell Barkley where to go. This display
impressed the scouts from the NBA teams, especially the Minnesota Timberwolves
scouts.
They
made him an offer too good to refuse.
They
offered him a three year, 1.1 million dollar contract, which he naturally
accepted. But, being the true blue Aussie he is, he stayed to help the
Sydney Kings in the last few games of the NBL season.
Shane
knew that playing ‘the Show’ would be tough and the Rookie Year is
spent on the bench scraping up minutes where ever possible. Even though
some minutes were played (mainly through others injuries), and played very
well.... Shane felt he wasn't getting enough court time and his game was
suffering because he wasn't playing. Every fan felt exactly the same way,
and just wanted him to come home and play for us again......
.....So
time went slowly on, and when it came time for the Winter World of Basketball
to come around, Australia finally smiled again! Shane Heal was coming back
to play for us in this competition..... After just a few weeks back he
went to Minneapolis.
So
the clock ticked away slowly again.........tick.....tock....... but then,
on the morning of Sunday the 2nd of November 1997, Australia cheered! The
newspapers were covered in the news.....Shane Heal is coming home!!!!!!!
People were going mad! I remember it like it was yesterday! I woke up by
mum banging and screaming! 'I've got something you'll want to see!, but
you can't have it unless you do something for me.' Since I could see it
was just a bit of newspaper I didn't really care, but then, after about
an hour of... 'you'll really want it!' she finally threw it in my face!
I think I was running around the house singing.......hmmm.. ........ but
I suppose you didn't need to know that!!! In an article in the Sunday Telegraph
(2/11/97) he was quoted saying 'Look, I could have stayed with the Timberwolves
and sat on the bench for another year and walked around with a big ego
thinking I was an NBA player. I don't want to have the NBA ego -I just
want to play basketball.' And we all want you back here!
He
also said that he was worried what critics would say, about him being ‘an
NBA failure’.......Well guess what, I’d stick up for him any day, and I
think any other real basketballers would too... anyone else doesn't count
and they should get their head read!
Just
before Heals decision to come home, the Sydney Kings let their superstar,
Isaac Burton go. Burton trialed for the Washington team, and was....unfortunately
for us..... selected. Coach of the Kings said to a paper concerning the
uproar about the release of Burton that if Shane Heal ever came back, Ice
would be the first person called. This would make the famous ‘Lethal Weapon’
that Burton and Heal used to be known as. We can only hope that the
Kings can forgive Ice and give him a second chance.
Basketballers
should learn a lesson from our God, the NBA isn't all what it is cracked
up to be, and you are better off at home, playing the game you love, and
most of all having fun doing it...As Shane Heal said "It makes a big difference
going back to a place knowing you are really wanted and needed."
Stairway
Back To Heaven
