No more 23
Thursday, October 7, 2004 - 01:25 PM
NBL, Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Kings have announced that they will retire the number of former captain Shane Heal at the team's opening home game against Melbourne on Wednesday 13 October.
Heal's number 23 singlet will be retired by the club in the ultimate honour for the former Kings firebrand, who led the team to their first-ever championship.
A custom-made, banner-sized jersey will be raised to the rafters of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, where it will sit permanently next to the Kings' pair of championship banners.
Following the ceremony, no other Kings player will ever be allowed to wear Heal's number 23.
"The last game I played for the Kings we won the first-ever championship, which for me was the perfect way to finish my career with the club," Heal told the Sydney Morning Herald's Michael Cowley. "Now, to think that my singlet's not going to be worn again, it's a huge compliment."
The ceremony will be a fitting end to Heal's stellar career and the sharp-shooting guard says he is unlikely to ever feel the urge to return to the Philips Championship.
"I find it hard to categorically say I'll never, ever play again, but my feeling is right now that I doubt very much that I'll ever play again," he told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"To be honest, I'm not missing the training and I don't think that I will play again. It's good to be finally having a break, spending time with the family, pursuing some business interests, and just taking a rest."
"I'm sure in 12 months' time I'm going to want to have a lot more to do with basketball, whether at a junior level or coaching or media or whatever, but right now I'm just enjoying watching it [on TV] and not doing a lot more with it."
At the same game, fans will also see the official raising of the Kings' second championship banner prior to tip-off.
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