Suspended basketball coach Shane Heal told multiple Sydney Flames players they were "selfish" and repeated foul language against one, a court has heard.
Heal, 52, is suing the Women's National Basketball League club after he was suspended as Flames head coach in January while an internal investigation into multiple bullying complaints was conducted.
His Federal Court lawsuit accuses the Flames of breaches of employment law and is seeking penalties and employee entitlements such as accrued leave.
The former Australian basketballer and Olympian denies any wrongdoing.
In one incident, Heal allegedly asked the same player "what the f*** (she) was doing" twice during training and once during a game.
"Would you agree that is a demeaning thing to say?" barrister Paul Moorhouse asked on Monday.
"Not in the context," former assistant coach and interim head coach Shelley Gorman replied.
A further allegation of bullying was made after Heal allegedly lashed out at a separate player during a stoppage in a game against Adelaide Lightning in November last year.
Heal agreed he had told the player she was "selfish" and only cared about the ball after she "led a play and kept the ball to herself".
However, he denied a later conversation when the player allegedly said to him at the hotel: "I've never been so disrespected in my life and I will never be spoken to again by you or I will leave".
Heal said the hotel conversation did not happen and this was the first he had heard of the accusation.
Other allegations include Heal singling out players during video sessions where the team rewatched games and telling certain players they had "stuffed up" while replaying the same footage multiple times.
Heal was suspended in January as the club began an internal investigation.
Shelley Gorman told the hearing she believed the club's treatment of Heal was "disgusting", showing the court evidence of a text exchange between her and Heal's daughter, Shyla, who also played for the team.
"Mate I do not care what the club says, the way they have treated Shane (and you) is disgusting," Gorman wrote, adding that she had the pair's "back 100 per cent".
In opening arguments on Friday, Heal's counsel Glenn Fredericks said there would be evidence of a complaint made by Shyla Heal being "harassed" when she was "manhandled" by a member of the coaching staff.
The complaint related to the staff member's hands being put on her shoulders to get her to warm up with the team, Mr Fredericks said.
He said the accusation was relevant as it "disappeared into the ether", showing when a complaint did not suit the Flames they took things "fairly easy" but when it suited them they could act fast.
The Flames have previously promised the Federal Court they would not terminate Heal's employment until, at soonest, the final day of the hearing.
It continues before Justice John Halley on Tuesday.
