SBS will again broadcast two live, regular season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand - starting December 27. Plus, every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will be LIVE, FREE and in HD via , with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.
Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly 30-minute show where she interviews basketball stars of the past, present and future.
The show will shine the spotlight on the unique characters and stories from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape the game in Australia.
It is unmissable viewing for diehard Aussie hoops fans but also one casual sports fans will love as well.
The first episode of the weekly TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS series will air on January 7 at 7pm (AEDT) on the .
Tell us a bit about yourself? Who is Megan Hustwaite?
I'm a bit of a swing woman, I guess, to borrow a basketball pun. I'm a broadcaster, I'm a writer and an MC and have been covering the sport I love as a journalist for more than a decade at all levels of the game here in Australia. These days Basketball is very much my life as I cover the sport all year round which is incredible.
So how did you get into covering basketball?
I've wanted to do this since I was eight years living in Ballarat in regional Victoria. Growing up, I was very lucky to have two Australian Opals who were stars at the time that came from the town I grew up in, in Robyn Maher and Allison Cook. As much as I'd love to have been an elite athlete, just looking at them having success on the international stage, inspired me knowing I was from the same town.
What have been some of the most memorable moments from your career reporting on basketball?
For me, it has been watching players develop through the ranks going from rookie to superstar. Seeing Liz Cambage as a teenager playing in her first WNBL season and then being there courtside as she took out the WNBL title last weekend. Another one is Shyla Heal, watching her as a teenage now and knowing we could very well be seeing the start of a superstar who may go on to dominate the game for the next 20 years. One event that really stands out to me is being at Marvel Stadium in 2019 to see the Boomers defeat Team USA for the first time and to do it on our home court. It was an incredible game to be a part of.
Tell me a bit about your new show for TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS?
I’m really excited about this new project for SBS. It’s about embracing our Australian basketball talent and telling their stories both on and off the court. That is what I am looking forward to the most because Australia has some of the best athletes in the world who happen to play basketball. As a sport, basketball does get forgotten a bit and I don’t think it gets the spotlight it deserves. Our Athletes are wonderful ambassadors for the sport, and they have fantastic tales to tell as well as amazing big personalities. I’m really looking forward to catching up with as many players as I can throughout the season and sharing that opportunity with the world.
What should viewers look forward to from the show?
I want to give people the chance to meet the movers and shakers of Australian basketball but also get to know a bit about who they are. We want to give the audience unprecedented access and shine a spotlight on the great personalities, as well as all the amazing stories in the game. This show is one for Australian basketball fans but also aims to bring in some new eyes to the floor and that for me is really exciting.
