WATCH TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS - episode 3 - with Megan Hustwaite and Jock Landale from 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday January 21 via , or catch up via .
The 25-year-old is one of the rising stars of Australian basketball and returns this season after signing on to play for hometown team Melbourne United in the NBL.
Landale comes to the NBL after playing the past two seasons in Europe with Partizan of Serbia and Zalgiris in Lithuania.
After honing his craft during four years at Saint Marys College in California, Landale caught the eye of talent scouts during a breakout campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2019-20 NBA Summer League, averaging 18 points and seven rebounds.
The 211cm big man was a shock starter for the Boomers at the World Cup in 2019 and cemented his position in the national team as Australia narrowly missed out on a medal.
In the interview set to air on Thursday night’s episode of TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS at 7 pm on the , Landale admits his rapid rise has not been all smooth sailing, and revealed he battled depression and anxiety throughout his time playing in Europe.
“My time in Serbia was riddled with mental health issues. Being my first year as a pro and having to deal with the isolation of being on my own in Serbia,” Landale said.
“I fell pretty severely into depression and anxiety, which I struggled to navigate during that period.
“It got to a point where essentially I had to have someone with me the whole time and I’m lucky my family were able to fly across the world to visit as much as they did.
“I feel as if I have seen the darkest days for myself mentally and being able to come back from that point has made me a stronger person.”
A return to Europe or even a move to the NBA last season was on the cards for Landale, but the global coronavirus outbreak proved to put a major spanner in the works for the young Aussie.
Uncertainty around border restrictions and issues with contract offers left Landale without a club for most of 2020.
In December, Landale signed for Melbourne United - a move he called a career goal, with his debut for the team ending a run of more than 300 days without playing in a competitive fixture.
“I’d always known there was interest from Melbourne and I already had a great relationship with many of the coaching staff and players,” he said.
“I’ve always said coming back and playing in my hometown and the NBL was something I had always set out to do in my career.
“I feel as if I can contribute to boosting the profile of the league, and with the current climate, there was no better time than now to make it happen.”
In the full interview with Courtside 1v1 host Hustwaite, Landale also talks about his dream Boomers debut, why Melbourne United will be the team to beat in the NBL and how the prospect of an Olympic medal is driving him to new heights ahead of the Tokyo games.
The interview is part of new SBS series - TAB Courtside 1v1, which gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape basketball in Australia.
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 show - every Thursday at 7pm (AEDT) via - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.
SBS is broadcasting multiple regular-season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand. Plus, every game of the 2020-21 NBL season is LIVE, FREE and in HD via , with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.
