Watch two games of the NBA 2021-22 regular season each week LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
Courtside seats
SBS Courtside is back for another season, bringing viewers closer to the action around the NBA.
Each episode will recap what’s transpired in the lead-up to the dedicated game on SBS VICELAND and will only whet the appetite for what’s to come.
Be it the top plays from the week, or how our Australian stars are tracking across the association - this program is perfect for your pre-game fix.
Dame time
Before Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving seized the off-season headlines, Damian Lillard, too, had his future up in the air.
But after weeks of speculation linking the six-time All-Star away from Portland, it appears – unlike several big-name players before him – Lillard is staying put.
“I’m not leaving Portland … adversity is going to hit, there’s going to be tough times,” he said.
“So, if it starts off rocky or if it starts out as a struggle, I won’t be happy about it – nobody would.
“But I’m not going to jump ship and bail out when that happens.”
Lillard’s decision to stay will see him remain the focal point of a Blazers organisation in transition under new head coach, Chauncey Billups.
And that means we’re bound to witness more incredible moments in the clutch from one of the league’s best point guards.
Ayton out for more
The off-season didn’t go according to plan for Phoenix Suns star Deandre Ayton, but that doesn’t mean he can’t – or won’t – make up for it on the court.
Ayton and the Suns were unable to come to terms on a rookie extension before Tuesday’s deadline, with the 6-foot-11 centre seeking a five-year max contract worth up to US$172.5 million.
Though Suns owner Robert Sarver was reluctant to entertain such a deal, there are bound to be several executives who will, should the former first overall pick enter free agency next year.
The 23-year-old flourished in the Suns’ setup last season, highlighted by a Finals-bound post-season that included the highest field goal percentage (66 per cent) in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information.
More of the same from Ayton this time out and the big man will surely have suitors lining up to have his double-double production work in their favour come 2023.
New-look Lake Show
The LA Lakers may be the oldest team in the NBA, but who’s to say they aren’t one of the favourites yet again?
LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Talen Horton-Tucker are the only three players to survive an off-season overhaul that’s welcomed 13 new faces to the roster for the new campaign.
As Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard return to the Staples Center, veteran scorer Carmelo Anthony arrives along with 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook, Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Kendrick Nunn and Deandre Jordan.
Boasting an average age north of 30, coach Frank Vogel now has a host of established stars at his disposal; and you feel anything less than a league-best 18th championship would be considered a failure for LA’s famous franchise.
You bet-Ja!
Entering his third year in the NBA, Ja Morant’s stock continues to climb in the point guard department – and he’ll be the first to tell you.
Speaking to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Memphis Grizzlies star included himself in his list of top five floor generals; keeping company with Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.
The ever-confident 22-year-old is entering his third year in the league fresh off a stellar 2020-21 campaign where he averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds in 63 games.
It’s the type of production that’s left Grizzlies fans excited for what’s to come in the new campaign, and, according to Morant himself, it should include an All-Star selection this time.
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How to watch NBA LIVE on SBS
NBA 2021-22 LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand this weekend
Sunday, October 24
Phoenix Suns v Portland Trail Blazers
1:00pm - 3:30pm (AEDT)
LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand
Monday, October 25
Memphis Grizzlies v Los Angeles Lakers
12:30pm - 3:00pm (AEDT)
LIVE on SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand
