Wagstaff Reflects on 'Best Job in the World'

Fresh off signing on for season 18, Jesse Wagstaff caught up with Channel 9’s Paddy Sweeney to chat about what’s driving him to keep playing in NBL27.

Wagstaff described his long-standing connection with the club as “a marriage made in heaven”, with the captain and club forming a strong partnership across almost two decades. 

“I still feel like I’m contributing,” Wagstaff said. “I think it’s one of the best jobs in the world, so why not really.”

The club great re-signs for season 18 just a week out from his 40th birthday and says his body feels better than ever. 

“I don’t feel 40… I’ve been very lucky with injuries and my body feels fine,” he said. “I think everyone, even for the last five to 10 years, has been waiting for me to fall apart.”

Wagstaff knows what it takes to win and has continued to step up when needed, as he has throughout 17 seasons and counting.

“You only kind of stick around in this league if you win and you perform,” he said. “Hopefully I’ve done enough of that over 17 years.”

A six-time NBL champion from a club-record 540 games, Wagstaff said he’s still finding ways to evolve his game.

“Even still I’m finding ways to reinvent myself,” he said. “I think if people don’t realise I’m still a professional athlete, I still can jump… I just choose not to.”

He also reflected on one of the more challenging periods of his career, revealing he had previously considered stepping away during the COVID-affected seasons.

“Five or six years ago I’d essentially retired and said that’s me, and I was certainly happy to call it then,” he said. “But the previous few years have probably been a bit easier than that.”

The interview comes as the NBL today announced a new two-year partnership with Channel 9, which will see the league become Australia’s home of NBL27 free-to-air basketball.

Two NBL games per week (including Finals) will be broadcast across the 9Network, bringing the game (and more importantly Wags) to a wider national audience.