Watson's sole focus on helping Eagles win

Image credit: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

Sharif Watson likes basketball home he's found at East Perth Eagles and to be setting up life in Perth, but in the more immediate future he knows his team has to stay totally locked in if they want to reach NBL1 West finals.

Watson is now in his second season with the Eagles and loves the home he has found for himself with basketball at East Perth and now living in Perth having originally spent time at Newcastle, Maitland and Albury-Wodonga when he first came out to Australia in 2018.

He continues to have a significant impact just on helping the Eagles win games this NBL1 West season when he hits the floor and is providing 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in the 19.2 minutes he is playing while shooting at 56.2 per cent from the field.

On a team that features big men like Lee Roberts and Ioannis Dimakopoulos, and scoring threats like Jonah Antonio, Max Rice, Chier Maker and Matthew Lang, and Watson knows it's not always role and to go out there and do things that standout on the box score.

However, all he cares about is doing whatever he can to help the team win and he did plenty of that with his eight points and four rebounds on 4/4 shooting in last week's crucial win over the Kalamunda Eastern Suns.

"I'm happy with the team and my role this year in it. I feel like I'm just going out there and trying to win, that's all that I'm about," Watson said.

"Whether or play five minutes or 30 minutes, I'm going to go out there and play as hard as I can, and try to do things that are going to help the team win.

"I don’t do that to get noticed by others, I just want my team to win and I will keep going out there trying to do the right thing by the team and try to help win these games for the East Perth family."

Finals have already started

On the back of playing finals last year for the first time since the championship season of 2014, the Eagles have left them with plenty of work to do to get back there in 2025, but they are still in the hunt.

Watson has certainly noticed a sense of urgency all of last week leading into the home game with the Eastern Suns which they ended up winning 101-99 to keep their finals hopes alive with games remaining away to the Perry Lakes Hawks and Joondalup Wolves, and home to the Geraldton Buccaneers.

"Essentially for us playoffs have already started just because we have to win all these games to make it," Watson said.

"So we're already in playoff mode essentially and it's either win or go home for us so we're taking every game with that approach.

"The sense of urgency has definitely increased and so has the attention to detail, and understanding that every practice, every possession and every play now could determine our season now or it could be the last one.

"So that's how we have to treat it now and that has made all the guys and the coaching staff as well very aware of the situation we're in, and we know we've got to give our best every time we're on the floor. That's whether it's practice, the games or when we're watching film, all of it."

Rollercoaster ride of a season

There's little other way to describe the East Perth season of 2025 other than as a rollercoaster ride, but all Watson is worried about now is what's ahead of them.

There's no point looking back but the positive is they have their full group available now for this last stretch to try and qualify for the finals, and Watson remains confident in what they can do.

"Obviously we're not quite in the position we thought we'd be in from the start of the year with the talented team we have, and the coaching staff we have," Watson said.

"But we're still in a position to where we could get in that eight so we're just focusing on what's next and the next game to try and take it one game at a time because that's what we have to do.

"Hopefully we can make the eight and then make a run in the playoffs."

Morale boosting win over Suns

East Perth was up against it going into last Saturday night's game against a hugely talented Eastern Suns team featuring Terrico White, Marshall Nelson, Lewis Thomas, Randy Bell and Travis Fee.

The Eagles had lost their past three games coming into it as well, but responded with a strong performance even if it did get tight late and only ended up being a two-point victory.

But Watson has no doubt the Eagles can take great heart out of it.

"It definitely was a confidence booster. Even Eastern Suns are a lot better than their record is as well and they were really rolling coming into that game," Watson said.

"So for us to get that win on our home floor even by two, it was huge because it keeps us in the hunt and we needed that win because they're right with us there in the standings. So the morale is definitely up after a big win like that."

More than happy where he is

While Watson knows that it's not just purely his decision whether or not he stays at East Perth for a third season in 2026, he sees no reason why he wouldn't want to come back should the Eagles want him.

"I'm very happy here at East Perth. They've been good to me and everybody around the place from the kids to the parents to the members and everybody else, it's been a really great experience," Watson said.

"I've enjoyed my time here and we'll see what happens in the future, and I understand basketball is a business, but on my end I'm very happy with the team and what we've been able to build here over the last two years."

Happy to call home

While Watson likes the basketball home he's found at East Perth, he's more than happy living in Perth too and it's comfortably the favourite part of Australia he's lived after previous stints over east in Newcastle, Maitland and on the Victoria-NSW border in Albury-Wodonga.

"Perth is a beautiful city in my opinion. I've played all over Australia and Perth's got a good balance with the weather, the city and a chill beach vibe as well. It's a really good balance and I'm really enjoying my time here," Watson said.

"It can get busy during the season with coaching the kids team, our practices, my own trainings and my own works schedule. So it's definitely busy but I enjoy everything that I'm doing and I guess what you enjoy what you do, it doesn't feel so much like work."

Australia is new home

The longer that Watson has been in Australia having now first arrived back in 2018, the more it's felt home and the more the people around him down under have become like family.

He still misses family and friends back home in California, but getting back to visit them when he can helps to ease that as he did over the holidays last year.

"I was back home last December so around Christmas time and that was great. It's always great to go back and see your friends and family, and kind of reset," Watson said.

"It does get a little bit difficult being so far from them for most of the year, but I've built my own life here, I've got friends here and people who I'd consider now like my Australian family.

"That's made the adjustment seamless honestly even though there are times I miss the family back home. I am very happy here to have embraced what I would call my Australian family here though."