By Rani Hodges for NBL1.com.au
Young rising talent Junior Madut has reflected on his childhood and adolescent years, and how they moulded him into the player he is today.
After his debut NBL season with the South East Melbourne Phoenix, Madut as signed with the NBL1 East Norths Bears for the 2023 NBL1 season. Tipping off on March 11.
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Madut spoke on the latest episode of the Under the Surface Podcast with Anneli Maley.
Madut was born in Sudan and moved to Australia with his family when he was just six years old, he not only found a new home but his love of basketball too.
The 25-year-old guard admitted a trip to his home country when he was younger had humbled him and changed his mindset on the privilege to play basketball in Australia.
“Gratitude, being grateful and seeing those situations (Sudan) made me grateful coming here and being able to wake up and play basketball,” Madut said.
“Seeing the situation back home, humbling. Going to America and seeing the talent, humbling. First junior college team I didn’t play much for my first year and I thought I was, humbling.
“Where I was growing up, especially in my community there was a lot of different avenues that could have taken you the wrong way. Anyone that knows me can attest for this, basketball steered me in the right direction.
“All of these experiences together just humble an individual. What you have to fall back on is your gratefulness, the things you can always count on.
“I think it was a getaway for me, mentally and emotionally and I’m just grateful for basketball.”
Before joining the Phoenix for his first professional contract, Madut played for Eastern Florida State College from 2017-2019. He then went onto play for the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in 2020 for two seasons.
Madut mentioned the moment he started taking basketball seriously was when he played college basketball for Hawaii.
“My first experience, it was hard. That was probably one of my hardest years,” Madut said.
“I came in with the mentality like I just came from a prep school in Florida, I was a man on that team I was feeling really confident. The coaches recruited me wanting me to do this, do that.
“I played more in my second year and had a better relationship with the coach, in the beginning it was hard. It was a mental battle for me for sure.”
He then went onto signing with the Phoenix for the 2022-23 season, where he feels like he’s found a stable group and support system.
“When I first came it was just that professional adjustment, trying to do everything right and trying to be on time,” he said.
“I’m trying to talk to six different people I’m confused, so in the beginning everything was everywhere. Especially when I first got back from school because I didn’t have a place.
“Once that was good, it got to practice and imports didn’t come in until late. So were just going hard preseason, and everyone came in and it’s been fun.
“I can’t complain everything is fun. The guys I’m around are the best guys. One of the best group of guys I’ve been around in a long time.”
With the Phoenix knocked out Madut will now turn his attention to the NBL1 East, where he will join Brennan Rymer, Mike Golding, Mikey Yoong, Nathaniel Musters, Lewis Holey, Josh Pain and Anatoly Bose for the men’s Norths Bears 2023 NBL1 season.
