ORIGINS Mawot Mag: 'Pressure is a privilege'

Mawot “Mo” Mag doesn’t overstate things. When he talks about what drives him, he keeps it simple and he keeps coming back to the same line.

“Tomorrow is never promised,” Mag said. “To this day that is how I still feel. Just try and stack days, keep progressing. You never want to be stagnant, you want to keep improving and keep building.”

It’s a phrase that fits his approach to his passion. A lockdown wing who’s built a reputation on defence and effort. It’s a phrase that makes more sense the further back you trace Mo’s story.

Early Years
Mag was born in Sudan and at two, fled with his family to Egypt before settling in Melbourne, where he grew up in a crowded house.

“Nine siblings, seven sisters and two brothers, it was pretty hectic,” he said.

Before basketball, there was soccer.

“Soccer started with my father taking my brother and I every Sunday,” Mag said. “That was the first sport I’d ever played.”

He was a Real Madrid fan, drawn to the stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. But as he got older (and taller) basketball started pulling him in.

At 13, Mag returned with his mum, sister and brother to visit family in Sudan.

The trip was cut short when violence escalated again.

He remembers suddenly leaving in the early hours of the morning and later learning the place they had been staying was raided that very night.

“To see certain things in that atmosphere definitely changed my perspective. Very sad seeing what I saw, the violence and the families being separated,” he said.

“Sad moments, but those moments can only shape individuals to be who they are. It was very unfortunate, but I guess everything happens for a reason. I’m grateful I was able to see my mum’s family, it was cut short because we had to leave and flee. But I felt like the journey made me into who I am today.”

It’s the part of his life he doesn’t use for sympathy, more as a reference point for perspective.

Back in Australia, basketball began taking over Mag’s livelihood.

Mag started playing basketball locally at 13, joining his older brother at a club called Flames in Werribee.

That year, he met coach Manyang “Manny” Berberi at Longhorns Basketball Club, a connection that would shape the direction of his life.

“Coach Manyang had a great impact on me,” Mag said.

“He had a pathway for certain guys to go over to the US and further our education, while still trying to play at the highest level.

“He saw my size, height and thought I had a lot of potential.

“I was showing flashes of what I could one day become. He knew he couldn’t take everyone over on the pathway to the United States, if he could, he would, but only a select few guys were able to do that and I was one of the lucky ones so I was very grateful for that.”

Luol Deng and the Early Inspiration

At 13, Mag also met one of the players he’d been idolising, former Chicago Bulls star Luol Deng.

“I always looked up to him. I always used to watch his highlights,” Mag said. 

“He was related to coach Manyang and he came down to one of our junior tournaments when we were young. Spoke to us, gave us advice, took us out to dinner. Gave us a lot of wisdom and hope.

“I always looked up to him and hopefully one day I can represent South Sudan like he did in the Olympics.”
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USA and Jalen Green
The pathway became real when Mag left for the US at 15.

“It was mixed emotions,” he said.

“I was very excited and eager to get there but I was also very homesick at first. It was the first time being away from home and I was still young. I had to mature pretty fast.”

He credits his host family, Heather and Andrew Curry, for making that leap possible.

“The host family, Heather and Andrew Curry, took me in with open arms,” Mag said.

“I’m very grateful for that, I still keep in touch with them to this day.”

Mag spent two years in Florida before moving to California. The game got larger than life. More scouts, more attention, higher stakes.

That stretch included a year alongside Jalen Green at Prolific Prep, where the gyms were packed and the competition was relentless (Green would later be selected number two overall by the Houston Rockets in the 2021 NBA Draft). 

“It was amazing, I want to play with those types of players, I want to improve and progress,” Mag said.

“Pressure is a privilege and it helps me learn and grow as a person.

“It was great to always play in packed gyms, cameras all around. I’d rather have that than playing in an empty gym with nobody there. I felt like I rose to the occasion.”

Defensive Mentality

Ask Mag what became his calling card and he doesn’t dress it up.

“I’ve always been very athletic and for me it was just defensive instincts that came naturally,” he said.

When asked about the toughest matchups in college, he rattled off names quickly: “Jaden Ivey, Keegan Murray and John Tonje.”

And since arriving in the NBL for his rookie season, a superstar stood out.

“Bryce Cotton,” Mag said. “Shifty guard, veteran, knows his spots, doesn’t get rattled, him for sure."

Mag’s college road eventually led him to BYU for his final season, playing under former Phoenix Suns assistant coach Kevin Young.

A coach Mag describes as direct, demanding and professional.

BYU’s season ended up becoming the kind of experience players talk about forever, a run to the Sweet 16.

“I’m always going to cherish those moments, not many people get to make it to the sweet 16,” Mag said.

“Not many people can say they’ve done that.”

There was also a personal layer to it, playing tournament basketball back in New Jersey after years at Rutgers.

“I played my four years in college prior to BYU in Jersey so it was nice to have that moment there,” he said. “Ruckers was thirty minutes away from the arena. It’s a moment I will forever cherish in my career.”

And when he zooms out, the meaning is still anchored in the kid he used to be.

“Going back as a little kid and watching March Madness, now being able to be a part of that years later and be a part of that experience on the court,” Mag said.

“Just as a little kid watching a long time ago, that was a big moment for me.”

If you want the cleanest summary of Mag it’s probably in what he says about his upbringing and his parents crucial advice.

“Stay true to yourself and keep the same morals that you have,” he said.

“Don’t change yourself for something you don’t want to be. Be true to yourself, work hard and be a good person. My parents raised me to be more than just a basketball player but a great human being as well.”

And the other lesson sits right beside it.

“Everything is earned, not given,” Mag said. “You have to work for everything. No one’s going to give you anything for free.”

Since arriving in Cairns for his rookie season, his first NBL season was a steady process of adjustment. Learning the league, learning the pace and starting to find more comfort in his role as the minutes began to take shape.

Mag delivered two of his best performances of the season with high-energy defensive minutes, posting seven points and five rebounds in 23:56 in Round 14 and playing a crucial role in the Round 13 home win over New Zealand by helping contain premier playmaker Parker Jackson-Cartwright.

Then, in January, it was cut short. The Taipans announced Mag was ruled out for the remainder of the season after an MRI revealed a stress fracture in his right foot. He was placed in a boot for four weeks, with an estimated four-month recovery timeline.

For Mag, it’s another pause and not a full stop. And if you’ve followed his story, you already know the response he’ll choose. Keep the head level, keep working, keep stacking days.

“Keep improving every day and don’t get too high or too low,” he said. “Keep stacking days and be a student of the game. What you put in is what you’ll get out.”

Tomorrow isn’t promised. So he treats today like it matters.