In 2016, Thon Maker joined the growing list of South Sudanese players who surrendered to the National Basketball Association after escaping violence in their home country and seeking refuge in another. The 7-foot-plus forward/center, selected 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, entered the draft straight out of high school, becoming the second player to do so in more than a decade.
Biography (Age)
On February 25, 1997, Thon Marial Makerwas born in Wau, in present-day South Sudan. Due to the civil war in the country at the time of his birth, Maker, his younger brother and his aunt fled to Uganda where they stayed to seek refugee status in Australia. By the time Maker was 5 years old, the Australian government granted their request, leaving the option for the family to move to Perth, Western Australia.
At the age of 14, Maker was spotted playing football by sports agent Edward Smith, an African-American Australian who helped a number of Sudanese immigrant children pursue basketball careers. Smith managed to convince Maker’s aunt to let the imposing young boy move with him to Sydney where he would have the opportunity to learn the game while receiving a quality education in Australia’s most populous city. His aunt agreed, and Maker went to play for the St. George Basketball Association before heading to the United States for a talent camp.
Upon entering the United States, Thon Maker enrolled in the Metairie Park Day School in Louisiana. He then moved to another school in the state before settling at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia. In his first two years of high school basketball at Carlisle, Maker played in 53 games averaging 22.2 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game. . He led the school to a state championship as a sophomore, earning him the Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year award.
In his third year, Maker was joined by his younger brother in the United States and again he transferred schools, this time to Orangeville District High School, Ontario, Canada. He chose to move here because Smith had found a job as an assistant coach at the Athlete Institute in Mono, Ont.
In 2015, Maker had been recruited by a number of players in the United States, he chose to declare himself a candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft. The move required clearance from the NBA, which he managed to prove by proving that he had graduated a year ago to meet the eligibility criteria for high school graduates to have an extra year after graduation before turning professional.
Tuna Maker’s NBA Career and Stats
After impressing at the NBA Draft Combine, ThonMaker was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 10th overall pick. He then joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 14.2 points and 9.6 rebounds to earn NBA Summer League Second Team honors. He then made his NBA debut on October 30, 2016 in a game against the Detroit Pistons.
In February 2017, Maker was able to break through the starting five, mainly due to the injury to Jabari Parker. A few months later, he recorded a career-high 23 points. That took his averages for the 2016-17 season to 4.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 57 games. In the 2017 playoffs, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 6 games.
In the 2017-18 season, Maker lost his starting spot as he averaged 4.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 74 games. In the 2018 playoffs, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks as his team again crashed out in the first round.
Height, Weight and Other Facts
Tuna Maker is 7 feet 1 inch (2.16 m) tall and weighs 223 pounds (101 kg).
In the 2016 NBA Draft, many teams were successful in choosing Thon Maker because it was believed that his age had been misinterpreted. The 19-year-old man was thought to be at least 23 years old.
Maker’s younger brother, Matur, plays professional basketball in the Swiss Basketball League for Union Neuchatel Basket.
Despite Canada’s interest and persuasion for Maker to represent the country domestically, the player opted to play for Australia. He made his debut for the Australian national team on June 29, 2018 in a FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifier.