One of the controversial stories to come out of the 2016 NBA draft was the Bucks selection of 7-ft mystery man Thon Maker.
Heading into the draft, rumors were swirling that Maker may be well into his 20s rather than the 19-year-old he claimed to be gaining attention for.
According to Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers, several teams entirely ruled Maker out of the first round due to his age-related issues. That concern obviously didn't trouble the Bucks, who snagged him up with their 10th pick, but it is likely that the rumors will persist for some time to come.
Maker’s journey to the NBA is a fascinating story that has created an air of mystery around this tall and versatile talent.
Escaping war-torn Sudan, Maker arrived in Perth Western Australia with his aunt and brother. He was “discovered” by a talent scout who convinced Maker to swap the soccer boots for pumps.
In 2012, Maker arrived in the US as an 8th grader, played high school basketball in Louisiana and Virginia (with three different teams) before transferring to Athlete Institute in Ontario, Canada to complete his senior year of high school.
After a disappointing showing at the 2015 Nike Hoops Summit (scored only 2 points, but led rebounds) he opted out of college and spent another prep year in Canada. Whether this was to hide shortcomings that would lower his draft stock is unclear. Regardless, Maker’s camp was able to successfully argue that his additional year of prep satisfied the NBA’s one-and-done rule, making him eligible for the 2016 draft.
The success of the Maker camp’s strategy to exploit this loophole has forged an attractive pathway for prospects to skip college and head straight to the NBA.
To make matters worse Maker was often compared to Skal Labissiere who was hyped as a top 3 NBA draft prospect. Despite dominating Maker at the 2015 Nike Hoops Summit, his poor college performance saw Labissiere drop all the way down to pick number 28 in the 2016 draft. If he had taken a similar path to Maker he may well have gone much higher.
It is a cautionary tale for top high school prospects considering college, and a problem for the NBA.
The mysterious circumstances surrounding Maker's age
Before the rumors broke out we knew Thon Maker as a 19-year-old kid who went to High School in North America and graduated in 2014. However, the internet went into pre-draft meltdown when a Reddit user claimed to have evidence that Maker originally graduated Western Australia’s Aranmore Catholic College in 2010.
A 12th grade graduation yearbook was published on imgur.com allegedly showing a photo of Maker in the graduating class of 2010.
Shortly after, a 2007 photo of Maker was published allegedly showing him in 9th grade.
In Western Australia the graduating age is 17, so the claim puts Maker somewhere between 22 and 23.
The claims that Maker is not 19 and the evidence provided are from people who claim to “know someone who went to school with Maker”, which casts an element of doubt over their veracity.
For example, the Reddit user, bigcritic, who posted the 12th grade graduation photo, which kick-started the controversy said:
“ I live in the same city in Australia that Maker migrated too (Perth) and one of my friends showed me his older sisters graduation book – which Maker is pictured in and she graduated in 2010/2011”.
No one from this 2010 graduating class: friends, students or teachers have come forward to substantiate the Reddit user’s claims; therefore, all we currently have is circumstantial evidence with no credible verification.
Maker has denied the rumors and told Gary Washburn from the Boston Globe:
“It did get to me in terms of me hearing about it, but it didn't get to me personally because if it were true, I'd probably be like sideways about it, but it's not true, so I'm comfortable,” he said. “I'm not angry or anything. I've got to learn what I can say and what I can't say now.”
Those who have followed Thon Maker’s development are also skeptical about the veracity of the rumors. Jonathan Givony from DraftExpress tweeted earlier this week that:
“I first saw Thon Maker in 2012 in LA. His physical progression from then to now has been very similar to what you'd expect from age 15 to 19”
Most importantly, Bucks general manager John Hammond confirmed that they are comfortable with Maker’s age.
“He’s 19 years old,” Hammond said. “That’s what we have a record of and we’ve been through this before with international players. Sometimes guys get questioned on age, and it’s tough…[but] we’re comfortable with who he is and what he is.”
Thon Maker's Passport: The Proof
On June 29th, Maker’s assistant coach at Athlete Institute in Ontario Sky Smith published Maker’s Australian passport showing his birthdate as Feb 25, 1997, thus confirming his official age as 19.
He also said “he IS 19 years old. I work with thon & was provided access to his documents.”
The Australian passport was issued back in 2009, which according to sources predates being discovered by the talent scout in Perth.
So at the end of the day does it matter?
Yes, because these unsubstantiated rumors have put a lot of unfair pressure on this young draftee.
Yes, because it highlights the influence rumors and internet conspiracy theories can have on clubs decision-making process. It is fortunate that the Bucks valued their own research and due diligence over that of the Reddit's internet sleuths.
Hopefully the passport ends the gossip, but It is likely that this story will haunt him around for some time, which is an unneeded distraction given the focus that he will need to find his feet in the NBA as a rookie.
In the scenario where an NBA draftee’s age is proven to be untrue, it would rightly have implications (including legal) for the player, the drafting club and the NBA community.
In the case of Thon Maker, at 22-23 years old he would have had a much lower ceiling and shelf life than his 19-year-self. In fact, it would be questionable whether an older Thon Maker would have been drafted at all. The same applies for all draftees.
Even without the age controversy, Maker was a polarizing draft pick, but with a blueprint to develop young, dynamic, long and versatile talent the Bucks are best positioned to take on this project.
Maker is an exciting prospect, and as a 7-1 ft talent, with a 36.5 inch running vertical jump – the highest vertical jump for a player over 6-11 in combine history, the sky is the limit.
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