Sudanese-born center Thon Maker travels with Milwaukee Bucks back to U.S.

The sports world may see an effect from the executive order banning travel by citizens of certain countries. Foreign players may face issues returning home.

The Milwaukee Bucks wrapped up a 102-86 loss to the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre on Friday and likely just wanted to get out of there and back home to Milwaukee. The Bucks had a game at home against the Boston Celtics on Saturday anyway.

Things, though, had changed. Not on the basketball court or with the Milwaukee Bucks; things had changed in Washington, D.C., and it very well could affect teammate Thon Maker and his ability to get back home.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday suspending the acceptance of refugees and suspending immigration and travel by citizens of several countries — mainly in the Middle East.

And as the realities of this executive order began to hit, it became clear its enforcement was going to be swift and cruel.

For many people legally in the United States, they found their green cards and visas revoked and they found themselves stranded in airports, unable to board flights to the U.S. or detained at airports upon their arrival. Even those from the targeted countries with dual citizenship elsewhere have been unable to enter the country.

That reality may have very well hit the Milwaukee Bucks as they boarded their private charter back to Milwaukee, traveling across the Canadian border into the United States.

Bucks rookie center Thon Maker was born in Sudan and emigrated to Australia as a refugee at six years old. He is currently listed as from South Sudan (a nation that was founded in 2011). But his Australian passport may say he is from Sudan still.

Sudan was one of the seven countries specifically banned for immigration or travel in the executive order. It is unclear whether he holds dual citizenship with Sudan. But if his passport says Sudan, he very well could have been banned from returning to the United States pursuant to this executive order.

As the Bucks returned from Toronto, there were questions whether Maker would be allowed back into the country because of the executive order.

The good news for him and for the Milwaukee Bucks is that he joined the team on their flight and returned to the United States, team officials confirmed prior to Saturday’s game:

There has been a lot of confusion still over how this new executive order will be enforced. The first 24 hours since President Trump signed it has been met with protest and frustration, particularly for those families who had family members in the air while it was signed. Many of those who believed they would legally be admitted into the U.S. were unable to enter upon landing.

For sports leagues, it now raises a bigger question of whether players with descent from these targeted countries will be able to travel freely to play overseas. What happens if the Milwaukee Bucks play the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs? Will Maker have to stay at home?

Worse yet, Maker eventually moved to Canada. He may no longer be allowed to leave the country to visit his family and they may not be allowed into the U.S. to visit him.

There are certainly other sports stories like this too. This is not a government policy that demands observers to “stick to sports.” It is already having a direct impact on the sports world.

Maker, a rookie, is still a developing player. Unwittingly, he may have been thrown into a major international crisis.

The only other player who may be affected by the ban is the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luol Deng. Deng is also from Sudan, but left as a refugee as a child before settling in Great Britain.

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Thon Maker will start his second career game Saturday against the Boston Celtics. Fortunately for him and the Bucks, the Bucks are not scheduled for any more trips to Toronto until the playoffs.