Thon Maker facts for kids
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Maker with the Detroit Pistons in 2019
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| No. 2 – Al Riyadi | ||||||||||||||
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| Center / power forward | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | 25 February 1997 Wau, Sudan (now South Sudan) |
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| Nationality | South Sudanese / Australian | |||||||||||||
| High school |
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| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 221 lb (100 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2016 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2016–present | |||||||||||||
| League | NBA G League | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Detroit Pistons | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Cleveland Cavaliers | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Hapoel Jerusalem | |||||||||||||
| 2022 | Long Island Nets | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Fujian Sturgeons | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Al Riyadi | |||||||||||||
| 2024 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Al Riyadi | |||||||||||||
| 2023 | Kuwait SC | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Thon Marial Maker (born on February 25, 1997) is a professional basketball player. He is from both South Sudan and Australia. Thon currently plays for the Al Riyadi Club Beirut in the Lebanese Basketball Federation.
He went to high school at Orangeville District Secondary School in Canada. There, he played basketball for Canada's Athlete Institute. In 2016, Thon was chosen as the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He played for three different NBA teams between 2016 and 2021.
Contents
- Thon Maker's Early Life and Journey
- Thon Maker's High School Basketball Career
- Thon Maker's Professional Basketball Career
- NBA Draft Selection
- Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2019)
- Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2019–2020)
- Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2020–2021)
- Playing for Hapoel Jerusalem (2021)
- Playing for Long Island Nets (2022)
- Playing for Fujian Sturgeons (2022–2024)
- Playing for Al Riyadi Beirut (2024)
- Playing for Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2024–present)
- Return to Al Riyadi (2025–present)
- Thon Maker's National Team Career
- Thon Maker's Family Life
- See also
Thon Maker's Early Life and Journey
Thon Maker was born in Wau, a city in what is now South Sudan. When he was young, his uncle helped Thon, his younger brother Matur, and his aunt leave their home. They were escaping a civil war.
They first went to Uganda. Later, Australia welcomed them as refugees. Thon was five years old when they moved to Perth, Western Australia. His family eventually settled there.
How Thon Maker Started Playing Basketball
When Thon was 14, he was playing soccer in Perth. A man named Edward Smith noticed him. Edward Smith helps young people from different backgrounds get good opportunities. He had helped other South Sudanese immigrants become professional basketball players before.
Edward Smith offered to help Thon. He arranged for Thon to live in Sydney and go to school there. Thon played basketball for the St. George Basketball Association in 2011. Before his team's playoffs, Thon and Smith went to a special basketball camp in Texas.
Thon Maker's High School Basketball Career
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In the United States, Thon first attended two schools in Louisiana. He then settled at Carlisle School in Martinsville, Virginia. During his first two years playing for Carlisle's team, Thon was amazing. He scored about 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds per game. He also blocked many shots.
As a sophomore, he was named the 2013–14 Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year. This was because he helped Carlisle win a state championship.
Playing in Canada
On September 5, 2014, Thon and his brother joined the Athlete Institute in Mono, Ontario. Edward Smith was already a coach there. The brothers also went to Orangeville District Secondary School nearby.
In December 2014, Thon had some great games. He scored 16 points and 9 rebounds in one win. In another game, he scored 24 points and 11 rebounds, though his team lost the championship.
Decisions About College and NBA
In February 2015, Thon thought about finishing high school a year early. This would have allowed him to enter college sooner. He also played in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. He played with another Australian player, Ben Simmons. Thon grabbed 10 rebounds in that game.
However, on June 18, 2015, Thon decided to stay in the Class of 2016. He returned to Orangeville Prep for another year. He said it was too stressful trying to finish everything so quickly. Many top colleges wanted him to play for them. In June 2015, Thon was named MVP at a special camp for top basketball players.
On April 3, 2016, Thon decided to enter the 2016 NBA draft. This was a big decision because players usually had to go to college for at least one year. Thon proved he had graduated high school in June 2015. This made him one of the first players in over a decade to go straight from high school to the NBA draft.
Experts considered Thon a top-ranked player coming out of high school.
Thon Maker's Professional Basketball Career
NBA Draft Selection
Thon Maker went to the 2016 NBA Draft Combine. This is where players show off their skills to NBA teams. He was measured as one of the tallest players. He also set a record for the highest vertical jump for someone his height.
Before the draft, some teams worried about his age. They thought he might be older than 19. But despite these worries, the Milwaukee Bucks chose him as the 10th overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He was the first high school player picked in the first round since 2005.
Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks (2016–2019)
Thon played well in the 2016 NBA Summer League for the Bucks. He averaged over 14 points and 9 rebounds per game. He signed his first NBA contract on July 30, 2016.
He made his NBA debut on October 30, 2016. On January 21, 2017, he started his first game for the Bucks. He scored a season-high 12 points in February 2017. On March 31, 2017, he had his best game yet, scoring 23 points in a win against the Detroit Pistons.
In the 2017–18 season, Thon continued to play well. He scored 16 points in games against the Phoenix Suns and Toronto Raptors. In the playoffs, he was a key player. He blocked five shots in two different games against the Boston Celtics, helping his team win.
By early 2019, Thon's role on the team changed. He asked to be traded to another team.
Playing for the Detroit Pistons (2019–2020)
On February 7, 2019, Thon Maker joined the Detroit Pistons as part of a trade. On February 22, he made a game-winning shot against the Atlanta Hawks. This shot helped the Pistons win by a close score.
In November 2020, the Pistons decided not to keep Thon. This made him a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team.
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2020–2021)
On November 30, 2020, Thon signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played eight games for them in the 2020–21 season. He scored 30 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. He was later released by the team in January 2021.
Playing for Hapoel Jerusalem (2021)
On August 25, 2021, Thon signed with Hapoel Jerusalem B.C. in Israel. He left the team in December after playing a few games.
Playing for Long Island Nets (2022)
On January 21, 2022, Thon joined the Long Island Nets. This team is part of the NBA G League.
Playing for Fujian Sturgeons (2022–2024)
On July 28, 2022, Thon signed with the Fujian Sturgeons. This team plays in China. He played for them until 2024.
Playing for Al Riyadi Beirut (2024)
On April 12, 2024, Thon signed with Al Riyadi Club Beirut in Lebanon. This team also plays in the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL). On June 1, 2024, he helped Al Riyadi win their first WASL championship. He had an amazing game, scoring 35 points and grabbing 15 rebounds in the final! Thon was named the WASL Most Valuable Player (MVP).
On June 15, Al Riyadi won the Basketball Champions League Asia. This made them champions of Asia. Thon was named one of the top five players in that tournament.
Playing for Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2024–present)
On October 1, 2024, Thon signed with the Houston Rockets. However, he was released on October 14. On October 27, he joined the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, another NBA G League team.
Return to Al Riyadi (2025–present)
Thon returned to Al Riyadi for the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia. He was again named to the All-Star Five. However, Al Riyadi lost in the final game.
Thon Maker's National Team Career
In April 2015, Thon decided he wanted to play for the Australian national team. This was even though Canada also wanted him to play for them.
On June 29, 2018, he played his first international game for Australia. This was a game to qualify for the FIBA World Cup. Thon was involved in a fight during a game between the Philippines and Australia. Because of this, he was suspended for three games.
Thon Maker's Family Life
Thon Maker is a citizen of both Australia and South Sudan.
His parents are from the Dinka people. They are both very tall. His father is about 6 feet 8 inches tall, and his mother is about 6 feet 3 inches tall.
Thon has several brothers and cousins who are also athletes:
- His brother, Matur, also tried to enter the NBA draft. He later decided to play basketball internationally.
- Another brother, Maker Maker, plays soccer.
- His cousin, Makur, plays basketball in the NBA G League.
- Another cousin, Aliir Aliir, plays Australian Rules Football for Port Adelaide. Thon supports the Sydney Swans team because Aliir used to play for them.
See also
In Spanish: Thon Maker para niños
