"Fingers crossed" - Thon Maker hints at joining South Sudan for Olympics following team's impressive outing against Team USA

Thon Maker missed South Sudan’s exhibition game versus Team USA but he may very well be on his way to reinforce the African squad in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Maker, a former player Australian player who has shifted to his roots in South Sudan for the Olympics, hopes that FIBA will approve his appeal just in time to join the squad on the biggest stage of sports in the world.

In a post on X shortly after Team USA narrowly defeated South Sudan 101-100, Maker expressed his hope of fortifying the team, whose players impressed against some of the top NBA talents in the American team.

“Awaiting FIBA’s final decision Monday, fingers crossed my appeal to get cleared for me to play with South Sudan. Would be a dream come true.🙏🏿❤️,” Maker said.

Maker would be a great boost for South Sudan as he could bring his NBA pedigree to the team. Born in Wau, Sudan before moving to Australia, Maker was drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016 NBA draft with the hype around his name.

Maker stands at 7 ft., can stretch the floor with his shooting, and is athletic enough to hold his own on defense.

If FIBA approves his appeal to change nationality, Maker would add star power to South Sudan, whose squad only boasts two NBA players in its Olympic roster namely Wenyen Gabriel, a former player of the Los Angeles Lakers and teammate of Team USA’s LeBron James who scored the game-winning layup in the exhibition game.

Royal Ivey is the head coach of South Sudan. He has played 11 seasons in the NBA and is one of the current assistant coaches of the Houston Rockets. Meanwhile, NBA veteran Luol Deng is the president of the South Sudan program and the national team's assistant coach.

The team suffered a major blow after Phoenix Suns’ Bol Bol, son of South Sudan’s most famous basketball player Manute Bol, announced that he would miss the Olympics due to undisclosed personal reasons.

Why is Thon Maker not playing for Sudan in the Olympic exhibition game

A citizen of both Australia and South Sudan, Thon Maker first represented Australia in FIBA games, debuting for the team in 2018, before leading the Aussies to the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup championship.

Maker, a part of the initial 25-man pool of South Sudan from the Olympics, is still waiting for his appeal to be approved by FIBA to join the Sudan squad, hence, he did not join the team in the game versus the Team USA.

The federation, however, keeps its fingers crossed as once a national team player represents another country in a FIBA tournament, it becomes harder to change allegiance and represent another nation, even if one holds citizenship.

Based on FIBA rules, a player can be reverted to their country of origin if "in the interest of the development of basketball in the country."

With South Sudan’s rise as an African basketball powerhouse, Maker’s addition to the team would make wonders to their basketball program.