NBA asked the U.S. State Department regarding impact of the imigration policy from from President Trump on its players. It appears the policy has no impact to two players who has the root from Sudan, Milwaukee Bucks’ Thon Maker and Lakers’ Luol Deng.
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass explained the inquiry to State Department in a statement on Saturday Jan. 28. He said that legaue asked the State Department to understand the situation for players who may be impacted by the executive order, as reported by Washington Post.
“We have reached out to the State Department and are in the process of gathering information,” the statement read.
Two NBA players were born in Sudan, one of the seven countries listed in the executive order issued Friday. They are Los Angeles Lakers veteran player Deng and Milwaukee Bucks rookie Maker. However, both of them have fled the country for a long time and now they are holding British and Australian nationality.
They fled Sudan when the radical islamic government marauded the country which initiated a long and bloody civil war, which divided Sudan into two separate countries in North and South. Deng escaped to United Kingdom with his family, while Maker to Australia when he was five years old.
Both are holding nationality of their adopted country. Deng is a British while Maker is Australian. Deng is even member of their country national basketball team and represented U.K. for basketball in 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Therefore, there is no problem for them, according to Bleacher Report. Milwaukee Bucks visited Toronto to play against the Raptors on Friday, Jan. 27. After the game, Maker was easily return without a single problem.
Both Deng and Maker are the testament of how NBA has become a global league, attracting best players from around the world. Watch the amazing play from Deng as the members of LA Lakers as they crushed Miami Heat 127-100 in early January below:
