The 2016 NBA Draft recently concluded and one of the biggest surprises was Thon Maker getting drafted in the lottery.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the biggest winners in the 2013 NBA Draft when they gambled on relatively unknown Giannis Antetokounmpo so that's why they were willing to take a risk on Thon Maker, this year's enigmatic prospect, with the 10th overall pick. He was projected to be taken at 16th to 24th by a team which has multiple picks like Boston or Philadelphia.
Maker was already a YouTube sensation as a 19-year old 7'1" prospect who can handle the ball well and even take three point shots. They saw him as a phenomenon and the model of the modern NBA big man.
The mixtape videos of him show proof of his size and abilities, but his age has apparently been questioned, as reported by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
"Maker denies that he is older than 19, although he has heard plenty of assertions," Washburn wrote.
"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," Maker said. "I'm not angry or anything. I've got to learn what I can say and what I can't say now."
This is not the first time a draft prospect was suspected of misrepresenting his age. Today's Fastbreak had a rundown of players whose ages were questioned.
"Other foreign-born African-American players have also been suspected of misrepresenting their age. This includes Serge Ibaka, who was born in the Republic of Congo. Bismack Biyombo, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was also doubted before being drafted."
Before there are any suspicions of discrimination, these are just due to the political circumstances in their home countries. Maker, for one, was a refugee from Sudan who escaped to neighboring Uganda during his country's civil war. It would be difficult to verify any records under those circumstances.
Another international prospect, Zhou Qi from China, now with the Houston Rockets, had his age questioned and it actually caused his stock to drop. China has long been suspected of cheating on the ages of their athletes, basketball included, so they can use them in international age-bracket tournaments like the FIBA U-16.