Sudanese-Born NBA Players May Be Affected by U.S. Travel Restrictions

Byandnbsp;

BEN COHEN

Jan. 28, 2017 10:03 p.m.<
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Milwaukee Bucks forwardandnbsp;Thon Maker,andnbsp;a Sudanese-born refugee, returned to the U.S. without incident after playing in Canada against the Toronto Raptorsandnbsp;on Friday night, hours after Presidentandnbsp;Donald Trumpandnbsp;signedandnbsp;an executive order that closed American bordersandnbsp;to travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Sudan.

Mr. Maker and Los Angeles Lakers forwardandnbsp;Luol Dengandnbsp;were born in what is now South Sudan. They both hold dual nationalities—Mr. Maker is Australian and Mr. Deng is British—but the travel ban for the next 90 days applies to people from those countriesandnbsp;traveling on passports issued by nations other than the U.S., State Department officials said.

But in the chaotic aftermath of the executive order, there is broad confusion about how the ban will be implemented, or if it would prohibit Sudanese athletes from South Sudan, which became an independent nation in 2011.

“We have reached out to the State Department and are in the process of gathering information to understand how this executive order would apply to players in our league who are from one of the impacted countries,” National Basketball Association spokesmanandnbsp;Mike Bassandnbsp;said. “The NBA is a global league and we are proud to attract the very best players from around the world.”

The Bucks and Lakers have no scheduled trips to play the Raptors, the NBA’s only team outside the U.S., for the rest of this season. But the Bucks could play Toronto in the playoffs and would have to travel to Canada during that series. The NBA postseasonandnbsp;begins on April 15, which is within the 90-day window of the executive order.

The team plans to consult with the State Department for assurances about their future travel.

The extent of the travel ban could impact the plans of other prominent globe-trotting athletes. Four-time Olympic champion distance runnerandnbsp;Mo Farah,andnbsp;a Somali-born British citizen who lives and trains in Portland, Ore., isandnbsp;https://twitter.com/Mo_Farah/status/822366598287630337currently training in Ethiopia, according to his social media. A representative for Mr. Farah didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on his plans to return.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng was born in what is now South Sudan. In the chaotic aftermath of the executive order, it was unclear if the ban applied to athletes from that country, which became an independent nation in 2011.andnbsp;PHOTO:andnbsp;RON JENKINS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

But the most immediate effect in professional sports may be felt this season in the NBA.

Mr. Maker, a 19-year-old NBA rookie, fled Sudan with his family when he was a child. He moved to Uganda and then relocated to Australia and still travels with an Australian passport. He went to high school in the U.S. and Canada, andandnbsp;he was selected by the Bucks in the 2016 NBA draft.

Mr. Deng left during the Sudanese civil war, emigrated to London, became a naturalized U.K. citizen in 2006 and has represented Great Britain in the Olympics. He moved to the U.S. in high school, attended Duke University and has distinguished himself as a two-time NBA All Star. He is widely admired around the league: Mr. Deng was given the U.N. Refugee Agency’s Humanitarian of the Year award in 2008 and the NBA’s highest citizenship award in 2014.

Write toandnbsp;Ben Cohen atandnbsp;mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]@wsj.com