NBA to back Australian baller over visa concerns

Sydney, Jan 30: The recent visa changes implemented by US President Donald Trump has led to wide-ranging consequences, with Australian NBA player Thon Maker, under threat of being affected due to his Sudanese origin.The NBA has thrown its support behind Maker, with a spokesperson for the league Mike Bass saying the NBA "reached out to the State Department" in order to work out what impact the changes will have on Maker and others in the league, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.Maker, who settled in Australia in 2002 after fleeing war torn Sudan, is now a rookie for the Milwaukee Bucks, who holds an Australian passport and citizenship, while retaining citizenship in his native Sudan.Sudan is one of seven predominantly Muslim countries that are affected by the new visa rules, put into place by Trump s executive order over the weekend.