Thon Maker keeps the faith to be the best he can be

Thon Maker is reportedly on the way out of Milwaukee but there was one night earlier this month where the Bucks big man was a vital cog in victory and he gave a unique insight into his mentality pre-game.

Thon Maker #7 of the Milwaukee Bucks looses control of the ball under pressure from Greg Monroe #55 of the Boston Celtics during Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at the Bradley Center on April 22, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Rewind back to January 7: The Milwaukee Bucks have just completed a come-from-behind victory over the Utah Jazz at Fiserv Forum.

As usual, Thon Maker’s playlist is pumping in the locker room and the atmosphere is jovial.

Maker is sporting his usual infectious smile, although on this night, he was far from a role-player.

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The 216cm Milwaukee big man was a vital cog in securing victory, sparking the Bucks with a season-high 15 points to go along with five rebounds.

Standing in front of an ever-growing media pack that are following the Bucks ascension to contention in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, the Herald Sun asked Maker about his outstanding performance and the Australian responded by giving us a unique insight into his mentality pre-game.

“Yesterday, I went to church,” Maker said with a smile.

“I saw a sign outside the door that said, ‘your legacy starts today’. I felt like God was talking to me, I thought that it might be on the court that my legacy starts today.”

Thon Maker made a lot of sacrifices to realise his NBA dream. Picture: AFP

Opportunities for minutes continue to be sporadic for Maker, as coach Mike Budenholzer continues to lean on the hot hand on any given night.

There has even been reports that Maker’s agent, Mike George, has been discussing trade scenarios with Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst.

But Maker attributes a large portion of his ability to stay positive to his faith in God.

“It helps me to stay positive and know that I’m in good hands,” he said.

Going to Church has been a regular occurrence throughout Maker’s life, though one bible studies class as a teenager sticks out in his mind as a key influence for the path he chose to take into adulthood.

“I was in bible studies one day, and the pastor was praying for me, he called my brother first so he could listen and he specifically said, ‘God wants to do something special for you,’ and he told me that anything I want to do I can be successful at but I need to decide now,” Maker recalled.

Thon Maker attempt a shot against the New York Knicks in December. Picture: AFP

At that point, basketball was purely a source of fun for Maker, as soccer was his sport of choice, though he points to that exact conversation being the moment his focus shifted.

“I picked what I wanted to do, I started having weird basketball dreams and said ‘OK, I’ll play basketball’ and I never went back to soccer,” he said.

In the weeks following that bible studies class, Maker made the decision to move from Melbourne to Sydney and kick-start his career under basketball coach Edward Smith.

He also made life sacrifices.

“I didn’t go to parties in high-school, I didn’t go out, I didn’t do any crazy stuff. I didn’t drink, I still don’t drink, I didn’t smoke, I still don’t smoke, that’s just me staying grounded and focusing at the task at hand,” he said