Amen and Ausar Thompson first brothers selected in top five of same NBA draft

During the 2023 NBA draft, which took place Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, history was made when brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson were selected in consecutive rounds.

Amen No. was selected by the Houston Rockets. 4th overall, and Ausar was selected by the Detroit Pistons at No. 5. According to ESPN Stats & Information, they were the first brothers to be selected in the top five of the same draft since the merger of the ABA and NBA in 1976.

Together with Lonzo and LaMelo Ball, the Thompsons are the only brothers in modern history to have been selected in the top five of a draft.

“I think it’s kind of cool going first. It means a lot to my family,” Amen said. “Me and Ausar, we were going to be happy whoever went first. But it means a lot to my family seeing all the hard work pay off. Us go back to back, be the first twins in the same draft to go top five, it means a lot.”

Maya Wilson, their mother, concurred.

“There are no words really to express how I’m feeling,” she told ESPN following the picks. “To see them back-to-back, that blows my mind. The world is just opening up to them. There’s not limit. So, I’m just very excited about what’s in store so just very, very happy.”

The identical twins won OTE titles while playing for the City Reapers in the Overtime Elite league. Amen will now join the Rockets, who finished 22-60 and ranked 27th and 29th, respectively, in terms of offensive and defensive efficiency (110.5).

League scouts were impressed by his abilities.

Amen stated, “Just being in the NBA, you know, playing with these athletic guys, I feel like my best brand of basketball is running and we’re a young team so that’s what we’re going to do.”

Ausar will also try to assist a Pistons team that finished 17-65 last season and hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years, the longest streak in league history. Jaden Ivey was selected by the Pistons with the No. Cade Cunningham is the No. 5 overall pick in 2022. 1 in 2021, and they recently hired Monty Williams, a former Coach of the Year for the Phoenix Suns.

“Super excited. I’m super excited to meet my coaches, meet my teammates and just grow with them,” Ausar said. “I’m trying to contend.”

Now that their deep rooted objective of arriving at the NBA is satisfied, their dad Troy Thompson shared his vision for their next part.

“The vision now is to become leaders on their team,” Troy said. “Obviously, being at least first-team All-Rookie and maybe compete for Rookie of the Year. We’ve got big ambitions.”