Amen and Ausar Thompson were selected within the first five picks of the first round, making them the first brothers to be selected in the top ten of the same draft since the NBA’s 1976 merger.
By Melissa Noel
(Source Essence):
On Thursday evening, Amen and Ausar Thompson made history during the 2023 NBA Draft. The twin brothers were announced as back-to-back draft picks by Commissioner Adam Silver at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
The Houston Rockets selected Amen as the fourth overall choice. The fifth overall pick, Ausar, will be a player for the Detroit Pistons. According to ESPN, they are the first siblings to be selected in the top five of the same draft since the NBA became a merged league in 1976.
“I think it’s kind of cool going first. It means a lot to my family,” Amen said, according to the news outlet. “Me and Ausar, we were going to be happy whoever went first. But it means a lot to my family to see 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.”
For two seasons, the San Leandro, California natives, played for Overtime Elite in Atlanta.
They both skipped their senior years in high school to focus on training, according to the NBA.
