'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Amen and Ausar Thompson, popularly known as the Thompson twins, were the talk of the town on draft night, with their phenomenal story eclipsing even that of No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. The twins were the No. 4 and No. 5 picks, selected ahead of a host of talented players.
Amen, the older sibling by one minute, dressed in all white, was picked by the Houston Rockets. A few minutes later, twin brother Ausar, dressed in all black, was picked fifth by the Detroit Pistons. While projections had both as lottery picks, not many expected them to be selected that high.
The twins took an unusual route to the NBA and did not attend college. In fact, the brothers opted out of their final year of high school to join a professional league, Overtime Elite.
The Thompson twins and their basketball journey
Not only are both the Thompson twins' middle names 'XLNC' pronounced 'Excellence,' but they were also homeschooled in the sixth and seventh grades so that they could focus on basketball.
The Thompson brothers come from an athletically gifted family with several relatives having sports backgrounds. Their elder brother, Troy Thompson Jr., was a college basketball star, while their uncle Mark Thompson competed for Jamaica in the 1992 Summer Olympics.
At age seven, their father, Troy, had already begun instructing them on the fundamentals of basketball.
The Thompson family moved to Florida so the twins could enroll at Pine Crest School to advance their basketball education. They enlisted a year early and became instant starters.
The twins were inseparable and shared the Broward County Class 5A-1A Player of the Year award.
Amen and Ausar Thompson in the Overtime Elite
Overtime Elite (OTE) is a basketball league entering its third year. It recruits 16-20-year-olds and prepares them for entry into professional basketball. That was the Thompson twins' next stop.
Before they joined the league, many colleges wanted the Thompson twins for their basketball programs. Amen and Ausar received offers from Alabama, Arizona and Kansas. However, they opted against attending their final year in high school to join OTE.
Amen played for Team OTE in his first year in the league and finished runners-up to his brother's team, Team Elite. Amen averaged 14.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists against Ausar's 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists.
The following year, Ausar was named team captain of City Reapers, and his first draft pick was his brother, Amen. They won the league title, sweeping the YNG Dreamerz 3-0 in the final.
Amen averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds. Ausar won the OTE MVP award, averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
