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Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson were the first twins to both hear their names as top-5 picks in the NBA Draft.
Amen was drafted by the Rockets at No. 4 overall while Ausar was selected by the Pistons. The twins, who were the first players from the Overtime Elite to get called in the NBA Draft, will immediately start their careers as two of the most athletic basketball players in the world.
For The Win caught up with the Thompson twins to discuss playing against each other in the NBA for the first time, their dream board from when they were just nine years old, their shared middle name and plenty more.
FTW: Who is going to dunk on whom first once in the NBA?
Amen: I’m almost positive it’s going to be me first. I’m actually 100 percent positive I’m dunking on him first. You don’t even have to ask him, actually.
Ausar: He’s never going to dunk on me in his life. But I’ll dunk on him. A rebound is going to go up and I’m an offensive rebounder and he’s going to look up.
Amen: I’d box out.
Ausar: I almost got Jabari [Smith].
Amen: Nah, you did. That was crazy. Cam [Whitmore] was about to get you, though, and you didn’t even know.
Ausar: He was not about to get me!
FTW: How has your competitive spirit changed from teammates to rivals?
Amen: I wish the best for him but if I’m playing him, I’m trying to kill him.
Ausar: It’s different. I just don’t like his team, really. I don’t like him, really. I don’t like any team other than the Detroit Pistons.
FTW: What was the hardest thing about getting drafted by different teams?
Amen: He is actually wearing my shoes right now. That was a hard split. The PS5 was hard, but I just got a new one. So I don’t have to worry about that. But it was a bunch of little things. Like, I am going to take my shoes back now.
Ausar: Yeah. I stole shoes. I got the PS5. I’m pretty alpha in this situation.
FTW: What does Excellency (and your shared middle name, XLNC) mean to you both?
Ausar: Excellency is just about every day coming and in and trying to get better and be the best you that you can be. Try and improve every day. Never settle, no matter what it is. The next day, give it your all.
Amen: I’m always striving for excellence.
What was one of your biggest takeaways from the Rookie Transition Program?
Ausar: I feel like the Rookie Transition Program and the NBPA gave us what we needed to know to get to the next level. They’re always asking us about our interests and what we want to do outside of basketball. They helped us to prepare for basketball and life outside of basketball.
FTW: What are some of those interests that you have off the court?
Ausar: Some of the interests that I have that the NBPA offered include giving back to the communities. We have $25,000 to give to organizations. I’m also interested in broadcasting, getting into investing and they have so many programs for that.
Amen: If I wanted to get into clothing, I could get into that. If I wanted to learn how to build my brand, they have people that could help me. They have people who are able to do everything within NBA player development. Even if I don’t have interests outside basketball right now, they can help me try to find something and find a hobby.
FTW: What would you add to your dream board that wasn’t originally on it?
Amen: I feel like there were so many goals on it. There is nothing I can add. But change the routine but the goals are the same with a different routine to get to those goals.
Ausar: I would say to win a championship.
Amen: That was on the dream board. Every single goal was on the dream board.
Ausar: Well, I don’t have a beard yet. Actually, I’m going to change the dream board height to 6-foot-11 so I can get to 6-foot-9.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
HBO’s Winning Time is a delicate dance of intention and improv, not unlike the 1980s Lakers.
We spoke to the entire cast about the balance between scripted structure and improvized creativity:
“Despite winning a championship during Magic Johnson’s rookie year, Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Pat Riley was so stressed he wore a neck brace for six weeks during the 1981 postseason.
Riley’s tension is evident during the second season of Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, which premieres Sunday on HBO. The Lakers had clashing basketball ideologies: then-head coach Paul Westhead’s rigid and deliberate offense named The System versus Riley’s fast-paced and more improvised style.
When Westhead’s system failed, the Lakers fired him after just 11 games in 1981. Riley moved in as the replacement, instituting his run-and-gun style that became known as Showtime basketball. It was a literal change of pace for the Lakers, who began playing much faster on their way to a 1982 championship.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar reflected on these contrasting philosophies, writing last year that he felt Westhead’s “methodical, tactical approach” actively stifled Johnson’s spontaneity. He added that the best moments with Johnson “were less choreographed and more like jazz” while on the court.
The pressure points between The System and Showtime, two dramatically different approaches, are a central theme in the second season of Winning Time. Decades later, the cast and crew of Winning Time worked to find the right balance with their own craft while on the set of the show as well.”
You can watch the interviews here.
Shootaround
— HoopsHype ranked the top shooting guards for next season
— Team USA topped by the USA Select Team in scrimmages ahead of FIBA World Cup
— Marcus Smart boldly received a new tattoo while he was flying on a private jet
—Taylor Swift gave Kobe Bryant’s youngest daughter the sweetest gift during the Eras Tour
