ATLANTA — When 6-foot-7 twin guards Ausar and Amen Thompson are on the court at the same time, it’s almost impossible to tell them apart. Both are extremely athletic, big guards who have a high basketball IQ.
“Amen’s hair is a little longer and flops down a little more. That’s it,” Ausar said of telling the difference between the identical pair.
The brothers have played on the same team since they first picked up a basketball, but for the first time, they’re playing on separate teams for Overtime Elite’s inaugural season. Amen is on Team OTE with head coach Tim Fanning, while Ausar is playing for Team Elite under head coach Dave Leitao.
“The first game playing without him was weird because we know what each other do and we’ve spent years and years building that on-court chemistry,” Ausar told Yahoo Sports. “It was weird guarding him in a game for the first time, too. I’m usually the one playing alongside him, and now I have to guard him.”
“It’s been fun,” Amen added. “I can’t lose to him. He knows I’m big bro [by one minute]. You know I’d rather play with him, obviously. We have a chemistry like no other, but we’re probably not going to play together in the league so I’m learning what to do.”
Last year as juniors in high school, the duo was one of the best backcourts in the country. They led Pine Crest High School out of Fort Lauderdale to a Florida state championship. Amen finished with 43 points and 13 rebounds in the double-overtime win, and both were named Broward County Co-Player of the Year.
The word was out on the twins, and Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Kansas and Arizona had all offered. On May 25, 2021, the twins announced their decision to forgo playing in college and chose the professional route of the Overtime Elite league.
“I felt like this route was the easiest path for me to become a pro,” Amen said. “We have a great staff around us, great coaches, the best training staff. I feel like they’ve helped develop my game in ways that I wouldn’t have developed last year.”
In Overtime Elite’s first season, Amen and Ausar have shined individually. Ausar has posted two 30-point games and has scored in double digits 18 times this season. Amen is averaging 17.5 points and five assists per 36 minutes. Both have seen growth in their game thanks to the state-of-the-art training facility and day-to-day pro schedule.
“The most growth I’ve seen in my game from last year to this year has been making plays with the ball,” Amen said. “I consider myself a big guard, so just making plays with the ball and seeing the floor. My shooting and my form has improved and gotten a lot better since I’ve been here.”
The Thompson twins will still play another season with Overtime Elite and are eligible for the 2023 NBA draft.
Way-too-early mock drafts have Amen and Ausar in the lottery to mid-first round. A duo hasn’t been drafted that high since 2011 when Marcus and Markieff Morris were drafted back-to-back with the 13th and 14th picks.
“Making the NBA has been our whole dream since third grade, so to be closer to that coming to fruition, it means a lot,” Amen said.
“I always have someone there to push me and that will keep it 100 with me all the time,” Ausar added. “He tells me when I’m messing up and when I’m playing well. We’re never too high or too low, and we’re always just there for each other and want one another to succeed.”
The 2023 draft is shaping up to be a guard-heavy class with the G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson, Baylor’s Keyonte George, Duke’s Dariq Whitehead and Arkansas’ Nick Smith Jr. all projected toward the top.
Fans are always in for a treat anytime Amen or Ausar hits the court with the way they play above the rim in transition and their flashy plays in the lane. There’s still plenty of time until the 2023 draft, but the Thompson twins could be the next great twin duo to hit the NBA in over 10 years.