Amen Thompson, his brother Ausar Thompson, and French basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama made history at the 2023 NBA Draft, as they became the first set of brothers to be chosen in the Top 5. The event took place in Brooklyn, New York, with the Thompson twins being selected with the fourth and fifth picks by the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons respectively.
The achievement of being the first twins to be drafted in the Top 5 was a significant moment for Amen and Ausar. “Me and Ausar, we were going to be happy whoever went first,” said Amen Thompson. “But it means a lot to my family seeing all the hard work pay off. Us going back to back, being the first twins in the same draft to go Top 5, it means a lot.”
While the Thompson twins created history, they were not the first set of brothers to be selected in the NBA Draft. Marcus and Markieff Morris were drafted at No. 13 and No. 14 in the 2011 draft, and Brook and Robin Lopez were selected at No. 10 and No. 15 in 2008. Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball hold the record as the only brothers to be chosen in the Top 3 picks, with Lonzo being selected at No. 2 in 2017 and LaMelo at No. 3 in 2020.
Leaving his brother behind, Ausar Thompson expressed confidence in their ability to adapt. “It may be a little hard, but I think he’s going to be fine. I know I’m going to be fine. I’ll FaceTime him,” he said.
The 2023 NBA Draft began with the San Antonio Spurs selecting Victor Wembanyama, a highly regarded 7-foot-2 French phenomenon. The evening featured several trades, with the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, and others exchanging draft picks. The first round concluded with the Los Angeles Clippers selecting Missouri forward Kobe Brown.
The upcoming NBA season will commence on July 1, 2023, followed by Summer League play starting on July 7 in Las Vegas. Training camps for NBA teams will open in late September.
First Round Picks:
- San Antonio Spurs: Victor Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92)
- Charlotte Hornets: Brandon Miller (Alabama)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite)
- Houston Rockets: Amen Thompson (Overtime Elite)
- Detroit Pistons: Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite)
- Orlando Magic: Anthony Black (Arkansas)
- Indiana Pacers (traded to Washington Wizards): Bilal Coulibaly (Metropolitans 92)
- Washington Wizards (traded to Pacers): Jarace Walker (Houston)
- Utah Jazz: Taylor Hendricks (Central Florida)
- Dallas Mavericks (traded to Oklahoma City Thunder): Cason Wallace (Kentucky)
- Orlando Magic: Jett Howard (Michigan)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (traded to Mavericks): Dereck Lively II (Duke)
- Toronto Raptors: Gradey Dick (Kansas)
- New Orleans Pelicans: Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut)
- Atlanta Hawks: Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
- Utah Jazz: Keyonte George (Baylor)
- Los Angeles Lakers: Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
- Miami Heat: Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)
- Golden State Warriors: Brandin Podziemski (Santa Clara)
- Houston Rockets: Cam Whitmore (Villanova)
- Brooklyn Nets: Noah Clowney (Alabama)
- Brooklyn Nets: Dariq Whitehead (Duke)
- Portland Trail Blazers: Kris Murray (Iowa)
- Sacramento Kings (traded to Mavericks): Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Marquette)
- Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Pistons): Marcus Sasser (Houston)
- Indiana Pacers: Ben Sheppard (Belmont)
- Charlotte Hornets: Nick Smith Jr. (Arkansas)
- Utah Jazz: Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
- Indiana Pacers (traded to Denver Nuggets): Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)
- Los Angeles Clippers: Kobe Brown (Missouri)
Several second-round picks were also involved in trades.
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