Amen Thompson: From Overtime Elite to NBA Prospect
Amen "Ameiz XLNC" Thompson, born on January 30, 2003, is an American professional basketball player currently playing for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Thompson's journey to the NBA is a testament to his talent, dedication, and the evolving landscape of basketball development.
Early Life and High School Career
Thompson was born to Maya Wilson and Troy Thompson and raised in San Leandro, California, and is of Jamaican descent through his father. His identical twin brother, Ausar, was born one minute after him; they share the middle name "XLNC". Thompson's older brother, Troy Jr., played college basketball for Prairie View A&M. His uncle, Mark Thompson, represented Jamaica in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Entering eighth grade, Thompson and his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so that he and Ausar could play high school basketball one year early at Pine Crest School. The twins immediately started for the team. As a sophomore at Pine Crest, Thompson averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, earning All-County honorable mention. Thompson was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and won a state title.
Overtime Elite
On May 25, 2021, Thompson signed a two-year contract with Overtime Elite (OTE), a new professional league based in Atlanta with players between ages 16 and 20, bypassing his senior year of high school to sign with OTE. In 2021, he played for Team OTE, where he averaged 14 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals. Last season, he moved to City Reapers, where he averaged 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.4 steals in 28.2 minutes. In 2023, he helped his team win the league title in a 3-0 sweep over the YNG Dreamerz, while earning All-OTE First Team honors.
NBA Draft and Rookie Season
The Houston Rockets selected Thompson with the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, one pick ahead of his twin brother Ausar. They were the first brothers in NBA draft history to be selected in the top 5 in the same year.
Read also: Explore the life of Daniel Amen
On October 25, 2023, Thompson made his NBA debut, scoring eight points along with five rebounds and two assists in a 116-86 loss to the Orlando Magic. Thompson missed a couple of games from the start of the season after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain on his left ankle. On December 30, Thompson got into a confrontation with Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro after shoving him to the floor. The altercation began when Thompson and Herro were battling for position during an inbounds play; Thompson grabbed Herro by the jersey and aggressively threw him to the ground. This incident occurred just five seconds after Thompson's teammate, Fred VanVleet, was ejected for bumping a referee. Thompson would ultimately be ejected himself with 35 seconds left in the fourth quarter, as the Houston Rockets suffered a defeat at home, ending the game with a final score of 102-100. Thompson took a major role in January-February, when he started in the line-up for the injured Jabari Smith Jr..
In 2024, he made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and in 2025 he was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team.
Player Profile and Potential
Thompson has been operating as a ballhandler and playmaker with wing size and elite athleticism. He plays best with spacers around him, as opponents often go under screens. Even with that being the case, Thompson's quickness and vertical leap help him blow past and rise over defenses with acrobatic finishes. When teams collapse, he finds the right man with an accurate pass. He's bothersome on defense and can beat his man to the spot, and he's shown good IQ in help situations. Thompson will likely need the ball in his hands at the NBA level to unlock his full potential, which could be All-Star level, but how quickly he gets there may depend on if he lands on a team with or without an established point guard. Unquestionably, he'll get easy points and make a defensive impact through his top-shelf athleticism, but playing off ball isn't his strong suit.
Strengths
- Athleticism: Thompson possesses elite athleticism, which allows him to excel in transition, finish acrobatically at the rim, and defend multiple positions.
- Playmaking: He is a gifted passer with excellent court vision, capable of finding open teammates in various situations.
- Ball-handling: Thompson is a confident ball-handler who can create opportunities for himself and others off the dribble.
- Defense: He is a disruptive defender with the ability to guard multiple positions and generate steals and blocks.
- Rebounding: Thompson is an excellent rebounder for his position, often contributing significantly on both ends of the court.
Areas for Improvement
- Shooting: Thompson's shooting is a significant area for improvement. His inconsistent jump shot makes him less of a threat off the ball and can limit his offensive versatility.
- Strength of Schedule: With Amen and Ausar playing against high schoolers, the models vary between acting like their stats are essentially on par with Brandon Miller’s and penalizing them for having the worst SOS.
Player Comparisons
It is extremely hard to come up with comparisons for Amen. The ones I have seen elsewhere are mostly pretty bad references to guys like Ja Morant and this isn't a shot at anyone, it's just really hard to come up with a comparison for a hyperathletic player who may not be able to shoot and isn't really like Ben Simmons.
High End: A high end could be someone like Penny Hardaway. Hardaway was also an extremely athletic, tall PG who could process quickly and was a dangerous scorer and passer, but who was only a 32% career three point shooter (and that was raised at the end of his career). Sure, Amen could surpass that mark playing in the modern NBA. But there's a chance that a successful Amen is simply a passable shooter, who otherwise profiles much like Penny and is equally as impactful as Anfernee was pre-injuries (when he was a 4 time All Star who peaked with a 7.2 BPM).
Read also: From Reality TV to Nursing
Realistic: perhaps a better comparison is Kris Dunn. Dunn is a stout defender who could guard up the lineup. He's a strong ball handler and great passer. He's an extremely gifted athlete, but his game is held back by his lack of a jumper. I also think that because of his recent injuries, Dunn maybe underrated in the eyes of some fans. In Chicago, he was becoming their shut down defender and had a 3.1 DBPM. In Utah, he was seemingly getting healthy when Collin Sexton went down and had a 2.4 BPM (1.7 DBPM, 0.7 OBPM). So I think that a healthy Dunn has shown a chartable path. And I think that Amen has the same good qualities Dunn has, along with a bit more height and athletic gifts (Dunn is no slouch). I would bet that Amen has a better career than Dunn, so perhaps this needs the Rich Man's qualifier. But I could see them having a more similar style than Amen and Simmons, whose size and strength are so core to his playing style.
Low End: No, this isn't completely fair to Livingston who suffered a horrific knee injury early in his career, so we never really go to see the player he could become. However, there a realistic low end outcome for Amen could be one where his shot never materializes and his overall impact is limited and more from his defense and decision making. He could still carve out a career similar to Livingston, who was an important role player for three Warriors' championships (and two other Final appearances).
Contract Details
Signed a two-year, $18.06 million contract with the Rockets in July of 2023. Rockets exercised $9.69 million team option for 2025-26 in October of 2024. Rockets exercised $12.26 million team option for 2026-27 in October of 2025.
Read also: NBA Prospect Profile: Ausar Thompson
tags: #Amen #Thompson #college #offers
