The 2023 NBA Draft was a feast for fans. The San Antonio Spurs finally got their 5-year tanking prize in Victor Wembanyama, and Charlotte surprised everyone with the Brandon Miller pick. With Scoot joining Portland’s young core of Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe, the Damian Lillard trade is making more sense every day. Though, the chances of that happening in the near future look slim. Even with all of the hype surrounding it, two 20-year-olds somehow managed to capture the headlines.
While the young pair seems destined for greatness, their off-court answers have already won fans over.
History-making twins display a lot more than just raw talent
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Amen and Ausar Thompson made NBA history by becoming the first brothers to be lottery picks in the same draft.? Moreover, they both were off the board in the top 5, getting picked one after the other.
Amen is joining a high-potential Houston Rockets core featuring Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith, while his brother Ausar is set to join Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons after they selected him 5th overall. As the 20-year-old twins both join young teams, the room for growth is immense.
Recently, the pair put their immense NBA knowledge to the test in a conversation with Overtime. As seen in Kevin O’Connor’s videos, the brothers were asked to name NBA players whose names start with the letter ‘A’. The twins, up for the challenge, put up an impressive display.
Amen and Ausar Thompson being such NBA junkies warms my heart. pic.twitter.com/C6TjS9Bzxg
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) June 29, 2023
Whether it was household names like NBA Champions Aaron Gordon and Andrew Wiggins, or uncommon ones like Anthony Gill and Andrew Nembhard, the twins’ knowledge was genuinely impressive. Of course, all-stars Anthony Edwards and Anthony Davis made the list, but the twins showed off their telepathy when they both went for Amir Coffey. A surprising miss from Amen was his new team’s promising center, Alperen Sengun. In the end, however, Ausar ran out of names following Nembhard’s selection by Amen.
As a result, Amen was declared the winner. However, more than the prize, the twins won the hearts of the entire NBA fanbase.
NBA community convinced: Amen and Ausar are “the real deal”
The two studs chose an unconventional path to the league, as the duo chose against playing college ball. After their impressive mental display though, fans seemed convinced that they had made the right choice.
These kids are the real deal
— Scola's hairband is a top three mystery (@hautehamwater) June 29, 2023
The twins have displayed incredibly knowledgable and likable personalities, much to the enjoyment of viewers.
It’s hard not to like these kids.
— Hi! I’m Sanny. (@HaveYouMetSanny) June 29, 2023
One particular fan was swooning over the fans, making this interesting claim about their non-basketball future.
That's glorious. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up movie stars, too.
— Infamous Data Poisoner – X Ch 11 Enthusiast. 🌻 (@xiane1) June 29, 2023
But most fans were simply in awe of the twins’ database.
That’s pretty damn impressive and awesome.
— ___blocks___ (@___blocks___) June 29, 2023
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A keen fan was quick to point out some more names that the twins missed out on.
Andre Drummond
AJ Griffin
Aaron Holiday— hawks season 🔥 (@hawksburner36) June 29, 2023
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While the NBA world gets ready to welcome these two youngsters, it’s clear that the two know the NBA inside out. With fans already onboard, the sky is the ceiling for these young bucks.
Watch This Story: “Y’all Won The Draft”: Victor Wembanyama Hype Gets Overshadowed By NBA Draft Rival, As The 6’7’s Confident Words Wins Over The NBA Fans