Amen Thompson is currently enjoying his second season in the NBA and recently had to honor to play in his first-ever All-Star Weekend. In a recent interview with Draft Digest, the Rockets player revealed that his early passion for watching games has been key to his strong development in the league.
According to the 22-year-old, who is the twin brother of Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, their father coached them throughout their youth. “My dad would make me watch [games] every night, so I was a student of the game early on,” he shared, crediting this as part of the reasons why he has a strong basketball IQ.
He then pinpointed two of the greatest players of all time as his biggest inspirations. Amen revealed that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were the two athletes he most emulated when he was young, not only due to the fact that they are both big guards, but also referencing their high IQ and imposing ball handlers.
Ausar & Amen Thompson are back home in the Bay for tonight🔥 #CastrolRisingStars pic.twitter.com/fWLlibYsX2
— BOUNCE (@bouncenetworks) February 15, 2025
This sophomore campaign, the Florida native has taken 57% of his shots at the rim, ranking in the 97th percentile among wings. Also, just 11% of his shots come from three, which ranks in the 0th percentile. This means he’s opted for other ways of scoring, not just shooting from afar.
Ever since he joined Houston‘s starting lineup two months ago, his team has enjoyed offensive success. During these 20 matches, Thompson has averaged 16.5 points and 5.4 assists while grabbing 3.1 of his 9.7 rebounds per contest on the offensive end.
Amen considers his versatility to be his strongest asset. “I’ve always been a defender since I was young, my dad always stressed that. But I’m just taking it to the next level. Getting to the league, I’ve realized I can guard anybody and compete with anybody,” he assured this weekend.
Despite him seeming full of confidence, the young guard guarantees that humility is what carries himself through his NBA ascent. “I know I’m not anywhere I think I could be yet, so there’s nothing to be too cocky about,” he expressed. “I think my ceiling is as good as I allow myself to be through the work I put in.”
