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Ausar Thompson

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Ausar Thompson
No. 9 – Detroit Pistons
PositionShooting guard/small forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born(2003-01-30)January 30, 2003(age 21)
Oakland, California,U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High schoolPine Crest
(Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
NBA draft2023:1st round, 5th overall pick
Selected by theDetroit Pistons
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Team Elite
2022–2023City Reapers
2023–presentDetroit Pistons
Career highlights and awards
  • 2×OTEchampion (2022, 2023)
  • 2× OTE Finals MVP (2022, 2023)
  • OTE Most Valuable Player (2023)
  • All-OTE First Team (2023)
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat NBA.com
StatsEdit this at Wikidataat Basketball-Reference.com

Ausar XLNC Thompson(/əˈsɑːrˈɛksələnsˈtɒmsən/ə-SAREK-sə-lənssTOM-sən;born January 30, 2003)[1]is an American professionalbasketballplayer for theDetroit Pistonsof theNational Basketball Association(NBA). He played basketball forPine Crest SchoolinFort Lauderdale, Florida,where he was rated a five-starrecruitand won a state title. Thompson bypassed his senior year of high school to sign with development leagueOvertime Elite(OTE), where he played for two seasons. He won two straight OTE titles, earning FinalsMost Valuable Player(MVP) twice, and was named league MVP in 2023. He is the twin brother of basketball playerAmen Thompson.He was selected fifth overall by the Pistons in2023 NBA draft.

Early life

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Thompson was born to Maya Wilson and Troy Thompson and raised inSan Leandro, California.[2][3]His identical twin brother,Amen,was born one minute before him; they share the middle name "XLNC" (pronounced "excellence").[4]His older brother, Troy Jr., playedcollege basketballforPrairie View A&M.His uncle,Mark Thompson,representedJamaicain400 meter hurdlesat the1992 Summer Olympics.He and Amen began training for basketball under the guidance of their father by age seven and drew inspiration fromLeBron James.[2]The twins werehomeschooledin sixth and seventh grades to focus on basketball.[3]

High school career

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Entering eighth grade, Thompson and his family moved toFort Lauderdale, Floridaso that he and Amen could play high school basketball one year early atPine Crest School.[2][5]The twins immediately started for the team.[6]As a sophomore, Thompson averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, earning second-team All-Countyhonors. Entering his junior season, he was named to the Broward County Fab Five by theSun Sentinel.[7]Thompson averaged 22.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, helping his team win the Class 4A state championship. He shared Broward County Class 5A-1A co-player of the year with Amen.[8]

Recruiting

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Thompson was rated a five-starrecruitbyESPNandRivals.[9][10]He gained interest from college programs in 2019, receiving a scholarship offer fromAlabama.[11]Following his junior year, Thompson held offers fromAlabama,Arizona,Auburn,Arizona StateandKansas,among other programs, before deciding to not playcollege basketball.[12]

Professional career

[edit]

Team Elite (2021–2022)

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On May 25, 2021, Thompson signed a two-year contract withOvertime Elite(OTE), a new professional league based inAtlantawith players between ages 16 and 20. He joined the league with his brother Amen, bypassing his final year of high school and college.[2][13][14]In the 2021–22 season, Thompson played for Team Elite, one of three teams in the league, and averaged 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per game.[15][16]He competed against other OTE teams, as well asprep schoolandpostgraduateopponents.[17]He led his team to the league championship and was named Finals MVP after recording 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 52–45 win over Team OTE in the decisive third game of the finals.[18]Thompson played for OTE affiliate Team Overtime inThe Basketball Tournamentin July 2022.[2]His team lost to Omaha Blue Crew, 74–70, in the first round of the tournament.[19]

City Reapers (2022–2023)

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In the 2022–23 OTE season, Thompson was namedcaptainof the City Reapers and played alongside Amen.[20]On December 12, 2022, he earned league Player of the Week honors.[21]Thompson was selected as Player of the Week for a second time on February 6, 2023, after posting a league single-game record 12 assists, with 17 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes against the Holy Rams.[22]At the end of the regular season, he was named OTE MVP and made the All-OTE First Team, with averages of 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game.[23][24]Thompson led the Reapers to the league title in a 3–0sweepof the YNG Dreamerz, repeating as Finals MVP. In the final game, he made a game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left.[25]On April 21, 2023, he declared for the2023 NBA draft,where analysts viewed him as a potential top-10 pick.[23]

Detroit Pistons (2023–present)

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TheDetroit Pistonsselected Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the2023 NBA draft,one pick behind his twin brother Amen.[26]They were the first brothers in NBA draft history to be selected in the top 5 in the same year.[27]On October 25, 2023, Thompson made his NBA regular-season debut, putting up four points, seven rebounds, three assists, and five blocks in a 103–102 loss to theMiami Heat.Thompson also became the youngest player in NBA history to put up at least five blocks in an NBA debut, at 20 years old and 269 days.[28]Thompson was a part of the roster that lost an NBA record-high 28 straight games in the 2023–24 season. He played in 63 games (38 starts) during his rookie season, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. On March 20, 2024, Thompson was shut down for the season after being treated for ablood clot.[29]

Career statistics

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Legend
GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
FG% Field goalpercentage 3P% 3-point field goalpercentage FT% Free throwpercentage
RPG Reboundsper game APG Assistsper game SPG Stealsper game
BPG Blocksper game PPG Points per game Bold Career high

NBA

[edit]
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023–24 Detroit 63 38 25.1 .483 .186 .597 6.4 1.9 1.1 .9 8.8
Career 63 38 25.1 .483 .186 .597 6.4 1.9 1.1 .9 8.8

References

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  1. ^Ausar Thompson Interview – Overtime Elite Practice – 12.5.22.Pro Insight. December 9, 2022. Event occurs at 0:09.RetrievedFebruary 17,2023– viaYouTube.
  2. ^abcdeGutierrez, Israel (August 31, 2022)."The Thompson twins and Overtime Elite's unproven path to the NBA".ESPN.RetrievedJanuary 26,2023.
  3. ^abPolacheck, Jacob (April 18, 2022)."An Audacious Dream Meets Itself in Reality: A Look Inside Overtime Elite's Inaugural Season".Zagsblog.RetrievedJanuary 26,2023.
  4. ^Graham, Pat (June 20, 2023)."Twins Amen and Ausar Thompson set to be taken in top-10 of NBA draft".ABC News.RetrievedJune 23,2023.
  5. ^Schoenfield, Bruce (November 30, 2021)."The Teenagers Getting Six Figures to Leave Their High Schools for Basketball".The New York Times.RetrievedJanuary 26,2023.
  6. ^Wilson, David (March 6, 2021)."'I did not think we were going to win': Pine Crest wins state title with miracle comeback ".Miami Herald.RetrievedJanuary 27,2023.
  7. ^Lichtenstein, Adam (December 15, 2020)."Broward County boys basketball Fab Five for 2020 (and the next five)".Sun-Sentinel.RetrievedJanuary 27,2023.
  8. ^Lichtenstein, Adam (March 27, 2021)."Broward 5A-1A boys basketball co-players of the year: Ausar Thompson and Amen Thompson, Pine Crest juniors".Sun-Sentinel.RetrievedJanuary 27,2023.
  9. ^"Ausar Thompson – Basketball Recruiting".ESPN.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  10. ^"Ausar Thompson".Rivals.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  11. ^Young, Justin (October 2, 2019)."South Florida's Thompson Twins are catching on with recruiters".HoopSeen.RetrievedJanuary 27,2023.
  12. ^Branham, Travis (May 26, 2021)."Elite twins Amen and Ausar Thompson skip college to join the Overtime Elite program".247Sports.RetrievedJune 27,2023.
  13. ^Boone, Kyle (May 25, 2021)."Overtime Elite lands another set of twins as Amen and Ausar Thompson choose professional program over college".CBS Sports.RetrievedJanuary 28,2023.
  14. ^Woo, Jeremy (March 7, 2022)."Can Overtime Elite Disrupt Basketball With... Twins?".Sports Illustrated.RetrievedJanuary 28,2023.
  15. ^Araiza, Robert (January 13, 2023)."Amen & Ausar Thompson: Should the San Antonio Spurs roll the dice?".Air Alamo.FanSided.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  16. ^Sprung, Shlomo (August 26, 2022)."Overtime Elite Roster 2022–23".Boardroom.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  17. ^Givony, Jonathan (October 13, 2021)."Overtime Elite announces 2021–22 schedule, roster for inaugural season".ESPN.RetrievedJanuary 28,2023.
  18. ^Feldman, Joseph (March 14, 2022)."Team Elite Wins First Overtime Elite Championship".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  19. ^DeMarinis, Matt (July 17, 2022)."Omaha Blue Crew outlasts Team Overtime in a battle of old versus new".White and Blue Review.RetrievedJanuary 28,2021.
  20. ^Feldman, Joseph (September 21, 2022)."OTE Announces Roster Reveal and Expansion for Season 2".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  21. ^Feldman, Joseph (December 12, 2022)."Ausar Thompson Named Player of the Week".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  22. ^Feldman, Joseph (February 6, 2023)."Ausar Thompson Named OTE Player of the Week".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  23. ^abCobb, David (April 21, 2023)."2023 NBA Draft: Amen, Ausar Thompson declare as likely lottery picks after playing for Overtime Elite".CBS Sports.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  24. ^Feldman, Joseph (February 20, 2023)."OTE Announces Regular Season Awards".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  25. ^Feldman, Joseph (March 7, 2023)."City Reapers Win OTE Championship".Overtime Elite.RetrievedJune 18,2023.
  26. ^Siegel, Brett (June 22, 2023)."Ausar Thompson: Meet the Pistons' No. 5 pick in 2023 NBA Draft".ClutchPoints.RetrievedJune 22,2023.
  27. ^Woodyard, Eric (June 23, 2023)."Amen, Ausar Thompson first brothers taken in top five of same NBA draft".ESPN.com.RetrievedJune 27,2023.
  28. ^Pagaduan, Jedd (October 25, 2023)."Pistons wing Ausar Thompson smashes Shawn Bradley's rookie record with scary defense vs. Heat".ClutchPoints.RetrievedOctober 25,2023.
  29. ^"Pistons' Ausar Thompson Will Miss Rest of 2023-24 NBA Season for Blood Clot Treatment".syndication.bleacherreport.com.RetrievedMarch 20,2024.
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