NBA Draft 2023: Identical Thompson twins eyeing the big time

The NBA's annual draft takes place in Brooklyn on Thursday, with 60 young men set to have their lives changed forever.

The event is made up of two rounds of 30 picks, with 30 teams choosing players based on where they finished last season. The worst-performing teams pick at the top of the draft, where they have access to the best incoming talent.

This year's draft is headlined by 7'3" French phenomenon Victor Wembenyama, one of the most hyped prospects ever and who looks destined to be signed by the San Antonio Spurs.

It's expected he'll then be followed by two American prospects, 19-year-old Scoot Henderson, an explosive 6'2" guard who's played the last two seasons in the NBA's developmental 'G-league', and Brandon Miller, a smooth 6'9" 20-year-old who starred at the University of Alabama.

After those picks anything can happen.
Two players hoping to go high are 20-year-old identical twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, aiming to be the first brothers to ever be drafted in the top 10.

BBC Sport spoke to the Thompson twins about the unusual route to be in the 2023 NBA Draft.

• Thompson twins hope to make history

Identical twins Amen (left) and Ausar Thompson

"I want five Championships, MVP's and defensive Players of the Year", Ausar Thompson tells BBC Sport, emphasising his ambitions for multiple awards and achievements.

Standing at 6'7" tall, Thompson has never been one to aim low.

The high-flying wing player, and his brother Amen, a point guard, were born and raised in Oakland, California. At just 13, hungry to gain national attention, the twins relocated over 3000 miles across the country to Fort Lauderdale in Florida, to play at Pine Crest High School, a small private institution that was worlds away from the public system the brothers were used to.

The move paid off, as the Thompson's led Pine Crest to a state championship title in 2021, and received scholarship offers from over a dozen universities. However, while most American high school players go to college at 18, the brothers chose a riskier path.

At 17, they skipped their final year of high school and signed up to the upstart Overtime Elite League [OTE], an Atlanta-based program aimed at 16 to 20-year-olds.

"What made us decide to join OTE was the resources," says Ausar. "They pitched what the gym was going to look like because at the time the gym wasn't even fully built."

His brother Amen adds: "[And] The availability from your trainers, they're always there when you need them. They've definitely helped us develop pro habits."

The brothers enjoyed a storybook ending at OTE, winning the league title together with their City Reapers team. They now depart with an unshakeable confidence that they'll have a big impact in the NBA.

"I'd be looking forward to playing against Giannis [Antetokounmpo]," says Ausar. "If I had to guard him you know I'll give him a hard time.

"I'm looking forward to playing more guys in my position, Shae (Alexander Walker), D-book (Devin Booker), Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, people like that".

"I'd probably say like Lebron [James], [Steph] Curry, KD [Kevin Durant]," Amen adds.

Amen and Ausar will be one step closer to that goal on Thursday when their names are read by NBA commissioner Adam Silver. And then the real game begins.