Amen Thompson is currently enjoying his second season in the NBA and recently had to honor to play in his very first All-Star weekend. In a recent interview with DigestThe Rockets player revealed that his early passion for watching games was the key to his strong development in the competition.
According to the 22-year-old, the twin brother of Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, their father coached them during their youth. ‘My father would let me watch [games] Every night, so I was an early student of the game, “he shared and credited this as part of the reasons why he has a strong basketball -IQ.
He then gave two of the greatest players of all time as his greatest inspiration. Amen revealed that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were the two athletes that he emulated the most when he was young, not only because of the fact that they are both large guards, but also refer to their high IQ and impressive ballhandlers.
Ausar & Amen Thompson are back at home in the bay tonight #CastrolringStars pic.twitter.com/fwllibysx2
– Bounce (@bouncenetworks) February 15, 2025
This second year campaign, the resident of Florida, has taken 57% of his shots on the edge, in the 97th percentile under the wings. Also only 11% of his shots comes from three, which is in the 0th percentile. This means that he has opted for other ways of scoring, not just shooting from far.
Since he joined the Starting Line -up of Houston two months ago, his team has enjoyed offensive success. During these 20 games, Thompson has an average of 16.5 points and 5.4 assists on average, while he grabs 3.1 of his 9.7 rebounds per match.
Amen regards his versatility as his strongest possession. “I have always been a defender since I was young, my father always emphasized that. But I just take it to the next level. At the competition I realized that I can monitor everyone and compete with everyone, “he assured this weekend.
Although he seems to be confident, the young guard guarantees that humility is what is bearing through his NBA climbing. “I know that I am nowhere where I think I could be, so there is nothing to be stubborn,” he said. “I think my ceiling is so good when I allow myself to get through the work I did.”
