Ausar Thompson Bio
Ausar XLNC Thompson, born on January 30, 2003, is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association. A versatile wing with elite defensive instincts, he was selected fifth overall in the 2023 NBA Draft and immediately earned a rotation role in Detroit. He is the identical twin brother of Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, and together they became the first pair of brothers selected in the top five of the same NBA Draft.
Early Life and Background
Ausar Thompson was born in Oakland, California, and raised in nearby San Leandro. He is the son of Troy Thompson and Maya Wilson, and he is of Jamaican descent through his father. His uncle, Mark Thompson, represented Jamaica in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, giving the family a deep athletic pedigree. Ausar’s older brother, Troy Jr., played college basketball at Prairie View A&M, and the family has long emphasized sports development at home.
By the age of seven, Ausar and his twin brother Amen were training for basketball under the guidance of their father, drawing inspiration from NBA star LeBron James. The twins were homeschooled in sixth and seventh grade to devote more time to basketball. Entering eighth grade, the family relocated to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so the brothers could play high school basketball one year early at Pine Crest School.
Path to Basketball
At Pine Crest School, Thompson quickly developed into a five-star recruit according to ESPN and Rivals. As a sophomore, he averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, earning second-team All-County honors. He elevated his game as a junior, posting 22.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while leading Pine Crest to the Class 4A state championship. He shared Broward County Class 5A-1A co-player of the year honors with Amen.
Thompson held scholarship offers from programs including Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Arizona State and Kansas, but he ultimately chose to bypass both his senior year of high school and college basketball. On May 25, 2021, he signed a two-year professional contract with Overtime Elite, a developmental league based in Atlanta for elite prospects between the ages of 16 and 20. He joined OTE alongside his twin brother, beginning the next stage of his basketball journey.
Ausar Thompson Career
Team Elite (2021–2022)
In OTE’s inaugural 2021–22 season, Thompson played for Team Elite, one of three founding franchises in the league. He averaged 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 blocks per game while competing against OTE opponents as well as prep-school and postgraduate competition. He led Team Elite to the league championship, capping the title run with 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 52–45 finals-clinching win over Team OTE, and was named Finals MVP. He also represented OTE affiliate Team Overtime in The Basketball Tournament in July 2022.
City Reapers (2022–2023)
Thompson returned for the 2022–23 OTE season as captain of the City Reapers, playing again alongside Amen. He twice earned league Player of the Week honors, including a February 6, 2023, performance in which he set an OTE single-game record with 12 assists, paired with 17 points and eight rebounds in just 21 minutes against the Holy Rams. He closed the regular season with averages of 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game, earning OTE MVP and a place on the All-OTE First Team.
Thompson led the Reapers to a second consecutive OTE title, sweeping the YNG Dreamerz in the finals and earning his second straight Finals MVP award. In the deciding game, he buried a game-winning three-pointer with three seconds remaining. On April 21, 2023, he declared for the 2023 NBA Draft, where analysts projected him as a top-10 pick.
Detroit Pistons (2023–Present)
The Detroit Pistons selected Ausar Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, one selection after the Houston Rockets took Amen. On October 25, 2023, he made his regular-season debut against the Miami Heat, posting four points, seven rebounds, three assists and five blocks in a 103–102 loss. At 20 years and 269 days old, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least five blocks in a debut. Thompson appeared in 63 games with 38 starts during his rookie year, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists, though his season ended on March 20, 2024, after he was treated for a blood clot. In 2025, he reached the NBA playoffs for the first time.
Notable Events and Milestones
Beyond his record-setting debut, Thompson was part of a Detroit Pistons team that set an NBA record with 28 consecutive losses during the 2023–24 season. He and Amen also became the first brothers in league history to be selected in the top five of the same draft. He has also etched his name in OTE history as a two-time champion, two-time Finals MVP and the 2023 league MVP.
Ausar Thompson Career Wins
Ausar Thompson has compiled championship hardware across multiple levels of competitive basketball. He led Pine Crest School to a Florida Class 4A state title during his junior year and then captured back-to-back OTE championships with Team Elite in 2021–22 and the City Reapers in 2022–23, earning Finals MVP in both finals runs.
Overtime Elite Highlights
Thompson won two consecutive OTE titles and was named Finals MVP in both seasons. His first OTE title came in 2022 with Team Elite, when he posted 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 52–45 series-clinching win over Team OTE. He repeated as champion in 2023 with the City Reapers, finishing the title run with a game-winning three-pointer in the decisive game of a three-game sweep of the YNG Dreamerz. In between, he was named 2023 OTE MVP and earned All-OTE First Team honors.
Ausar Thompson Family
Family Background and Basketball Lineage
Basketball runs deep in the Thompson household. His father, Troy Thompson, coached both twins from age seven, and his mother, Maya Wilson, raised the family in the San Leandro area. His uncle, Mark Thompson, was an Olympic hurdler for Jamaica at the 1992 Summer Olympics, and his older brother, Troy Jr., played college basketball at Prairie View A&M. Ausar and his identical twin brother, Amen, share the middle name XLNC, pronounced “excellence.” Amen was born one minute before Ausar and now plays for the Houston Rockets.
Personal Life
Thompson is an American of Jamaican descent, and he continues to draw on the close-knit support of his immediate family. The Thompson twins remain close collaborators on and off the court, often citing their father and their older brother as core sources of motivation throughout their basketball careers.
2025 Season Performance
Ausar Thompson entered the 2025 NBA season with momentum after a promising end to his rookie campaign and his first career playoff experience earlier in 2025. Detroit built around his two-way skill set, leaning on his perimeter defense, passing and transition play as central pieces of the rotation. His rebounding from the wing position continued to provide a steadying presence for the Pistons’ front line.
Through the early portion of 2025, Thompson posted steady scoring contributions while serving as one of the team’s primary wing defenders. He logged consistent minutes and delivered a number of multi-category stat lines, building on the all-around profile he established in his rookie year. Detroit’s coaching staff leaned on his versatility to switch across positions and to ignite fast-break opportunities.
Thompson’s 2025 outlook includes continued growth as a decision-maker and shooter, with the Pistons positioning him as a long-term core piece. His first taste of playoff basketball has provided valuable experience, and the franchise views him as a foundational wing for the seasons ahead.