Amen Thompson

About

Ameiz XLNC “Amen” Thompson ( ə-MEN EK-sə-lənss TOM-sən; born January 30, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played basketball for Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and won a state title. Thompson bypassed his senior year of high school to sign with OTE, where he played for two seasons and helped his team win the league title while earning All-OTE First Team honors in 2023. He was selected 4th overall in the 2023 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets. In 2024, he made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and in 2025 he was named to the NBA All-Defensive first team. He is the twin brother of basketball player Ausar Thompson.

Thompson was born to Maya Wilson and Troy Thompson and raised in San Leandro, California. He is of Jamaican descent through his father. His identical twin brother, Ausar, was born one minute after him; they share the middle name “XLNC” (pronounced “excellence”). Thompson’s older brother, Troy Jr., played college basketball for Prairie View A&M. His uncle, Mark Thompson, represented Jamaica in 400 meter hurdles…