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The Houston Rockets used the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft on Thursday to take Overtime Elite (OTE) guard Amen Thompson.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Thompson, a native of San Leandro, California, is the latest young player the Rockets bring in to help accelerate what has been an arduous rebuilding process dating back to 2021.
“I’m just excited to be a Rocket,” the 20-year-old Thompson told ESPN after ascending the stage at Barclays Center in Brooklyn to shake hands and pose with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, per the Rockets’ Twitter account.
Thompson’s excitement continued even as he went back to the green room with his twin brother and now-ex OTE teammate, Ausar Thompson, becoming the fifth overall selection held by the Detroit Pistons.
According to a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, the Thompsons earned the distinction of being the first twins in NBA history to hear their names called within the first five picks of the draft.
Amen Thompson came after French teen hoops phenomenon Victor Wembanyama, the top prospect who went first to the San Antonio Spurs; University of Alabama guard/forward Brandon Miller, whom the Charlotte Hornets nabbed second; and NBA G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson, the Portland Trail Blazers’ pickup at three.
Later that night, the Rockets used their second pick of the first round, No. 20, to secure the services of 6-foot-7, 232-pound Villanova University forward Cam Whitmore.
KTRK reported that ESPN projected Whitmore to be a surefire lottery pick before the draft, with commentators purportedly labeling Whitmore the “steal” of the draft after he fell in Houston’s lap.
The University of Houston (UH) Cougars men’s basketball team saw two of its star players get selected in the first round.
Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported that the Indiana Pacers took freshman forward Jarace Walker at No. 8, which made him the highest-drafted Cougar in nearly 40 years since the Rockets themselves selected Hakeem Olajuwon with the top pick.
UH guard Marcus Sasser’s decision to return to the Third Ward for his senior and final season paid off as the Detroit Pistons tabbed him with the 25th overall selection, KRIV additionally reported.
Touted as the greatest player to suit up for the Cougars since Olajuwon, Sasser crafted a four-year career that included a Final Four appearance and All-American honors.
Walker and Sasser could have some reunions during the upcoming NBA regular season with their respective teams being division rivals with a tense history.