Twinning and winning: Bay Area twins drafted together in 2023 NBA draft
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22: (L-R) Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson arrive prior to the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agr
Three Bay Area basketball players are headed for the big leagues after being selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, two of which are twins, and the third slated to play for the Golden State Warriors.
Amen and Ausar Thompson were chosen as the fourth and fifth overall pick for this season's draft.
Amen Thompson was selected as the fourth pick and is headed to Texas to play for the Houston Rockets.
His identical twin brother Ausar was chosen fifth, and is headed north to Michigan to play for the Detroit Pistons.
The twins attended school in San Leandro, but neither of them went on to play basketball in college. The twins instead played for the Overtime Elite basketball league based in Atlanta, a semi-professional league for 16- to 20-year-olds, the Associated Press reported.
The duo is already breaking records: they are the first brothers to be drafted in the top 10 of the same draft.
Ausar will play on the Pistons as a perimeter player, joining Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, the Pistons said. The 20-year-old stands at 6 feet 7 inches with a 7-foot wingspan.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 22: Brandin Podziemski (R) poses with NBA commissioner Adam Silver (L) after being drafted 19th overall pick by the Golden State Warriors during the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2023 in th
Meanwhile, his brother, Amen, stands at the same height and will play as a point guard.
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The Golden State Warriors also made a local pick, choosing Brandin Podziemski of Santa Clara. The 6-foot-5-inch guard was chosen 19th overall.
Podziemski had done a workout with the Warriors just weeks ago.
He was the West Coast Conference Men's Player of the Year and averaged nine rebounds a game.