Ausar Thompson Bio
Ausar XLNC Thompson is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born on January 30, 2003, in Oakland, California, he attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he showcased his skills as a five-star recruit. Ausar bypassed his senior year to join the Overtime Elite (OTE) league, winning two championships and earning multiple Most Valuable Player awards. Drafted fifth overall by the Detroit Pistons in 2023, Thompson made history by becoming part of the first pair of brothers to be selected in the top five of the same NBA draft.
Early Life and Background
Ausar XLNC 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, Amen, was born one minute before him, and the two share the middle name XLNC, which is 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 at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
He and Amen began training for basketball under the guidance of their father by age seven and drew inspiration from LeBron James. The twins were homeschooled in sixth and seventh grades to focus on basketball. Entering eighth grade, Thompson and his family moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, so that he and Amen could play high school basketball one year early at Pine Crest School.
Path to Basketball
At Pine Crest School, the twins immediately started for the basketball team. As a sophomore, Thompson averaged 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, earning second-team All-County honors. Entering his junior season, he was named to the Broward County Fab Five by the Sun Sentinel. Thompson then averaged 22.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, helping his team win the Class 4A state championship. He shared Broward County Class 5A-1A co-player of the year with Amen.
Thompson was rated a five-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals and gained interest from college programs in 2019, receiving a scholarship offer from Alabama. Following his junior year, he held offers from Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Arizona State, and Kansas, among other programs, before deciding not to play college basketball.
Ausar Thompson Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
On May 25, 2021, Thompson signed a two-year contract with Overtime Elite, a professional league based in Atlanta for players between ages 16 and 20. He joined the league with his brother Amen, bypassing his final year of high school and college. In the 2021–22 season, Thompson played for Team Elite and averaged 14.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
He led his team to the league championship and was named Finals Most Valuable Player after recording 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 52–45 win over Team OTE in the decisive third game of the finals. Thompson also played for OTE affiliate Team Overtime in The Basketball Tournament in July 2022, where his team lost to Omaha Blue Crew in the first round.
City Reapers Era (2022–2023)
In the 2022–23 OTE season, Thompson was named captain of the City Reapers and played alongside Amen. On December 12, 2022, he earned league Player of the Week honors. He was selected as Player of the Week for a second time on February 6, 2023, after posting a league single-game record of 12 assists, with 17 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes against the Holy Rams.
At the end of the regular season, Thompson was named OTE Most Valuable Player and made the All-OTE First Team, averaging 16.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He led the Reapers to the league title in a 3–0 sweep of the YNG Dreamerz, repeating as Finals Most Valuable Player. In the final game, he made a game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left. On April 21, 2023, he declared for the 2023 NBA draft, where analysts viewed him as a potential top-10 pick.
Detroit Pistons Era (2023–Present)
The Detroit Pistons selected Thompson with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, one pick behind his twin brother Amen. They were the first brothers in NBA draft history to be selected in the top five in the same year. On October 25, 2023, Thompson made his NBA regular-season debut, putting up four points, seven rebounds, three assists, and five blocks in a 103–102 loss to the Miami Heat. He became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least five blocks in a debut, at 20 years old and 269 days. Thompson was a part of the roster that lost an NBA record-high 28 straight games in the 2023–24 season. He played in 63 games with 38 starts during his rookie season, averaging 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. On March 20, 2024, Thompson was shut down for the season after being treated for a blood clot. In 2025, he played in the playoffs for the first time.
During the 2025–26 NBA season, Thompson enjoyed a more regular starting role with the Pistons. He finished the season as the NBA leader in steals and came third in Defensive Player of the Year award voting, while also earning an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
Driving Style and Strengths
Thompson is listed as a small forward and shooting guard at 6 feet 7 inches and 205 pounds, giving him the size to defend multiple positions on the perimeter and in the post. His craft is built on a combination of defensive anticipation, rebounding, and playmaking in transition, skills he developed while serving as a primary creator for Team Elite and the City Reapers.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his signature moments are the game-winning three-pointer in the 2023 OTE Finals against the YNG Dreamerz and his record-setting five-block NBA debut against the Miami Heat. Thompson also shares with Amen the distinction of being part of the first pair of brothers selected in the top five of the same NBA draft.
Ausar Thompson Career Wins
Ausar Thompson has built his résumé with back-to-back championships in the Overtime Elite league, where he twice earned Finals Most Valuable Player honors. He added league Most Valuable Player and an All-OTE First Team selection in 2023, before transitioning to the NBA where his defensive impact has become his defining trademark.
OTE Highlights
Thompson won two consecutive OTE championships in 2022 with Team Elite and in 2023 with the City Reapers. His first OTE title came in a 52–45 victory over Team OTE, while his second arrived in a 3–0 sweep of the YNG Dreamerz, capped by a dramatic game-winning three-pointer. He was named Finals Most Valuable Player in both championship runs and earned league Most Valuable Player in 2023.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond OTE, Thompson captured a high school Class 4A state championship at Pine Crest School alongside his twin brother Amen. He also shared Broward County Class 5A-1A co-player of the year honors with Amen after his junior season.
Ausar Thompson Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Basketball runs deep in the Thompson household. His father, Troy Thompson, began training both twins at age seven, and his older brother, Troy Jr., played college basketball at Prairie View A&M. His uncle, Mark Thompson, represented Jamaica in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics, giving the family a tradition of competitive athletics that extends beyond basketball.
Personal Life
Ausar Thompson is the identical twin brother of Amen Thompson, with Amen being one minute older. The twins share the middle name XLNC, which is pronounced excellence, a tribute their parents gave them to reinforce high expectations from a young age.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked an important step forward for Ausar Thompson and the Detroit Pistons. After his rookie season was cut short by treatment for a blood clot in March 2024, Thompson returned healthy and took on a more consistent role with the team. He reached the NBA playoffs for the first time in 2025, gaining valuable postseason experience against high-level competition.
Building on that momentum, Thompson carried his strong form into the 2025–26 NBA season, where he earned a regular starting role with the Pistons. He finished the year as the NBA leader in steals and placed third in Defensive Player of the Year voting, signaling his arrival as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders.
His All-Defensive First Team selection underscored the trust of coaches and media members in his impact on that end of the floor. With continued development on offense and a clear role alongside his twin brother Amen’s success, Thompson’s outlook remains strong as Detroit continues to build around its young core.
