NBA Twins: Amen and Ausar Thompson Join Exclusive List After Historic 2023 Draft

Amen and Ausar Thompson made history last Thursday, becoming the first brothers to be selected as top 5 picks in the same NBA Draft.

Amen was selected fourth overall by the Houston Rockets, while Ausar was drafted fifth by the Detroit Pistons.

Before the Thompsons play in the NBA, Sports Brief looks at the six pairs of twins who have made their marks in the league.

1. Van Arsdale twins

When it comes to twins playing in the NBA, Tom and Richard Van Arsdale are the measuring stick. They played a combined 24 seasons in their illustrious NBA career.

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They scored a combined total of 29,311 points, grabbed 7,749 assists, and dished out 5,142 assists in 1,850 games played from 1965 to 1977, per NBA.com.

The brothers made six All-Star appearances. Richard appeared in the showpiece event from 1969 to 1971, while Tom became an All-Star from 1970 to 1972.

The twins were drafted on back-to-back picks in 1965 (No. 10 and No. 11 overall).

2. Grant twins

Horace won four championships during his pro basketball career, three of which came during the Chicago Bulls’ first three-peat from 1991 to 1993.

He added a fourth title in 2001 when he joined the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a menace on the defensive end, having been named four times to the NBA’s All-Defense selection.

Harvey, whose height was listed at 6-foot-8, was the better offensive player between the two brothers. He averaged at least 18 points in three consecutive seasons for the Washington Bullets.

However, he lagged behind in terms of playoff experience. He played just 19 games in the postseason compared to Horace, who made 170 playoff appearances.

The Grant twins combined for 20,777 points, 12,879 rebounds, and 3,794 assists in 28 seasons played. Horace played in the NBA from 1987 to 2004, while Harvey stayed in the league from 1988 to 1999.

3. Lopez twins

Brook and Robin have played a combined 30 seasons in the NBA and are showing no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Brook, who was selected 10th overall by the Nets in 2008, has managed to prolong his career after incorporating the three-point shot into his skillset. He shot just 3 of 31 from beyond the arc in his first eight seasons in the NBA.

Over the past seven seasons, he has made 785 of his 2,247 3-point attempts for a solid 34.9 percent clip. He was an integral part of the Bucks’ championship-winning team in 2021.

Robin, who was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2008, has played for nine teams in 15 years, averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

The Lopez twins combined for 23,792 points, 10,582 rebounds, and 2,160 assists in 1,922 games played from 2008 to 2023.

4. Morris twins

Markieff and Marcus were drafted on back-to-back picks in 2011, with the former selected 13th overall by the Phoenix Suns and the latter ending up with the Houston Rockets at No. 14.

The Morris twins combined for 17,603 points, 7,341 rebounds, and 2,383 assists in 1,922 games played from 2011 to 2023. They have played a combined 24 seasons in the NBA.

5. Collins twins

Brook and Robin weren’t the only twins out of Stanford to establish long careers in the NBA. Jason and Jarron Collins also flourished in the league after getting drafted in 2001.

Jason, who was selected 18th overall by the Houston Rockets, played for six NBA teams over 13 seasons. He had his best campaign in the 2004-05 season, averaging 6.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per outing.

He started in 80 games for New Jersey and reached the Finals in his first two seasons with the Nets. They fell short in their title bids in 2002 and 2003, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, respectively.

Jarron was picked 53rd overall by the Utah Jazz and managed to spend 10 seasons in the league. His best season came during his rookie year, averaging 6.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 20.6 minutes per game for Utah.

The Collins twins combined for 4,716 points, 4,285 rebounds, and 1,045 assists in 1,277 games played from 2001 to 2014.

6. Martin twins

Caleb grabbed the headlines in this year’s playoffs when he helped the Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals.

He nearly captured the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award after exploding in the seven-game series against Boston, per CBS Sports.

He averaged 19.3 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 60.2 percent from the field overall and 48.9 percent from beyond the arc. Fans and reporters were fascinated with the story of Caleb, who went undrafted in the NBA.

His brother Cody was selected 36th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in 2019. He’ll start a new contract worth $31.4 million over the next four NBA seasons.

The Martin twins combined for 2,633 points, 1,381 rebounds, and 642 assists in 380 games played from 2019 to 2023.

Thomas breaks triple-double record

She recorded her fourth regular-season triple-double for the Sun in Sunday’s game against the Chicago Sky.

Thomas scored 14 points, dished out 12 assists, and pulled down 11 rebounds in Connecticut’s 96-72 win.