Tag: Amen Thompson

Amen Thompson on Rockets teammate Dillon Brooks: ‘Coolest dude’

“He works hard for everything,” Amen Thompson says of Rockets teammate Dillon Brooks. “He prepares for games like he prepares for war.”

Going back to his days with the Memphis Grizzlies, veteran forward Dillon Brooks has always been something of a lightning rod for criticism. Teammates love him, but rivals? Not so much.

That trend has continued with the Houston Rockets.

In a recent interview with HoopsHype’s Sam Yip, rising talent Amen Thompson spoke of several topics related to his rookie NBA season in Houston. Regarding Brooks, Thompson said:

DB, he’s the coolest. It surprised me, to be honest. He’s the coolest dude. Really chill. He works hard for everything. He prepares for games like he prepares for war, so I see it in that aspect. Coolest dude for real.

Thompson, who helped Brooks fortify Houston’s perimeter defense last season, said the veteran shared some useful advice with him.

“Just always do something every day,” Thompson said of the professional perspective from Brooks.  “If that’s not basketball, working on your body. He’s big on that. He does that every day.”

Thompson’s complete Q&A interview can be read here.

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Amen Thompson Q&A: ‘When Ime Udoka talks, I gotta listen because he’s been there’

After a promising rookie season, Amen Thompson was chosen as one of the 15 players for the USA Select Team. Thompson stopped by briefly to chat with HoopsHype with some quick hitters about his experience playing against the National Team, his rookie …

After a promising rookie season, Amen Thompson was chosen as one of the 15 players for the USA Select Team. Thompson stopped by briefly to chat with HoopsHype with some quick hitters about his experience playing against the National Team, his rookie season, advice from teammates, twin brother Ausar, and more.

PHOTOS: Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. join USA Basketball training camp

As part of the Select Team, Rockets prospects Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr. joined this week’s USA Basketball training camp for the Olympics.

Third-year Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson are on the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball. As part of their duties, Smith (No. 39) and Thompson (No. 29) practiced in Las Vegas versus the U.S. national team as part of preparations for the Paris Olympics, which begin in late July.

Beyond Thompson and Smith, other members of the 2024 USA Select Team include Payton Pritchard, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Duren, Jalen Suggs, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Micah Potter, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway, and collegiate prospect Cooper Flagg.

“As a former [Select Team] member, I know how important and fun this opportunity is,” said Grant Hill, formerly an NBA star and currently managing director of USA Basketball. “There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 national team as they begin their journey to the Olympics. Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”

With that in mind, here’s a pictorial look at some of Thompson and Smith’s 2024 Select Team activities. All practices and scrimmages took place at UNLV’s Mendenhall Center in Las Vegas.

Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson named to USA Basketball select team

Third-year Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson will be part of the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball.

Third-year Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. and second-year guard Amen Thompson will be part of the 2024 Select Team for USA Basketball, program officials announced Friday. As part of the Select group, Smith and Thompson will practice against the U.S. national team ahead of the Paris Olympics, which begin in late July.

“There’s a long history of players from the Select Team eventually joining the national team down the line… including current players Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton, who served in the role in 2021 before the Tokyo Olympics,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst writes.

With training camp held from July 6-8, the news could indicate that neither will play for Houston’s 2024 NBA summer-league team. Both Smith and Thompson were on the 2023 summer Rockets.

“As a former member of the USA Select Team, I know how important and fun this opportunity is for each of these players,” former NBA player Grant Hill — who is currently managing director of the USA Basketball program — said in a statement.

“There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Select squad with the significant job of helping the 2024 national team as they begin their journey to the Olympics,” Hill added. “Each of these athletes will play a role in our preparation as we also develop the national team pipeline for the future.”

Beyond Thompson and Smith, other members of the 2024 USA Select Team include Payton Pritchard, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Duren, Jalen Suggs, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Brandin Podziemski, Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Micah Potter, Nigel Hayes-Davis, Langston Galloway, and collegiate prospect Cooper Flagg.

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Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson to work as NBA Finals correspondents

Young Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson will work as player correspondents for Game 1 and Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals in Boston.

According to a league announcement, young Houston Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson will work as player correspondents for Game 1 and Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Game 1 is Thursday night, while Game 2 is Sunday evening.

Both of Smith and Thompson’s correspondent games are in Boston, where the Eastern Conference champion Celtics will host the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks.

Smith will work alone in Game 1, while Amen will work in tandem in Game 2 with Ausar Thompson, his twin brother (Detroit Pistons). The goal of the program is to bring fans on-the-ground coverage directly to NBA social media outlets, as well as the NBA mobile app.

Michael Levine, senior vice president of entertainment and player marketing, shared further program details with NBA.com.

Levine’s insight:

The reality is that we want to work with our players in unique ways in which they can be perceived positively. We are giving them access to this type of platform, not only from a content standpoint, but from being on the NBA’s biggest stage. This is where they aspire to be one day.

This program really gives players an opportunity to do four things. One, is to build their social profile. We want to keep the momentum from their season going, and get them back in the spotlight.

Two, we also want them to understand the business of the NBA, and specifically the NBA Entertainment side. So, they’re seeing how we cover the Finals from a broadcasting perspective, photos perspective, original content, etc.  I think when they go back to their markets, they then have a greater awareness of how things work. They leave with a better sense of how the NBA operates.

Three, is relationship building. So getting to know the people, the league office, our broadcast partners, our global partners, will help all of us build this game. This knowledge then leads to a more trusting and cooperative relationship.

Lastly, seeing the NBA Finals, this is where they hope to be. So all those things went into play as we were developing it. And the program has just gotten bigger and bigger over the years.

More information on the program is available here. Past participants in the media correspondent program — which also encompasses various events at All-Star weekend and the NBA draft — include CJ McCollum, Donovan Mitchell, Scottie Barnes, and Tyrese Maxey.

Smith and Thompson were each named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team after their rookie seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24, respectively. Both should play key roles for Houston in 2024-25, and while they’d like to play in the NBA Finals with the Rockets in the future — this weekend’s opportunity will suffice, for now.

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Rockets, Amen Thompson distribute storm relief supplies in Houston

In the aftermath of the devastating storm that struck the Houston area on May 16, the Rockets are giving back to help residents still without power.

In the aftermath of a devastating storm that struck the Houston area on May 16, the Rockets held multiple initiatives Thursday to help local residents. Some are still without power, while others are low on supplies due to the effects of being without power for days.

From the team’s press release:

Earlier today, the Rockets distributed relief supplies to Houston-area residents impacted by last week’s damaging storm.

Rockets guard Amen Thompson and Rockets legend Major Jones volunteered alongside Rockets employees at Finnigan Park in Houston’s Fifth Ward to provide members of the community with essential items including water and toiletries.

“When I got drafted, Houston embraced me,” Thompson said in a quote distributed by the team. “Through the season they embraced me, so I just wanted to show that I support them back.”

The Rockets also partnered with Kroger to host a drive-through distribution at a Kroger location in Cypress. At that event, Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy joined staff members from the Rockets and Kroger to distribute basic necessities to help those in need.

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NBA All-Rookie: Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren unanimously voted to first team

Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Brandon Miller headlined the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team announced on Monday.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller headlined the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team announced on Monday by the league.

Wembanyama, the Rookie of the Year, and Holmgren were unanimous selections to the first team, earning all 99 votes from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Miller finished in third place with 97 first-team votes.

Joining the trio are Miami Heat guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski. Jaquez received 89 first-place votes, while Podziemski earned 64 in the final tally released in the announcement by the league.

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II, Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson, Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George, Thunder guard Cason Wallace and Memphis Grizzlies guard GG Jackson II were named to the All-Rookie second team.

Jackson, after a strong finish to the season, edged Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson and Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson for the 10th and final place on the second team.

The 10 players selected to the two teams emerged as the top of the class following productive campaigns. They each have bright futures ahead and are cornerstones for their respective organizations.

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Rockets’ Amen Thompson named to NBA’s All-Rookie second team

After a dynamic debut season with the Rockets, Amen Thompson was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team for the 2023-24 campaign.

Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson was named Monday to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team for the 2023-24 season. A dynamic and versatile defensive player and an immediate off-ball threat on offense, Thompson missed 20 of 82 games due to injury or illness, which may have cost him a potential first-team selection.

In all, Thompson appeared in 62 games while averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 22.4 minutes per game.

He became the fourth player in NBA history to average at least 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steals while playing under 23 minutes per game. Others on this list are George Johnson (1980-81), Nikola Jokić (2015-16) and Greg Monroe (2016-17).

In 23 games as a starter, including his final 17 games played, Thompson averaged 13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 spg while shooting 58.4% from the floor. According to the Rockets, Thompson joined Dallas superstar Luka Dončić as the only starters with more than two appearances in the 2023-24 season to have averaged at least 13 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals.

Thompson ranked ninth among rookie qualifiers in scoring, fourth in rebounding, seventh in assists, first in steals and third in field-goal percentage. He also ranked third among 2023-24 rookies with 13 double-doubles, including his first career triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the April 14 regular-season finale in Los Angeles versus the Clippers.

Thompson also had 3 steals and 3 blocks in that game, joining Lonzo Ball as the only rookies with that stat line in NBA history.

It is the fourth straight season in which the Rockets have had at least one representative on an All-Rookie team. Jae’Sean Tate and Jalen Green were first-team selections in 2020-21 and 2021-22, while Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. were on the 2022-23 second team.

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To keep or to trade? After landing No. 3 draft pick, Rafael Stone excited by Houston’s options

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Rafael Stone says.

Known for his strategic thinking, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone found himself in an unfamiliar position on Sunday after the NBA’s 2024 draft lottery. The annual event determines where teams pick in the first round, which takes place this year on June 26.

For the past three years, Stones selected players out of necessity in Houston’s rebuilding phase, which was brought on after James Harden’s departure. So, when the Rockets surprisingly secured the No. 3 pick in 2024, Stone was left with a strategic choice: keep the pick or trade it in a package for a veteran player or future assets. The decision could significantly shape the team’s future.

With Houston’s existing young core of rotation players, it might seem unlikely it would add another young player who would compete for minutes. However, that is not necessarily the case.

“The possibility of adding another young talented player in the draft or through a trade, we’re excited about that possibility,” Stone said in a post-lottery press conference. He had just arrived at the draft combine in Chicago after scouting prospects in France in recent days.

That seemed an unlikely scenario after the emergence of Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, who played key roles as rookies in helping the Rockets go 41-41 last season. Add in the developmental leaps made by shooting guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun in their third seasons — and promise shown by second-year forward Jabari Smith Jr. — and Houston has the blueprint to be a special team.  

“The guys we have in the locker room today, we’re excited to bring back,” Stone said at his end-of-season press conference last month. “We’ll look at things, but, again, I don’t view our roster as, ‘We’re missing X; we need to go find it.’ It’s not like we have a gaping hole.”

Many college and NBA analysts believe this draft class is weaker than in most years. The consensus is that many top-10 players in this class are outstanding role players, rather than superstars. If Houston keeps the pick, it could help them in the future by allowing their selection to develop with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate. 

“I think last year’s draft was a different draft than we’ve seen in a while, just because there was so much attention focused on just one guy (Victor Wembanyama),” Stone said. “That wasn’t the case in the two drafts before it, and I don’t think it’ll be the case this year.”

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Locked on Rockets: Reviewing Amen Thompson’s promising rookie season

Amen Thompson isn’t an NBA point guard just yet, but he still had a very successful rookie season in Houston. Today’s Locked on Rockets breaks it down.

With limitations as a long-range shooter and as a ballhandler, Amen Thompson isn’t yet the point guard that many Houston fans expected after being drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round. He also missed 20 games due to injury, largely ankle sprains.

However, Thompson flourished as a versatile defender and an off-ball threat, and the athletic 6-foot-7 prospect was an essential part of an 11-game winning streak by the Rockets in March.

With that in mind, Thompson’s 2023-24 season was largely a success, and it could soon lead to him earning a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie first team, which will be announced in the coming days.

In this newly released podcast, credentialed media members Jackson Gatlin and Ben DuBose review the rookie’s many highs and a few lows — leading to final grades of A and B-plus, respectively.

Wednesday’s “Locked on Rockets” episode can be listened to via Apple, Google, Spotify, Castbox and virtually all major podcast distributors. It can also be watched on YouTube (see embed below).

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