'Freaking Incredible,' LeBron Hypes Ausar, Amen Thompson Twins as 'Superstars in the Making'

Count LeBron James among those who believe great things are in store for Ausar and Amen Thompson.

"I think the Thompson twins alone, both of them, are superstars in the making," the King said on Thursday's episode of his Mind the Game podcast with Steve Nash (31:30 mark). "I think those guys are freaking incredible. I love everything about those guys. And they're going to get better and better."

That is high praise from anyone, but it is especially notable coming from someone like James who has played at a Hall of Fame level in the NBA for 23 different seasons and has gone against multiple generations worth of competition.

It is also hard to argue with his assessment considering the Thompson twins are just 23 years old and have already established themselves as two-way forces through three seasons in the league.

Amen Thompson just turned in a career season for the Houston Rockets while averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. His defense is the first thing that stands out after he was an All-Defensive First-Team selection last season and finished in the top 10 in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of the last two years, but he also took strides as a scorer.

In addition to averaging career-high scoring totals, he shot an efficient 53.4 percent from the field and took advantage of openings when defenses focused too much attention on Kevin Durant and Alperen Şengün.

Amen Thompson with the Dunk

00:08

As for Ausar Thompson, he helped lead the Detroit Pistons to the best record in the Eastern Conference with his own defensive prowess.

He finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind only Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren and led the league with 2.0 steals per game. He isn't the same offensive threat as his brother, but he still shot an impressive 52.5 percent from the floor while averaging 9.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

As a six-time All-Defensive selection himself, James knows a little bit about impacting the game in ways beyond just scoring when he sees it. He also just experienced firsthand what it is like to be guarded by Amen Thompson in the first-round playoff series between the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers.

Few young players in the league play the type of defense the Thompson brothers do, and one of the greatest players in NBA history was effusive in his praise for their game.