Amen and Ausar Thompson made history on Thursday during the 2023 NBA Draft. Both players went in the first five picks of the first round, which made them the first brothers to be selected in top 10 during the same draft.
Amen Thompson went No. 4 to the Houston Rockets and Ausar wasn't far behind, going with the next pick to the Detroit Pistons at No. 5.
They may not be the only ones joining the list of siblings that ended up being first-round picks. If Iowa's Kris Murray is selected in the first round, he will join the list with his brother, Keegan, who was selected No. 4 overall last year by the Sacramento Kings.
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball remain the only two brothers to be top-3 selections in NBA Draft history. Lonzo was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers and LaMelo was selected third by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Here's a look at siblings drafted in the first round over the years.
Amen and Ausar Thompson (2023)
The Thompson brothers have been considered two of the best prospects in the class since last year. They both played for Overtime Elite and would are the highest players drafted from that program. There is a lot to like about each prospect because of their respective athletic upside. Now, they made history together by being the first twins selected in the top 10 in NBA Draft history.
Keegan and Kris Murray (2022, 2023)
Neither of the Murray brothers were considered high-level draft prospects when arrived at Iowa prior to the 2020-21 season. First, it was Keegan who raised his stock drastically following a standout 2021-22 season, which helped him skyrocket up draft boards and ultimately land with the Kings with the No. 4 pick. Keegan was one of the oldest players drafted in the first round last season, and now his twin brother has been selected by the Trail Blazers at No. 23. Kris had the breakout season most projected when his brother left for the pro ranks.
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball (2017, 2020)
Lavar Ball's dream of seeing all three of his sons drafted into the NBA didn't come true, but two out of three isn't bad. Lonzo was considered one of the top point guards in the 2017 NBA Draft and ultimately landed with the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 pick. After a few seasons playing for his hometown team, he was shipped to New Orleans in the Anthony Davis trade. Lonzo's playing career is in serious jeopardy following a knee injury from which he's never fully recovered. On the flip side, LaMelo looks like one of the young rising stars in the NBA and landed with the Hornets with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Warriors had a chance to select Ball, but elected to draft Memphis big man James Wiseman. Who knows what LaMelo's career trajectory would've looked like had he been drafted by the Warriors.
Marcus and Markieff Morris (2011)
After staring together at Kansas, the Morris brothers entered the 2011 NBA Draft and became back-to-back selections at the end of the lottery. Markieff was drafted first by the Phoenix Suns with the 13th pick; minutes later, Marcus was selected by the Houston Rockets with the last pick of the lottery. Both Morris brothers played four years at Kansas and are still in the league to this day. Markieff plays for the Dallas Mavericks and Marcus was recently traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Washington Wizards.
Brook and Robin Lopez (2008)
Both played two seasons at Stanford before declaring for the 2008 NBA Draft. Brook was a lottery pick at 10th overall by the New Jersey Nets, but Robin just missed the cut when he was selected with the No. 15 pick by the Phoenix Suns. After years of playing in the NBA, Brook transformed his game and became one of the best defensive centers in the league. He finished near of the top of Defensive Player of the Year ballots and transformed into a lethal 3-point shooter. Robin spent last season playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bernard and Albert King (1977, 1981)
Bernard was drafted seventh overall in the 1977 NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets out of Tennessee. A few years later, his brother was drafted 10th overall by the Nets in the 1981 NBA Draft from Maryland. Bernard went on to have a successful Hall of Fame career as a four-time NBA All-Star and was twice named to the All-NBA First Team. Albert played for four different teams over nine years during his career.
Gene and Purvis Short (1975, 1978)
Coming out of Jackson State, Gene Short was selected ninth overall by the New York Knicks in the 1975 NBA Draft. His younger brother, Purvis, also attended Jackson State and was drafted by the Golden State Warriors with the No. 5 pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. Purvis averaged 17.3 points per game in his 12-year NBA career. Gene, on the other hand, only played 34 total games in his NBA career with the Knicks and the Seattle Supersonics.
Russ and Ron Lee (1972, 1976)
The first set of siblings to be selected in the top 10 of the NBA Draft. Russ was drafted sixth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1972 NBA Draft out of Marshall. His NBA career only lasted three seasons, and he retired following the 1974-75 season. Ron had a successful college career at Oregon and left as the program's all-time leading scorer. The Suns selected him 10th overall in the 1976 NBA Draft, and he went on to play from 1976-82 before playing in Italy for three years to end his professional career.
