Wanting to be like LeBron James as a player requires years of hard work. But to physically match his stature, all one can do is pray, and that is what the Thompson brothers, Ausar and Amen, did rather bizarrely when they were younger.<\/p>\n
Ausar and Amen are arguably the most dynamic brother duo in basketball today. Both were drafted in the top five in 2023, with Amen playing for a contending Houston Rockets<\/a><\/strong> team and Ausar looking to pull the Detroit Pistons<\/a> <\/strong>out of irrelevance. But had they not scribbled 69 across their rooms, they might not have been here today.<\/p>\n The Thompson brothers were not from a family known for its height, which is why they resorted to extreme measures. During a recent interview on The Old Man and the Three, they revealed exactly what they did and the role LeBron played in it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to be tall,\u201d said Ausar. \u201cOur parents, my mom is like 5\u20196\u2033 and my dad is like 5\u201911\u201d. So we wrote 69 all over the bed because that is how tall we wanted to be. Looking back, it seems kind of weird.\u201d<\/p>\n This, of course, was not recent, but when the siblings were only nine years old. \u201cWe didn\u2019t put any, no apostrophe, nothing,\u201d added Amen, who laughed at tradition. When they were asked why 6\u20199 specifically, it came back to their hero, LeBron.<\/p>\n Amen & Ausar Thompson wrote \u201c69\u201d all over their bed growing up because they wanted to be 6\u20199\u2033 like LeBron NEW YM3 WITH THE THOMPSON BROTHERS DROPS TOMORROW AM!!!! pic.twitter.com\/grhMafpTOx<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) September 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cBecause LeBron is like 6\u20199. Yeah, we thought LeBron was 6\u20199,\u201d stated the brothers. It is remarkable that LeBron James has been in the league for 22 years, accomplishing more for the game than one could fathom. Yet perhaps his greatest contribution has been inspiring the future stars of tomorrow. Amen and Ausar<\/a><\/strong> are two shining examples of that.<\/p>\n LeBron knows how good the two are. Back in January, he even spoke about their game, highlighting them as bona fide future stars. \u201cThey just different. They ain\u2019t like the rest of us. I\u2019ve been able to do some things in my career, and those two guys are just pure athleticism and love the game. You love to see that,\u201d the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a><\/strong> legend said.<\/p>\n LeBron James had extremely high praise for the Thompson twins:<\/p>\n \u201cCade Cunningham said it best, \u2018They just different. They ain\u2019t like the rest of us.\u2019 I\u2019ve been able to do some things in my career, and those two guys are just pure athleticism and love the game. You love to see\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/IH0Z1bxolh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) January 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n While Amen (14 points per game) and Ausar (10 points per game) don\u2019t exactly stand out in the stats column, anyone who has watched them knows how dynamic and impactful they have been. As they continue to settle into the league, they will look to improve on that front too, aiming for the All-Star level many predict they will reach.<\/p>\n It is nearly a full-circle moment for the duo. They willed their way into the NBA by bowing down to their one true king in LeBron. They did not quite hit the \u201c6\u20199\u201d mark they once dreamed of, with Amen<\/a> <\/strong>at 6\u20197\u201d and Ausar at 6\u20196,\u201d but they are more athletic than most in the league, and that is what truly matters.<\/p>\n\n
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