Amen Thompson credits his parents for their support in achieving his athletic dreams.
Rockets forward Amen Thompson threw Heat guard Tyler Herro to the floor to trigger an altercation that resulted in six ejections in the closing minute of Miami’s 104-100 victory over Houston.
Highlights
- Amen Thompson threw Tyler Herro to the floor during the match between Miami and Houston on Sunday, December 29, 2024.
- Thompson was born to his father, Troy Thompson, and his mother, Maya Thompson.
- Amen is also supported by his uncle Mark Thomspon, who has represented Jamaica at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Thompson and Herro became entangled with Miami about to inbound the ball, leading 99-94 with 35 seconds left.
He grabbed Herro by the jersey and tossed him, which referee Marc Davis described as Thompson “body slamming Herro.” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said,
“I didn’t see it live, but I re-watched it,” “They were in each other’s face, bumping chests a little bit, and one guy’s stronger than the other.”
Ime Udoka
Herro, Thompson, and Udoka were ejected, as were Heat guard Terry Rozier, Rockets guard Jalen Green and Rockets assistant coach Ben Sullivan.
The altercation occurred after Miami had come from 12 points down in the 2nd half to regain the lead with the help of Houston missing 11 straight shots in the 4th quarter.
Herro keyed the comeback, leading all scorers with 27 points and adding nine assists and six rebounds.
Tyler said he had never spoken to Thompson, who did not talk to reporters after Sunday’s game, so there was no previous bad blood between the two. Herro added,
“Just two competitors going at it, playing basketball,”“It was a regular game that we were playing throughout.”
Tyler Herro
Amen Thompson And His Parents Moved To Live In Florida So He Could Play At Pine Crest School
American basketball guard Ameiz XLNC “Amen” Thompson, 21, was born on January 30, 2003, in Oakland, California, to his father, Troy Thompson, and his mother, Maya Wilson.
Maya Wilson has avoided media and interviews, so only limited information about her life is available.
He grew up with his twin brother, Ausar Thompson, and one elder brother, Troy Thompson Jr.
Ausar has won two straight OTE titles, twice earned the Finals Most Valuable Player title, and was named league MVP in 2023. The Pistons selected him fifth overall in the 2023 NBA draft.
Troy Thompson is a sports father who saw his sons’ talent and coached them until they were in the eighth grade. However, he had no problem stepping back and letting others take the lead.
He has been invaluable in developing twins Amen and Ausar, who were selected No.4 and No. 5 in the NBA draft by the Rockets and Pistons, respectively.
During one of the interviews, Troy Thompson joked that the sport ended up being basketball because their mother, Maya, wasn’t about to let them play football.
Troy Thompson credits his oldest son, Troy Jr., who played at Prairie View for two seasons from 2015-17, with having the vision of how good the younger Thompsons could be.
He has also been impressed by his sons’ comfort level in front of the camera and professional settings, something young athletes often find challenging.
Troy and his entire family decided to move from California to Lauderdale, Florida, so Amen and Ausar could play high school football in the eighth grade at Pine Crest School.
In addition, Amen and his brothers are supported by their uncle, Mark Thompson, who represented Jamaica in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1992 Summer Olympics.
Although Amen and his family live in the United States, they hold American nationality and Jamaican ethnicity.
Additional Information
- Amen Thompson bypassed his senior years of high school to sign with OTE, where he played for two seasons and helped his team with the league title while earning All-OTE First Team honors in 2023.
- Thompson was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN and a four-star recruit by Rivals. He gained interest from college programs in 2019, receiving a scholarship offer from Alabama.
- As a sophomore at Pine Crest, Thompson averaged 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, earning All-County honorable mention.
