Rockets Rookie Amen Thompson 'Loves' Houston: 'It's Destiny'

After spending the previous two years in Atlanta, Houston Rockets No. 4 pick Amen Thompson is already fond of the Bayou City.

HOUSTON — Amen Thompson's career has taken him across the United States at 20 years old. He began to lay the foundation for his NBA career as a native of California. Thompson and his family later moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL, where he and his twin brother Ausar completed their prep career at Pine Crest School.

Thompson's next stop on his basketball journey will take him to the Bayou City. The Houston Rockets made Thompson the No. 4 pick during Thursday's NBA draft, which will mark his fourth residency since 2017. 

"I love the city," Thompson said via The Athletic's Kelly Iko. "I love the culture around the city. I don’t know, for some reason, I’ve been envisioning myself as a Rocket for a minute now. And I’m not even just saying that ’cause I went to the Rockets. But I don’t know, I feel like it’s meant to be. It’s destiny."

Houston will not be Thompson's first stint living in the South. Thompson spent the previous two years as a resident of Atlanta playing professionally for Overtime Elite.

Thompson is a 6-foot-7 guard who averaged 16.4 points, 5.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds for the City Reapers. He played a prominent role in leading the City Reapers to the OTE championship title in a 3-0 game sweep over the YNG Dreamerz.

Thompson's goal is to maintain the winning mentality he learned in Atlanta to help the Rockets successfully enter phase II of their rebuild.

"I'm just trying to contribute to winning," Thompson said. "When I look back at my career at Overtime Elite, I do not regret anything. OTE got me prepared for the next level. It taught me how to be a pro early on, and I am thankful for the help they have given me."

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