John Lucas 'Very Exciting,' Says Rockets Rookie Amen Thompson

Houston Rockets rookie Amen Thompson is excited to work with assistant coach John Lucas.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 23, 2023

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have a new coaching staff and a new rookie class headlined by No. 4 pick Amen Thompson.

However, there's one mainstay from last year's team that could have an impact on Thompson ... John Lucas. When Thompson visited the Rockets in the pre-draft process, he got to know a little more about the Houston lead assistant from last year's team.

"We were just trying to get to know each other," Thompson said via Kelly Iko of The Athletic. "John Lucas is very exciting. I would love to get to train with him, he brings out the best in you. But just trying to get to know each other and see if I’m a good fit."

Lucas has an eye for player development, specifically with point guards considering that's what he played during his playing career from 1977-90. Lucas was able to parlay that into a 30-year coaching career, spending the last three seasons as the lead assistant under Stephen Silas.

However, when Silas was fired and flocked over to the Detroit Pistons, Lucas stayed in Houston with the franchise that drafted him 47 years ago.

Now, he'll hope to develop another top Rockets draft pick and elevate his game to a whole new level.

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Published Jun 23, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.