Amen and Osar Thompson made history on Thursday during 2023 NBA Draft. Both players went on to have their first five first-round picks, making them the first brothers to be selected in the top ten during the same draft.
Amin Thompson’s fourth pick went to the Houston Rockets and Osar wasn’t far behind, going with the next pick to the Detroit Pistons at fifth.
They may not be the only ones to join the list of siblings who ended up being first-round picks. If Iowa’s Chris Murray is selected in the first round, he will join the roster along with his brother, Keegan, who was selected fourth overall last year by the Sacramento Kings.
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball remain the only brothers to top the list of top 3 picks NBA Draft date. Lonzo was the #2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers and LaMelo was selected #3 by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Here’s a look at the siblings who have been drafted in the first round over the years.
Amen and Osar Thompson (2023)
The Thompson brothers have been considered the best in the class since last year. They both played in the Overtime Elite and would be the highest drafted players from that program. There is a lot to like about every prospect because of their athletic height. Now, they have made history together by being the first twins to be selected in the top 10 in NBA draft history.
Keegan and Chris Murray (2022, 2023)
Neither of the Murray brothers were considered high-level draft prospects upon their arrival at Iowa prior to the 2020-21 season. First, it was Keegan who raised his stock significantly after a stellar 2021-22 season, helping him climb the draft boards and eventually land the Kings with the #4 pick. Keegan was one of the oldest players drafted in the first round last season, and now His twin brother was picked by the Trail Blazers at #23. Chris had the most anticipated breakout season when his brother left for the pro ranks.
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball (2017, 2020)
LaVar Ball dreamed of seeing all three of his children conceived NBA Not achieved, but two out of three isn’t bad. Lonzo was considered one of the best point guards in the 2017 NBA draft and eventually landed with the Los Angeles Lakers with the #2 pick. After several seasons playing with his hometown team, he was transferred to New Orleans in a trade for Anthony Davis. Lonzo’s career is in serious jeopardy after a knee injury from which he never fully recovered. On the flip side, LaMelo looks like one of the young rising stars of the NBA And he landed with the Hornets with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Warriors had a chance to pick Ball, but chose to draft Memphis big man James Wiseman. Who knows what LaMelo’s career path would have looked like had he been drafted by the Warriors.
After staring together at Kansas, the Morris brothers entered the 2011 NBA Draft and became back-to-back picks 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. The Morris brothers played four years in Kansas and are still in the league to this day. Markiv plays for the Dallas Mavericks and Marcus was recently traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Washington Wizards.
Both played two seasons at Stanford before being declared for the 2008 NBA draft. Brock was picked in the lottery 10th overall by the New Jersey Nets, but Rubin just messed up when he was selected 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns. After years of playing in the NBA, Brock changed his playing style and became one of the best defensive centers in the league. He finished near the top of the Defensive Player of the Year ballots and turned into a killer 3-point shooter. Rubin 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 the course of nine years during his career.
Jane and Previs Short (1975, 1978)
Coming out of Jackson State, Gene Short was selected 9th 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 5th pick in the league draft. NBA Finals of 1978. Purvis averaged 17.3 points per game in his 12-year NBA career. On the other hand, Gene has only played 34 games in his NBA career with the Knicks and Seattle SuperSonics.
Ross and Ron Lee (1972, 1976)
The first set of siblings to be selected in the top ten of the NBA draft. Ross was drafted sixth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1972 NBA Draft from Marshall. His NBA career lasted only three seasons, and he retired after the 1974-75 season. Ron had a successful college career at Oregon State leaving him as the program’s all-time leading scorer. The Suns selected him 10th overall in the 1976 NBA Draft, and he continued to play from 1976 to 1982 before playing in Italy for three years to finish his professional career.