Growing up in the Bay Area during the early-to-mid 2010s, there only was one NBA team that young hoopers rooted for.
Right?
For Houston Rockets star forward Amen Thompson, who was born in Oakland in 2003 and lived in San Leandro until around 2016, he, surprisingly, did not grow up a fan of the dynastic Warriors, as he explained as a guest, alongside his twin brother, Ausar, on the latest episode of “The Young Man and The Three.”
“No, no.” Amen and Ausar said in unison when asked by Tommy Alter if they grew up Golden State fans.
“I was a LeBron [James] fan, not going to lie,” Amen said. “I actually liked the Warriors until they had to start playing LeBron, and then I’m like, ‘OK, now I hate the Warriors.’
Unfortunately for Amen and Ausar, they had to watch the Warriors win three of four titles against James in four consecutive Warriors-Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals series from 2015-2018.
Despite not rooting for their hometown NBA team, the twins did support other Bay Area teams.
“In every other sport besides basketball growing up, I had my team, though,” Ausar said. “Because basketball, I think I cared about it more, so I saw a player I liked I’m like ‘This is my player.’ But I was a Raiders fan my whole life. I’m not an A’s fan anymore, because everybody keeps leaving. Now I’m a Giants fan, but I was a Raiders and A’s fan my whole life.”
As heartbreaking as the Warriors’ championship wins over James and the Cavaliers might have been for the twins, Amen couldn’t escape Golden State’s playoff wrath, when his Rockets lost to the Warriors in the seven-game, first-round 2025 NBA playoffs series.
Now teammates with former Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, who helped deliver Golden State two championships during its dynastic run, on the Rockets, Amen hopes he can help start a dynasty of his own in Houston.
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