'When I Guard Him, I Never Think He's Gonna Get By Me': Thompson Twins Reflect On Defending Kevin Durant

Amen Thompson has made an impression on the entire NBA with his defensive skills. Last year, he became one of the few players to manage containing Stephen Curry to just three points in a game against the Warriors. With his elite athleticism, shifty moves, and quick hands, Amen Thompson has been a menace to his opponents on both ends of the floor. 

Now, heading into year three of his NBA career, Amen Thompson has the chance to play alongside one of the elite talents in NBA history, Kevin Durant. The 36-year-old, two-time Finals MVP joined the Rockets this offseason in a blockbuster trade that stunned the league. 

In an interview on the 'Young Man and the Three' podcast, Amen Thompson and his twin brother, Ausar Thompson, who plays for the Pistons, reflected on guarding Durant in their first two seasons. 

Ausar Thompson: “Defending him, when he posts you up or when he gets to the middie, the thing that makes it so hard is, it's not necessary that he's gonna get by you or anything. Like when I'm guarding him, I never think he's going to get by me."

“But if he pulls up, I can get it, but then he could just get me with the pump fake. Because of the way how tall he is, it's not like you're contesting a normal person. First off, he doesn't see your contest like you almost have to block him.”

Amen Thompson: “There’s no way he sees your contest, bro.”

Ausar Thompson: “You almost have to block him for him to see your contest. So in the hopes of blocking him, you know, maybe hit you with a pump fake. Now he gets a shot, he shoots… how much? What does he shoot like 57% for his career? Ridiculous from there.”

“So it's just, you know what he's going to do, but it's you know, can you stop it? So you have to make it more difficult for him, you know, more physical, but you know, great players. been great for however many years.”

Amen Thompson: “It's going to be fun playing with him because I've had to guard him. You know, that's like my matchup and I consider myself if not the best defender in the league, one of the best.”

“So just you know we're double teaming. I'm guarding him. Obviously, he's bigger than me, but we're double-teaming, and he could pass, too. That's the thing. Like KD could pass, I think every time we play him, he gets like eight plus assists. You know what I mean?”

“So having him on my team, knowing I mean if I'm guarding him and we're doubling, other people got to double too. So just knowing the easy opportunities it's going to make for the whole team, just having a threat like that, and even for me, like I'm excited.. I'm smiling, thinking about just getting on the court for the first time with him.”

In the four games that Ausar Thompson has played against Kevin Durant, Durant averaged 36.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists. Meanwhile, Amen Thompson and Durant have faced off six times in the Western Conference over the last two seasons, where Durant averaged 26.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.0 assists. 

While Amen clearly did a better job of guarding Durant, it is clear that neither of these two could lock him down. That is a testament to how great Durant's experience in the league has made him. It will be interesting to see this combination of Amen Thompson's solid defense and Kevin Durant's unstoppable offense on the Rockets in the 2025-26 season.