Published: March 19, 2009
It isn’t rare that a younger brother tends to look up to the older one.
This tends to be the case specifically when it comes to sports. You might head to your older brothers games, see him getting better and receiving recognition. The obvious thing for you, the younger brother, is to want to get even better than him and receive even more recognition.
The years go on and as you grow older those petty fights the two of you used to have are now competitive battles. You don’t realize it, but you’re making each other better. At the same time, a mutual respect and a bond is forming that will, inevitably, never be broken.
There is no greater example of this than the Thompson brothers – Jason and Ryan.
And it just so happens that they may tell their story on the largest of scales.
Brotherly Love
Jason and Ryan grew up in Mount Laurel, New Jersey – the obvious mecca of basketball. While the sarcasm is apparent with that assessment, there is nothing funny with what these two have been doing for years.
Most NBA fans know who Jason is, while the casual fan may not. The 22-year-old was the rage, or to some the outrage, of the 2008 NBA Draft when the little-known forward was suddenly vaulted into the spotlight after he was selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings.
Pundits and analysts around the nation were questioning the motives of the Kings and wondering why a kid from Rider University had just hit the lottery – literally.
What most basketball fans don’t realize is that his kid brother is trying to follow in his footsteps.
The ‘kid’ brother is a 20-year-old prospect that stands at 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds. And where has he been honing his game the past few years? Where else but Rider.
This story doesn’t start at Rider, though. It begins back in Mount Laurel.
“We always played each other,” Ryan told Hoops Addict, “especially on our outside court. The two of us are just competitive. We always challenged each other whether it was shooting or on 1-on-1 or all things like that.”
Like most brothers can attest, sometimes those games would turn a little ugly. An errant elbow, a ‘love tap’ or some unkind words would sometimes cause some friction between the two. But it never followed them once they left the court.
“We would have our brotherly fights,” Ryan admits. “But we never ended up hating each other for awhile. It was just a competition. That was the only time we’d get in arguments.”
The years passed and when Jason was a senior at Lenape High School and Ryan was a sophomore, the two teamed up to bring home the Group IV state title. In New Jersey, there are four groups separated by size, with Group IV being the largest.
“We always played together since we were little, so you can’t go wrong with having your brother there,” Ryan said. “We knew each others game. We knew what we liked to do on the court. It helped us bond as a team ’cause two of us were already on the same page. All we had to do is get everyone else on the same page and we were fine.”
Forging Different Paths…
It seemed like that would be the last time the two would step on the court in an organized game. Prior to the season, Jason had told Monmouth University and Central Connecticut State that he would be attending Rider.
Part of the reason that such small schools were looking at him lies in the fact that he hit a major growth spurt in high school, which explains his great perimeter skills for a player his size, and he wasn’t on a ton of schools’ radars.
Either way, that would leave Ryan behind at Lenape and send Jason to play for the Broncos. Both, though, continued to blossom.
As a junior, Ryan earned a spot on the All-South Jersey Third Team. In his senior year, he worked hard enough to earn himself a spot on the first team and was also named as the best player in Group IV and was the Burlington County Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, Jason was already contributing in his freshman year. He played in all 30 games, while posting 9.1 points per game and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game. Those numbers would only go up as the years went on. His 31.8 minutes per game as a sophomore were second on the team, while he led the team in scoring (16.6), rebounds (8.4) and blocks (1.8).
…To Stay Together
Jason’s junior year brought even better numbers and even more recognition. It also brought a familiar face to the roster – Ryan.
“It was actually a blessing,” Jason told Hoops Addict before a recent game against the Washington Wizards. “Not too many people have a sibling or family they can play with in any sport, let alone in high school and in college.”
“When I graduated from high school,” Jason continued, “I never would have imagined being on the same team. But it was great to be with him for two years.”
Ryan joined the Broncos in the fall of 2006 and, once again, found himself donning the same jersey as his older brother. The fact that he saw Jason go through the recruiting process helped. As is the case with younger brothers, you tend to see the foundation of what to do and what not do in certain situations. This was no different.
“It was a learning experience,” Ryan told Hoops Addict. “I was always behind him and I got to see what he went through. Everything that went wrong with him, I kind of got to avoid. So it was easier for me coming up behind him.”
Reunited again, Jason went on to post averages of 20.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. The only other two players doing that at the time? You might have heard of them – Kevin Durant and Nick Fazekas.
Meanwhile, Ryan was playing over 30 minutes a game and was immediately showing his versatility as he contributed 8.3 points a game, 5.3 rebounds per game, 2.9 assists per game and 1.3 steals per game.
The team only went 16-15 that season, but it wouldn’t be long before the brothers began to work their magic.
The next year, they started the season 3-3 – including a win over Penn State and losses to Kansas State and N.C. State. It was in the loss to Kansas State that should have gotten people to pay attention. Michael Beasley, then a freshman for the Wildcats, posted a respectable 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Thompsons? Jason led the way with 24 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four blocks. Ryan had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Things were looking bright for the Broncos and that was evidenced by the fact that they went 15-3 over their next 18 games. They would go on to finish the year with a 23-10 record and a loss in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament final.
Accolades began to roll in for Jason as he finished the season with mind boggling numbers – 20.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.7 blocks on 56 percent shooting.
Ryan was no slouch himself with his 15 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals a night.
You know what happens next with Jason. After leaving Rider as the all-time leading rebounder with 1,171 rebounds and third on their scoring list with 2,047 points, he was selected by the Kings and so began his professional career.
Making His Own Name
Watching Jason go through the NBA process was none other than Ryan. Although, how couldn’t he? His brother was attempting to live out a dream and, in the background, this was his dream too.
“I was just sitting there watching the whole thing,” Ryan said about draft night. “It was a dream. It felt like a dream came true for me. I was there through the whole process. It was just, oh man, just a big weight lifted off his back, for me and the whole family’s back when he got drafted.”
So off Jason went to the West Coast. Once again, they were apart. Once again, they began carving their own niche into the world of basketball.
Harping back to what he saw his brother accomplish, Ryan knew what was at stake and that he was close at realizing the same dream. Through that whole draft and workout process, he learned what it would take to get to where he wants to be.
“Just work hard every day,” Ryan told Hoops Addict. “Don’t take anything for granted. You just really have to work hard and show people you can do it.”
Ryan, who was named First Team Preseason All-MAAC, was moved to the point guard position in the beginning of the year in hopes of showcasing his abilities with the basketball.
“Coach [Rider coach Tommy Dempsey] put the ball in my hand more and made me a point guard,” Ryan said. “It helped my game out a whole lot and I think that is what benefited me the most [this year].”
Without Jason, Ryan helped the Broncos to a 16-11 record including a 90-88 win over current-NCAA tournament team Siena. In that game, Ryan scored on a layup with 3.8 seconds left to send his team into the win column.
The Broncos earned the third seed in their conference tournament and had what they saw as, a legitimate shot at earning a NCAA Tournament bid. Ryan, who missed the previous postseason with a concussion, got right to work with 30 points in a 67-58 win over St. Peter’s College.
In the semifinals, it was a case of misfortune that stopped the Broncos in their tracks. Playing second seed Niagara, the Broncos took a 71-68 lead with 17 seconds left, but Niagara’s Tyrone Lewis let fly a 30-footer that he banked in with 1.7 seconds left in the game to force overtime.
Thompson would finish the game with 27 points and 13 rebounds, but his team would fall in double overtime, 93-89, to end their hopes of dancing.
“We were disappointed,” Ryan, who played all 50 minutes, told Hoops Addict. “I can speak for the whole team, we thought we had that game. Basically the half court shot that went in, it kind of just took the life out of us for a little bit…We were devastated because we really felt we were going to win that game.”
Ryan would be named to the All-Tournament team and his team would ultimately be awarded a spot in the CollegeBasketballInsider.com postseason tournament on Tuesday. Liberty, featuring Seth Curry, brother of Stephen, took advantage of the fact that Ryan had been suffering from a stomach virus and handed the Broncos a 79-64 loss.
The season has ended with a 19-13 record and it should come as no surprised that Penny Hardaway was Ryan’s favorite player growing up. He averaged 18 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals on the year. Oh, and he barely had a chance to catch his breathe – he averaged over 38 minutes per game.
Even more impressive is the fact that since Ryan’s arrival on campus, the Broncos have 59 wins, which is the highest ever in program history in a three-year span.
California Dreaming
It’s March and this time a year ago, Jason was chasing a chance to put on some dancing shoes and lead an upset over a top-seeded team. Does he miss it?
“I had a great experience there (Rider),” Jason told Hoops Addict. “It was my time to go. Obviously I wasn’t one of those guys that came out early. But, you know, obviously I have a lot of memories and miss it. But, this is where I wanted to be since I was a little kid and I’m happy with where I’m at.”
Where he is, statistically speaking at least, is near the top of his rookie class. He ranks in the top 10 in minutes (eighth – 26.9 per game), points (ninth – 10.4), rebounds (fourth – 6.9), field goal percentage (third – 48.7), blocks (seventh – .64) and double doubles (fifth – 10).
More importantly is the number 67. Jason is the only current player on the Kings’ roster to have played in every game this year.
“Not jinxing myself, (but) I’ve played in every game and my body has obviously taken the toll,” Jason said referring to the rookie wall. “I think it is going to be a real test, these next couple of games, this last stretch of the season to see how my body is.”
“(But) I’ll know the approach and how to take it next season,” Jason added.
He has also had to endure something that not a lot of first-year players have to go through. On Dec. 16, the Kings fired head coach Reggie Theus and named assistant coach Kenny Natt the interim coach.
Add that to getting used to the pro level and Jason has really seen it all.
“Obviously I went through a lot,” Jason said during a shootaround. “My coach got fired. I learned the ins and the outs of the game – traveling, being a rookie I had a few hazing incidents. I just know what it takes.”
Jason has teamed up with a Kings team that is now looking towards the future. Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes, Beno Udrih, Rashad McCants, Donté Greene, Cedric Simmons, Ike Diogu and Thompson average 23.3 years old.
With most of those players playing significant minutes, the Kings have had their growing pains this season. Not only that, but there were also mid-season trades that brought in the likes of Andres Nocioni, Will Solomon and McCants.
“We didn’t have the year we wanted as a team,” Jason said. “But I’ve learned from it and this experience I’ve pretty much seen a lot. I’m going to use this experience and know that I don’t want to have a season like this ever again.”
Before taking on the Wizards, a game the Kings would lose 106-104, Jason – who had 14 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks a few hours later – confesses that the key to getting through the remaining games on the schedule is to keep an open mind.
“You just have to think positive. Obviously, it is a reality that you’re not coming into the playoffs. So you take this time to get better individually and get better as a team. We’re a young team, so now we all have to start jelling and move on and try to see the success we can have next year.”
Back Together Again
There were naysayers when Jason was drafted, but he has silenced those critics. Still, there are those people who scoff at the notion of players coming from a mid-major team. None of that bothers Ryan.
“Not really,” Ryan said. “Especially ’cause you saw my brother just go lottery. People were saying that (coming from Rider will hurt), but not afterwards. You just hear people say, ‘Oh, you’re from a mid-major school, you probably don’t have the chance to do it.’”
“But it’s here,” Ryan said before pausing. “It’s here. So I gotta’ take what I got.”
And after seeing Jason compete against the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, David West, Shaquille O’Neal?
“He’s there and I played with him,” Ryan said. “So, I should be able to do the same thing if I work hard enough.”
Older brothers are generally a good source of advice. Ryan has learned from Jason just by observing him. Whether it was through the draft process or watching Jason now play at the highest level, Ryan is taking notes and heeding his siblings’ advice.
“He is always just saying let everything happen,” Ryan told Hoops Addict. “If it is going to happen, it is going to happen. Don’t try force things to happen. And he was saying just all you have to do is work hard and worry about college right now.”
“Just be patient and let the game come to you,” Jason mentions as his advice to Ryan. “Obviously he is going to get a lot of looks this coming summer and next year. And you know a lot of people are going to be coming at him. He’s going to think he has pressure on him, but there’s no pressure on him at all. (He just has to) keep playing the way he’s playing and be a great leader for his team next year.”
And if all of that happens and things fall into place? The Thompsons could become the next set of brothers to tackle the NBA.
Ryan is listed on some draft websites as a projected second rounder in 2010. If he continues to progress and, according to him, improve his weight, then there should be no reason why he won’t continue to stay on general managers’ radars.
“It would be great,” Ryan said of being in the NBA together. “You can’t have anything better than that. That is probably one of the best things you can ever have. We always talked about it and always joked around about it. But it’s kind of scary that it might be happening.”
Although, this wouldn’t be a nightmare for Jason and Ryan – more of a dream come true. Suddenly, that dream is slowly becoming a reality.
One Comment on "A Bond Unlike Many Others"
Rashad Mobley on Sun, 29th Mar 2009 8:08 am
This is good stuff Michael.