Ausar Thompson Injury History

Ausar Thompson plays for the Detroit Pistons and is known for his elite lockdown defense. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, he plays as a swingman in the shooting guard and small forward roles. Ausar’s middle name is "XLNC," pronounced "excellency". He has an identical twin, Amen Thompson, who also plays for the Houston Rockets in the NBA.Ausar was a five-star recruit out of Pine Crest High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Although he received several college offers, he opted to go pro and joined the developmental league Overtime Elite (OTE) for two seasons. During his time at OTE, he won back-to-back championships and earned Finals MVP honors twice, along with the league MVP award in 2023.

The Detroit Pistons selected Ausar with the fifth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He showed defensive promise from his very first NBA game, where he became the youngest player in NBA history to record at least five blocks in his debut at 20 years and 269 days old. In his rookie season, Ausar averaged 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. Now in his second season (2024-25), he is set to earn a salary of $8,376,000.

Ausar Thompson’s Injury History

Ausar Thompson began his NBA career with promise, playing 63 consecutive games in his rookie season. Unfortunately, a serious health condition halted his rookie season and led to an extended time away from the court. Below is a look at the health challenges he faced as per Fox Sports until November 12, 2024:

Injuries Ausar Thompson Sustained in the NBA

Blood Clot Treatment (2024 March-April)

After playing 63 straight games in his rookie season, Ausar Thompson left the March 9, 2024, game against the Dallas Mavericks early. Initially, the team thought Ausar was having asthma issues. However, after further evaluation, Ausar Thompson was diagnosed with a blood clot, a serious condition that sidelined him for the remainder of the rookie season and even missed time early in his second season. (via Bleacher Report)

Over the 2024 summer, Thompson gradually progressed from stand-still shooting drills to limited conditioning work and was finally allowed to participate in five-on-five, full-contact practices in the fall of 2024. As reported by the Detroit Free Press, the Pistons’ medical team and the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play Panel were deeply involved in overseeing his recovery. Despite his progress, the recovery process continued to affect his availability in the 2024-25 season. Overall, the blood clot condition required extensive treatment and forced Thompson to miss 19 games to end his rookie year. Then, he missed the entirety of the 2024 Summer League, the 2024 NBA preseason, and the first 11 games of the 2024-25 regular season.

Ausar’s dedication to his recovery has been noted by Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who emphasized a cautious approach to ensure Ausar's health and performance stability in his full return to play. Coach Bickerstaff acknowledged the emotional toll of the extended recovery: “We’re happy that he’s going to be able to come back and play because that process can’t be easy… the ups and downs emotionally, those types of things,” Bickerstaff told the Detroit Free Press. He added that the team would “ramp him up” slowly, prioritizing his health and comfort on the court.