In a personal essay for The Players’ Tribune, Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson opened up about his early NBA journey, reflecting on the challenges of his first two seasons and his mindset entering year three.
Thompson revealed that blood clotting issues disrupted much of his rookie campaign and limited his ability to train last offseason.
However, he entered this season fully healthy for the first time in his young career – a milestone that allowed him to approach his preparation differently.
“It was my first full healthy offseason, so I put in a lot of work this summer. I felt a lot more freedom,” Thompson wrote. “I could go harder. And I got to sharpen my mentality, just thinking about how I want to feel after games.”
He went on to describe how his perspective has evolved, emphasizing a focus on effort and growth.
“Basically, I always want to feel like I gave it my all. Like I didn’t hold anything back and was aggressive every chance I got,” he said. “I have even more drive as a player, now. I want to take it further.”
Thompson has played 3 seasons for the Pistons. He has averaged 9.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 129 regular-season games.
Fourth-year center Jalen Duren had a career night on Saturday, plus more notes on the Pistons. https://t.co/vduixGmLZI
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 4, 2025
