E̳i̳g̳h̳t̳-̳F̳o̳o̳t̳-̳T̳a̳l̳l̳ ̳T̳w̳i̳n̳ ̳B̳a̳s̳k̳e̳t̳b̳a̳l̳l̳ ̳P̳h̳e̳n̳o̳m̳s̳ ̳C̳o̳m̳m̳i̳t̳ ̳t̳o̳ ̳D̳u̳k̳e̳ ̳B̳a̳s̳k̳e̳t̳b̳a̳l̳l̳,̳ ̳S̳h̳a̳r̳e̳ ̳T̳h̳e̳i̳r̳ ̳M̳o̳t̳i̳v̳a̳t̳i̳o̳n̳s̳
College basketball has seen its share of jaw-dropping recruits over the decades, but nothing quite like this. In a move that sent shockwaves through the basketball world, Duke University landed a once-in-a-generation commitment from not just one, but two towering phenoms: identical twin brothers, Eli and Ezra Thompkins. Both measure an astonishing eight feet tall — yes, eight feet — and they’ve officially committed to play for Duke basketball, shaking up the 2025 recruiting landscape and rewriting what’s physically possible in the sport.
Their story reads like a basketball fairytale—if fairytales were built on grit, hard work, and a fierce sense of purpose. Raised in rural Montana, the Thompkins twins weren’t always on the radar of powerhouse programs. Despite their genetic gifts and growing frames, they lived far from the scouting circuits and media buzz of the AAU scene. For much of their childhood, they were anomalies: incredibly tall kids who didn’t fit the mold, and didn’t seek the spotlight. What they did chase, however, was excellence.
“It wasn’t about being famous,” said Eli, the elder twin by two minutes. “We just wanted to be the best at what we love. Basketball gave us a place where being different wasn’t a problem — it was a gift.”
That gift began to shine in earnest during their sophomore year of high school. By then, both boys had grown past 7-foot-6 and were developing skill sets that defied logic. Not only were they dominant rim protectors and rebounders, but they also had guard-like footwork, could handle the ball in the open court, and shoot with fluidity out to the three-point line. Coaches didn’t know whether to compare them to Rudy Gobert or Kevin Durant. In truth, there was no comparison.
Word eventually got out. Clips of the twins swatting shots into the third row, running the floor like deer, and dunking without jumping began circulating online. Scouts initially thought it was some kind of digital trickery or visual distortion. It wasn’t. The Thompkins twins were real — and they were coming.
The offers poured in from every blue blood imaginable: Kentucky, Kansas, UConn, and North Carolina among them. But it was Duke that ultimately won the battle, thanks to the vision laid out by head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff.
“They didn’t just see us as tall guys,” said Ezra. “They saw what we could become. They saw our work ethic, our hunger, and our potential to change the game. That mattered more than anything.”
Scheyer’s approach wasn’t about gimmicks or empty promises. He flew out to Montana himself, attended their high school practices in a barely heated gym, and spent hours talking not just with the twins, but with their parents, teachers, and teammates. What he saw was character, not just size. What he pitched was culture, not just stats.
“I told them the truth,” Scheyer said. “You can be great anywhere — but at Duke, you’ll earn your greatness. We’re not giving anything to you because you’re eight feet tall. You’re going to work harder than everyone else in the country, and if you’re ready for that, then we want you.”
They were ready.
The commitment came quietly. No flashy announcement video, no pyrotechnics or studio backdrops. Just a short social media post from both brothers reading, “Committed to the work. Committed to Duke.” The simplicity of it said everything.
Their motivations go beyond basketball, too. Both brothers speak passionately about using their platform to inspire kids who feel “different” or “out of place.” Growing up, they faced teasing, isolation, and even anxiety over their physical uniqueness. But they credit basketball — and each other — with giving them strength.
“There were nights we questioned why we had to be this way,” Eli shared. “But the game gave us a home. And now we want to show kids everywhere — if you feel like you don’t belong, make your own space. Make your own impact.”
Beyond their towering stature and viral highlights, the twins are surprisingly down to earth. Their favorite off-court hobby? Building custom furniture. The brothers are avid woodworkers and have a small garage business back home, where they handcraft everything from dining tables to bookshelves — at custom sizes, of course.
“It’s our way of staying grounded,” Ezra said with a laugh. “You can only talk about wingspans and verticals for so long. Sometimes, you just need to make something real with your hands.”
Real is exactly what they bring to Duke — in more ways than one.
While the obvious headlines focus on their size, what truly sets the Thompkins twins apart is their mindset. They’ve already begun training with a private development coach, fine-tuning their biomechanics, mobility, and endurance. Standing eight feet tall comes with challenges — joint stress, coordination, and durability among them. But they aren’t leaving anything to chance.
Their days start at 5 a.m. with mobility drills and cold plunges. Then it’s two-a-day basketball sessions, film study, and strength training adapted specifically for their size. Nutrition is science-backed. Recovery is strategic. They’re not waiting for college to get serious — they’ve already been operating like pros for years.
Their high school coach, Devin Larrabee, said it best: “Most kids with this kind of attention would coast. Not these two. They’re obsessed with getting better. They don’t want to be a viral story — they want to be the story that rewrote what’s possible in basketball.”
That rewrite may already be underway.
Analysts are still trying to figure out how to categorize the twins. One scout said, “It’s like trying to guard a pair of mobile telephone poles with handles and vision.” Another dubbed them “dual unicorns” with a ceiling we haven’t even begun to understand. Their presence on a court forces teams to reimagine offense and defense. Zones don’t work. Switches are nearly impossible. Lobs are a given. And spacing? You better be quick, because even a mid-range jumper gets erased in a blink.
Duke’s incoming class, already considered elite, now looks otherworldly. With the Thompkins brothers anchoring the paint, perimeter players will have the freedom to gamble, knowing help is always behind them — and way above them. But the twins aren’t just defensive anchors. They’ve been studying playmaking bigs like Nikola Jokić and Arvydas Sabonis, eager to become facilitators as much as finishers.
“Our height is an advantage,” Ezra said, “but our vision is the weapon.”
As they prepare to move to Durham next summer, the Thompkins twins remain focused on what’s always driven them: not hype, not headlines, but hunger. They know expectations will be sky-high — literally and figuratively. But pressure, they say, doesn’t faze them. They’ve been anomalies their whole lives. Now, they’re ready to be pioneers.
“We’re not trying to be the tallest to ever play,” Eli said. “We’re trying to be the best. Period.”
And with every step, every rep, and every quiet hour of preparation, they’re inching closer to that goal — eight feet at a time.
