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Just about every summer day, Nate Ament would take the short walk through the muggy heat from his family’s home to the blacktop court at Coles Elementary in Manassas. It was 2020, and basketball, a new sport for the teenager, scratched his competitive itch during the coronavirus pandemic.
He just couldn’t beat his brother.
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Frederick, two years older, held what seemed like an insurmountable physical advantage over 13-year-old Nate, who would leave the court disgruntled and sometimes in tears. After a loss, he would refuse to talk to his sibling the rest of the day. But above all, he would work.
If they went together at 7 a.m. and Frederick won that day, Nate would be there the next morning at 6:30. He started staying late, working on his shooting, dribbling - whatever it took.
Then one day, it finally happened. Nate won.
“Oh my gosh - dude, it felt so good,” Ament said. “Easily one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.”
A backboard and rim are just about the only commonalities between the court at Coles and the places basketball takes Ament these days. His focus is far greater now than a sibling rivalry - think shoe deals, the NBA draft and talk of becoming the next great basketball star from Virginia.
Ament isn’t just a five-star recruit - the 6-foot-9 forward is one of the top players in the country, with ESPN, 247Sports and On3 ranking him fourth in this senior class. He was named Virginia’s Gatorade and MaxPreps player of the year. He won a gold medal with the United States U-18 national squad and a state championship with his high school team, Highland School.
On Tuesday night, Ament will be in New York to play in the McDonald’s all-American game, sharing the court with 23 of the nation’s top high school seniors. He will garner special attention as the nation’s top unsigned senior, still weighing his college decision late in the cycle. In February, he named five finalists: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee.
Ask him about everything that’s come his way the past few years, and Ament will answer with a calm confidence. It’s a routine by now. But ask him about the first time he finally bested his brother, and he’ll beam.
“I was salty, I’m going to be honest. I was like, damn, now I know how it feels,” Frederick said. “All right - maybe still I’m a little bit salty.”
- - -
‘There’s no future pros out here’
Chauncey Beckett felt his phone vibrate and pulled it from his pocket. A basketball trainer in Northern Virginia, Beckett saw a text from former Bishop O’Connell guard Paul Lewis, who was soon to play at Vanderbilt. Lewis said Beckett needed to check out a young player from the area: I think I’ve got a future pro.
“I was like, man, we all live in Manassas. There’s no future pros out here that nobody knows about,” Beckett remembers. “And he was like, ‘All right, I’m going to send him to your gym.’”
Ament, then a freshman, showed up for a workout. Beckett was immediately impressed by his fluidity and skill for a player of his age and size. When established players like NBA veteran Justin Anderson or Paul VI stars Patrick Ngongba II and DeShawn Harris-Smith came by the gym, Ament held his own.
“I told him he really had a chance to do something with this,” Beckett said. “Like, if this is what you really want to do, let's lock in and we can see how far we can take this thing.”
Beckett sent Ament’s highlights to every college coach he could, telling them he was providing an early look at one of the best players in the class. They drove across the Mid-Atlantic to camps and other showcase events, pushing Beckett’s car to the point of breaking down.
On one expedition south, they got an invitation to tour all four ACC schools in North Carolina: Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. While at Duke, Beckett pulled then-assistant coach Amile Jefferson aside.
“I was like, ‘Don't worry, we'll be back in a year. You guys are going to offer him,” Beckett remembers.
Almost one year later to the day, Ament was back at Duke for an unofficial visit, offer in hand.
- - -
Matchup nightmare
People are lining up to associate themselves with Ament, and for good reason: Early mocks of the 2026 NBA draft project him as a lottery pick. Many place him in the top five.
He is a prototypical prospect for the modern game, modeling himself after players like Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Paolo Banchero - guards by trade but forwards by build, threats to score from anywhere while still being able to defend all positions. Ament - who says his footwork is a product of him playing soccer before basketball - can step to the perimeter and knock down outside jumpers while also dominating the glass and blocking shots. His ballhandling resembles that of a point guard.
In short: He’s a matchup nightmare.
Those around Ament rave of his competitiveness. The first word Ament used to describe himself is “competitor.” The first thing Beckett listed when asked what makes him a special player? His drive.
“Potential is such a huge word in basketball, and I hear it all the time,” Ament said. “I could be this, or I could be that. But if you’re someone with a lot of potential, it doesn’t really mean anything because you haven’t achieved anything yet. So that’s kind of what my goal is now - just maximize my potential.”
When they first started training together, Beckett told Ament he’d have to do late-night workouts. Ament obliged. He was in the gym twice a day, just about every day. He would go to the gym from school, head home to eat and come back around 10 p.m. to work out again. He still hammers home the basics, holding himself to a standard of mastery before advancing.
“It’seven the little things,” Frederick Ament added. “Like, if you beat Nate once in ping pong, when you play him again next month, it will be like this guy is competing for gold in the Olympics or something.”
- - -
A new ballgame
Ament’s first love was soccer, following in the footsteps of his older brothers. But when the pandemic shut leagues down in the summer of 2020, Frederick decided to make the short walk from their house to Coles. Inspired by YouTube highlights of Derrick Rose and a father who played at Division II Wayne State, he wanted to play more basketball. Nate, the youngest of four brothers, was eager to join.
Hours passed quickly on the court. Competitive games of one-on-one evolved into five-on-five pickup runs from morning to sundown.
“That's kind of where I brewed my competitive nature,” Ament said.
Ament started his high school career at Colgan, and he says he wasn’t yet taking basketball too seriously. But he started to get Division I looks as a freshman. As a sophomore, he broke out.
Ament realized he could have a future in the game. The most recognizable college brands were beginning to show interest. So he looked for a new school where he could find better competition and more resources.
He chose to attend Highland, a private school in nearby Warrenton, Virginia, that had seen prior basketball success but had never garnered national recognition. Familiarity with some players and Coach Logan Miller was significant. The opportunity to stay local and continue playing near home, as opposed to attending a prep school in another state, was a bonus.
A who’s who of college coaches started flowing through Highland’s gym. Baselines were lined with photographers hoping to catch Ament’s next viral play. Kids asked for pictures and autographs. The Hawks were able to schedule aggressively and travel to regional and national events.
This winter, Highland captured the Metro Private School Conference championship, with Ament accounting for 32 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the title game. About two weeks later, it won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association crown in its first season in the top classification, Division I. In the final, Ament scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 56-51 overtime win over WCAC power Bishop O’Connell.
- - -
Up next
From NBA arenas to commercial shoots, attention follows Ament wherever basketball takes him. In October, Ament - already represented by an agent - signed a name, image and likeness deal with Reebok. At 17, he became one of the faces of the company’s basketball marketing campaign. His college career will garner him and his family substantial NIL dollars.
But off the court, he is like any other high school senior. He and Frederick, who lives at home while attending George Mason, will watch movies and play Minecraft together. They still share a love for soccer and watch their favorite club, Arsenal, getting particularly fired up when jawing with their brother, Alex, who supports Manchester United.
The winter was also spent waiting for the weather to get warmer so he, his brother and his friends could start playing golf again. He likes the game because a few hours on the course offer a quiet shield from all the noise. But it is also competition - so he just can’t help himself.
“We treat each other with respect, but we like to make fun of each other all the time,” Ament said. “I’m not that good - but I’m working on it.”
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He just couldn’t beat his brother.
Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post.
Frederick, two years older, held what seemed like an insurmountable physical advantage over 13-year-old Nate, who would leave the court disgruntled and sometimes in tears. After a loss, he would refuse to talk to his sibling the rest of the day. But above all, he would work.
If they went together at 7 a.m. and Frederick won that day, Nate would be there the next morning at 6:30. He started staying late, working on his shooting, dribbling - whatever it took.
Then one day, it finally happened. Nate won.
“Oh my gosh - dude, it felt so good,” Ament said. “Easily one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.”
A backboard and rim are just about the only commonalities between the court at Coles and the places basketball takes Ament these days. His focus is far greater now than a sibling rivalry - think shoe deals, the NBA draft and talk of becoming the next great basketball star from Virginia.
Ament isn’t just a five-star recruit - the 6-foot-9 forward is one of the top players in the country, with ESPN, 247Sports and On3 ranking him fourth in this senior class. He was named Virginia’s Gatorade and MaxPreps player of the year. He won a gold medal with the United States U-18 national squad and a state championship with his high school team, Highland School.
On Tuesday night, Ament will be in New York to play in the McDonald’s all-American game, sharing the court with 23 of the nation’s top high school seniors. He will garner special attention as the nation’s top unsigned senior, still weighing his college decision late in the cycle. In February, he named five finalists: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee.
Ask him about everything that’s come his way the past few years, and Ament will answer with a calm confidence. It’s a routine by now. But ask him about the first time he finally bested his brother, and he’ll beam.
“I was salty, I’m going to be honest. I was like, damn, now I know how it feels,” Frederick said. “All right - maybe still I’m a little bit salty.”
- - -
‘There’s no future pros out here’
Chauncey Beckett felt his phone vibrate and pulled it from his pocket. A basketball trainer in Northern Virginia, Beckett saw a text from former Bishop O’Connell guard Paul Lewis, who was soon to play at Vanderbilt. Lewis said Beckett needed to check out a young player from the area: I think I’ve got a future pro.
“I was like, man, we all live in Manassas. There’s no future pros out here that nobody knows about,” Beckett remembers. “And he was like, ‘All right, I’m going to send him to your gym.’”
Ament, then a freshman, showed up for a workout. Beckett was immediately impressed by his fluidity and skill for a player of his age and size. When established players like NBA veteran Justin Anderson or Paul VI stars Patrick Ngongba II and DeShawn Harris-Smith came by the gym, Ament held his own.
“I told him he really had a chance to do something with this,” Beckett said. “Like, if this is what you really want to do, let's lock in and we can see how far we can take this thing.”
Beckett sent Ament’s highlights to every college coach he could, telling them he was providing an early look at one of the best players in the class. They drove across the Mid-Atlantic to camps and other showcase events, pushing Beckett’s car to the point of breaking down.
On one expedition south, they got an invitation to tour all four ACC schools in North Carolina: Duke, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Wake Forest. While at Duke, Beckett pulled then-assistant coach Amile Jefferson aside.
“I was like, ‘Don't worry, we'll be back in a year. You guys are going to offer him,” Beckett remembers.
Almost one year later to the day, Ament was back at Duke for an unofficial visit, offer in hand.
- - -
Matchup nightmare
People are lining up to associate themselves with Ament, and for good reason: Early mocks of the 2026 NBA draft project him as a lottery pick. Many place him in the top five.
He is a prototypical prospect for the modern game, modeling himself after players like Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant and Paolo Banchero - guards by trade but forwards by build, threats to score from anywhere while still being able to defend all positions. Ament - who says his footwork is a product of him playing soccer before basketball - can step to the perimeter and knock down outside jumpers while also dominating the glass and blocking shots. His ballhandling resembles that of a point guard.
In short: He’s a matchup nightmare.
Those around Ament rave of his competitiveness. The first word Ament used to describe himself is “competitor.” The first thing Beckett listed when asked what makes him a special player? His drive.
“Potential is such a huge word in basketball, and I hear it all the time,” Ament said. “I could be this, or I could be that. But if you’re someone with a lot of potential, it doesn’t really mean anything because you haven’t achieved anything yet. So that’s kind of what my goal is now - just maximize my potential.”
When they first started training together, Beckett told Ament he’d have to do late-night workouts. Ament obliged. He was in the gym twice a day, just about every day. He would go to the gym from school, head home to eat and come back around 10 p.m. to work out again. He still hammers home the basics, holding himself to a standard of mastery before advancing.
“It’seven the little things,” Frederick Ament added. “Like, if you beat Nate once in ping pong, when you play him again next month, it will be like this guy is competing for gold in the Olympics or something.”
- - -
A new ballgame
Ament’s first love was soccer, following in the footsteps of his older brothers. But when the pandemic shut leagues down in the summer of 2020, Frederick decided to make the short walk from their house to Coles. Inspired by YouTube highlights of Derrick Rose and a father who played at Division II Wayne State, he wanted to play more basketball. Nate, the youngest of four brothers, was eager to join.
Hours passed quickly on the court. Competitive games of one-on-one evolved into five-on-five pickup runs from morning to sundown.
“That's kind of where I brewed my competitive nature,” Ament said.
Ament started his high school career at Colgan, and he says he wasn’t yet taking basketball too seriously. But he started to get Division I looks as a freshman. As a sophomore, he broke out.
Ament realized he could have a future in the game. The most recognizable college brands were beginning to show interest. So he looked for a new school where he could find better competition and more resources.
He chose to attend Highland, a private school in nearby Warrenton, Virginia, that had seen prior basketball success but had never garnered national recognition. Familiarity with some players and Coach Logan Miller was significant. The opportunity to stay local and continue playing near home, as opposed to attending a prep school in another state, was a bonus.
A who’s who of college coaches started flowing through Highland’s gym. Baselines were lined with photographers hoping to catch Ament’s next viral play. Kids asked for pictures and autographs. The Hawks were able to schedule aggressively and travel to regional and national events.
This winter, Highland captured the Metro Private School Conference championship, with Ament accounting for 32 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the title game. About two weeks later, it won the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association crown in its first season in the top classification, Division I. In the final, Ament scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in a 56-51 overtime win over WCAC power Bishop O’Connell.
- - -
Up next
From NBA arenas to commercial shoots, attention follows Ament wherever basketball takes him. In October, Ament - already represented by an agent - signed a name, image and likeness deal with Reebok. At 17, he became one of the faces of the company’s basketball marketing campaign. His college career will garner him and his family substantial NIL dollars.
But off the court, he is like any other high school senior. He and Frederick, who lives at home while attending George Mason, will watch movies and play Minecraft together. They still share a love for soccer and watch their favorite club, Arsenal, getting particularly fired up when jawing with their brother, Alex, who supports Manchester United.
The winter was also spent waiting for the weather to get warmer so he, his brother and his friends could start playing golf again. He likes the game because a few hours on the course offer a quiet shield from all the noise. But it is also competition - so he just can’t help himself.
“We treat each other with respect, but we like to make fun of each other all the time,” Ament said. “I’m not that good - but I’m working on it.”
Related Content
Before DOGE, Argentina’s Javier Milei took a chainsaw to his government
In a stunner, Alysa Liu completes return to skating with gold at worlds
The fastest, most-accurate fast-food drive-throughs, and more!
Continue reading...
