The Miami Heat and Washington Wizards met in Mexico City for a showdown on Saturday, and the experience was seemingly something that small forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. will never forget.
Jaquez was born in Southern California, but his background goes deeper. His mother is of Norwegian descent, and his father has Mexican roots. The 23-year-old has Mexican citizenship.
He frequently received loud cheers during Saturday’s game in Mexico City, and he later said that everyone blew his expectations away.
“Everyone blew my expectations away,” Jaquez said. “I couldn’t imagine this much love being shown to myself and my family. It was truly incredible, and I was happy to see all the fans and get to interact and be able to sign autographs and take pictures with people. I can feel the love and it’s very much reciprocated.”
While Jaquez didn’t have his most efficient game on Saturday, he still made an impact and nearly recorded a double-double. He finished with eight points and 10 rebounds, adding an assist for good measure.
His contributions helped the Heat earn a 118-98 victory over the Wizards, moving Miami back over .500 at 3-2. It’s early, but the Heat are currently among the top four teams in the Eastern Conference standings.
Jaquez is in his second NBA season after he turned some heads as a rookie. Despite the fact that 17 players were picked ahead of him in the 2023 NBA Draft, he was one of the most productive rookies in the league last season, and he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting.
He averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game last season. Across five games so far this season, his scoring and efficiency are a bit down, but his rebounding is way up. He’s averaging 9.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.
There are teams in the Eastern Conference that are more talented than the Heat, but if players like Jaquez can step up this season, the squad could prove to be a problem for other championship hopefuls.
The Heat will be back in action on Monday for a home game against the Sacramento Kings. Miami will have to enjoy its time at home while it lasts because after the Kings game, the team will begin a lengthy road trip.
It will be a six-game trip that features matchups against some very capable teams, so fans will have to hope that the Heat are ready for the challenge.