By: David He
Jaime Jaquez Jr., the hard-working basketball star of the UCLA Bruins, is eager for the NBA draft on June 22 and the chance to prove himself again just like he did at UCLA.
Before the public acknowledged him as one of the best players in the UCLA Bruins, he was a small forward who had to work hard for minutes on the court. Still, his determination and hard work paid off, and now NBA executives and teams are finding Jaquez a very appealing player.
“He played really hard,…,he made smart decisions with the ball, “ an NBA executive said. “The shooting looked improved. He’s going to maximize his abilities because of all the intangible qualities that he has.
Jaquez is very confident about making it into the NBA, and many other teams are interested in him, such as the Clippers, who have brought him in for workouts to show his incredible skills and grit when playing basketball.
“The feedback has been very positive,” Jaquez said. “I think I’ve gone through this process and shown a lot of teams what I can do, and I think they’ve all been very impressed.”
Jaquez is also facing pressure to become the next Mexican American star in the NBA while working with former Lakers player Juan Toscano-Anderson, who shares Jaquez’s Mexican heritage.
“It’s just great for a guy like myself to represent a group that really hasn’t seen the light in the NBA, and I think it’s just because a lot of Mexicans don’t play basketball,” Jaquez said. “I’m just trying to inspire a new generation to maybe give it a shot and see if they like it and enjoy the sport as much as I do.”
However, getting drafted is only the start of his future NBA career. Just like he did at UCLA, Jaquez must work hard to get recognized and climb the ranks. Some of his strengths in basketball that will help him are his defense and ability to consistently score within 25 feet of the hoop.
Jaquez is confident about the NBA draft and believes he is ready for the NBA because of his four years of training at UCLA.
“I feel really ready,” Jaquez said about moving on to the NBA. “I feel more prepared than ever, and I’m really looking at the four years and realize how much that’s prepared me… I’m really seeing the payoff of my time at UCLA.”
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