The Miami Heat organization loves 'culture guys' and it appears they've added another in the 2023 NBA draft. The Heat selected UCLA F Jaime Jaquez Jr. with the 18th overall selection on Thursday night.
full interview with WQAM's Alejandro Solana 👇
"It feels surreal ... I feel like I'm on top of the world," Jaquez told Alejandro Solana of WQAM as he gets set to join the Heat after a four year college career with the Bruins where he averaged 17.8 points as a senior.
The Miami Heat are reportedly still interested in a trade for Damian Lillard should Portland decide to move on from the Superstar, which means there's no guarantee Jaquez Jr. will be on the Heat roster come opening night. But if he is, he'll get to play alongside one of his favorite NBA players: Jimmy Butler.
"I'm excited to see what that's going to be like," Jaquez said. "I've been very open about him being one of my favorite players in the league to watch for a very long time. I can't wait to see what he has to teach me. I can't wait to learn and just soak up all the knowledge that he's gained from playing this game so long."
Jaquez Jr., a Mexican-American, also expressed excitement about being able to play in front of a large Latino community in South Florida. "I'm here to represent my Mexican culture," he said. "I know there's a lot of Latinos in the community so I think it's going to be great. It's a great fit."
As for what Heat fans can expect from Jaquez Jr. when wearing a Heat jersey: "expect me to get to work, stay in the gym and do whatever I can to help the Heat win."