Jaime Jaquez Jr., the steal of the 2023 NBA draft, heats up during his rookie season
LOS ANGELES — About an hour before his NBA homecoming, Jaime Jaquez Jr. sat at his locker next to a big-screen television showing plays the Miami Heat's opponent liked to run.
The Clippers' tendencies would be of no use to Jimmy Butler. Unable to play because of a sore foot, the six-time all-star was up for a different sort of challenge Monday evening inside Crypto.com Arena.
As he sat on a shoe bag munching on buffalo wings in the middle of the locker room, Butler asked which teammate — Jaquez or Kevin Love — was a better player at UCLA.
Each was a Pac-12 player of the year. Each led the Bruins to a Final Four. Each was drafted in the first round.
The biggest difference?
Love stayed for just one year while Jaquez lingered for four.
"He had me watching all four years," Love said, walking over to Jaquez's locker to slap his hand.
Remaining gracious, Jaquez said he wasn't
