He is a 6’7 senior on the boys’s basketball group at UCLA. She’s a 5’11 freshman on the ladies’s group. Each are representing the UCLA Bruins on this yr’s NCAA match — and their household.
Siblings Jamie Jaquez Jr. and Gabriela Jaquez are each enrolled at UCLA. Their dad and mom, Jamie and Angela Jaquez, each additionally performed in faculty, proving that possibly athletics run of their blood.
Jaquez, Jaquez Jr. and their youthful brother Marco all grew up enjoying a number of sports activities. It doesn’t matter what else they performed, Jaquez and Jaquez Jr. dreamed of enjoying hoops at UCLA, simply 45 minutes from the place they grew up.
Jaquez Jr., who was a high recruit popping out of highschool, stated that he nonetheless remembers the sensation of stepping onto the Bruins’ courtroom for the primary time.
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“I used to be nervous. I used to be simply, was enamored by all the pieces,” he informed CBS Information’ Dana Jacobson. “After which I bear in mind listening to the UCLA pupil part begin cheering everybody’s title, after which they had been cheering my title. I did not understand what they had been cheering.”
Throughout his first three seasons with the Bruins, he began all however six video games, gaining nationwide recognition because the group made its method to the NCAA Remaining 4. Earlier than his senior yr, although, he had to consider his future: He might return to UCLA, or he might declare eligibility for the NBA draft and make a bid to go professional.
Jaquez stated that whereas she needed her brother to do “no matter was finest for him,” she thought it might be “actually, actually cool” if he stayed at UCLA they usually overlapped for a yr.
“I used to be identical to, you understand, ‘Do what’s finest for you,’ and I knew it might all work out ultimately,'” Jaquez stated. “However when he determined to return again, I used to be like ‘That is going to be enjoyable.'”
Jaquez Jr. stated that it has been “fairly particular” to overlap along with his little sister.
Jaquez Household
For his or her dad and mom, it is meant a number of time watching their youngsters’s video games.
“This week, I will go to Pauley Pavilion 4 instances,” Jamie Jaquez Sr. stated. “The youngsters (are) enjoying again to again to again to again to again. I believe the ushers know our household they usually know who I’m.”
Holding all of it straight, he stated, requires plenty of group — together with an Excel spreadsheet. It is all value it, although, he stated.
“You have got these desires of your youngsters enjoying basketball and you do not know what degree they will play,” Jaquez Sr. stated. “After which to see simply two of them at UCLA is fairly unimaginable.”
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Sharing the courtroom additionally permits the siblings to continue to learn from one another. They share some abilities, and each say they’ve realized from one another: Jaquez Jr. has adopted his sister’s relentless angle, and Jaquez stated she’s picked up a few of her brother’s favourite performs.
“I believe it makes it sweeter for positive,” Jaquez Jr. stated. “I believe my expertise right here has been nice even earlier than she was right here. And I believe that, you understand, her expertise proper now … is nice that I am right here. However as soon as I depart, I believe she’s nonetheless going to have a good time as nicely.”
“It is only a actually large plus that we’re each right here collectively,” Jaquez added. “I believe we’re nonetheless doing our personal factor, you understand, on completely different groups, chasing our personal desires. But it surely’s simply actually cool that we will share this expertise collectively.”
