Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr speaks at White House Cinco de Mayo event with Joe Biden as rookie insists he’s ‘proud’ to continue Mexican-American legacy
- Biden and the White House held an event marking Mexico’s annual celebration
- Jaquez paid tribute to generations of Mexican-Americans who came before him
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Mexican-American rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat was invited to the White House on Monday to speak with Joe Biden at the president’s Cinco de Mayo reception.
Jaquez, who was selected No. 18 overall by Miami in last year’s NBA Draft, spoke of his pride in carrying on the legacy of Mexican-Americans and encouraging traditions “that make the spirit of our people so great.”
“I stand here before you on the shoulders of giants,” the 23-year-old told the crowd.
“There are generations of proud and incredibly talented Mexican-Americans who have come before me. I am proud to carry on their legacy and continue to encourage the traditions of Mexican-Americans that make the spirit of our people so great. A tradition and spirit based on hard work, a strong moral code and the importance of family.
Miami Heat’s Mexican-American rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. was invited to the White House on Monday to speak alongside Joe Biden at the president’s Cinco de Mayo reception
Jaquez spoke about his pride in continuing the legacy of Mexican-Americans at the event
The 23-year-old then introduced Biden to the crowd and handed the floor to the president
“Thank you, President Biden and the administration, for celebrating our community and all of our contributions here today.”
Jaquez then introduced Biden, who thanked the NBA star before praising him for a stellar rookie season with Miami — in which he averaged 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game.
“Jaime thanks for the introduction buddy, I’ve always looked up to you…” he joked with the 6-foot-2 basketball player. “Congratulations on a great rookie season in the NBA.
“Like you said, you stand on the shoulders of those who came before you. Future generations will stand on your six-foot shoulders and grow a whole lot taller.”
Jaquez helped the Heat reach the NBA playoffs in his debut season in Miami, but they failed to advance past Round 1 after a 4–1 loss to the Boston Celtics.
Following their elimination, the ex-UCLA guard attended the Miami Grand Prix last weekend along with teammates Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love and Duncan Robinson.
Biden congratulated Jaquez on his outstanding rookie season with the Heat in 2023-2024
The ex-UCLA guard is averaging 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game
The Heat quartet were joined by sporting royalty at a beach party in the aftermath of Sunday’s race, which saw McLaren’s Lando Norris gain the upper hand to ultimately claim his first-ever F1 victory.
Super Bowl champions Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs attended the festivities at Carbone Beach, while Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow were also on the elite guest list.
NBA king LeBron James and Kevin Durant were also spotted at the event, along with basketball bad boy Draymond Green.