Heat Rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. Embracing Newfound NBA Nickname With Open Arms

Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has taken impressive strides throughout the early stages of his rookie season. He’s also fully embraced a nickname that appears to be gaining traction rapidly.

Juan Wick.

Jaquez admits he’d heard the nickname long before becoming the No. 18 pick in the first round of 2023 NBA draft and said he finds it “hilarious,” per Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

“I saw that when I was coming into the league,” Jaquez said with a smile. “I thought that was hilarious, honestly.”

Jaquez had a lighthearted approach to the moniker, stating that it’s “all jokes at the end of the day” and revealing that his family enjoyed the nickname, too.

“Hey, man,” Jaquez said, “it’s all jokes at the end of the day. I found it hilarious. I know my family found it really funny, too.

“I think it started in the transition of coming into the NBA, kind of in the summer league, I think is when it really started.”

The nickname, based on Keanu Reeves’s character in the movie John Wick, stems partially from the actor’s goatee and long hair. It’s a play on words and also highlights Jaquez’s Norwegian and Mexican ethnicity.

Although the nickname may have gained traction during NBA summer league, the 22-year-old says he believes the nickname dates to his college days at UCLA. He has high praise for Reeves and the John Wick series as a whole.

“I’ve been compared to John Wick before,” Jaquez said. “I think it started in college. But I love those movies. I can’t lie. Those are great movies, great actor in Keanu Reeves.”

The Juan Wick nickname seems like it’s here to stay, and the same can be said of Jaquez, who’s burst onto the scene with an impressive recent stretch. The rookie initially saw minutes ranging from 13 to 23 in four games to begin the season, a stretch in which Jaquez averaged 5.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. But since receiving a significant bump in playing time, those numbers have spiked as of late.

The former Bruins standout has logged 27-plus minutes in the Heat’s last 10 games while topping the 30-minute mark on eight occasions. Over that stretch, Jaquez has averaged 15.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 40% or better from the field in all but one appearance.