‘I work so hard for this’: Jaime Echenique reflects on NBA Summer League breakout game
The dream of playing in the NBA did not exist for Jaime Echenique as a young boy growing up in Barranquilla, Colombia because he still wasn’t sure basketball would be his main sport.
It wasn’t until Echenique joined the Wichita State men’s basketball team in 2018 when he realized his NBA dream, and on Thursday he was ready for when the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself.
Given extended playing time for the first time in the NBA Summer League, Echenique fully capitalized on his chance by leading the Washington Wizards in scoring with 17 points in an 84-81 double overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
“I know this will be one of those experiences I’m going to look back on in my career and say, ‘That was a good time in my life,’” Echenique told The Eagle in a phone interview. “Today is going to be a day I remember for a long time because I work so hard for times like this. It was just an amazing experience.”
The NBA Summer League is a proving ground not only for first-round draft picks and young NBA players, but also for players on the fringes of earning a spot in the league like Echenique, who have been toiling away on their craft in Europe.
That’s what made Echenique’s performance on Thursday so important: he not only made a strong impression on the Wizards, but also on other NBA teams who now have game tape to see him excelling against other NBA prospects.
Instead of signing a second professional contract, Echenique rolled the dice by playing in the NBA Summer League hoping to make an impression exactly like the one he made on Thursday. While one performance isn’t likely going to earn him a job in the NBA, the 24-year-old is surely on NBA radars now and has potentially opened new possibilities for himself back in Europe.
“I don’t even really think about that,” Echenique said of his next professional stop. “Right now I’m just thinking about my community back home in Colombia and how proud they are. Whatever else happens happens. I’m embracing every moment and not focused on the end result of this. I’m just taking it day by day and doing my job and being the best me I can be.”
In his breakout performance, Echenique showcased the expert footwork and crafty post moves that made him a fan favorite with the Shockers from 2018-20. He screened, sealed and spun his way to the basket that resulted in scores (6-of-10 shooting) or fouls (5-of-8 free throws) for a team-high 17 points.
His best play of the game came early in the fourth quarter when Echenique caught the ball in the post and was immediately double-teamed by the Nets’ Marcus Zegarowski (Creighton) and Brandon Rachal (Tulsa). Echenique displayed tremendous poise, keeping the ball up high and out of their reach, while gaining his footing and taking a quick dribble to set up his favorite spin move to the basket. Echenique split the defenders, finished strong through contact and made the basket with a foul — celebrating with a familiar flex and scream that was reminiscent of his WSU days.
“When you put in the work and dedicate yourself and you’re consistent with your work, it just feels normal,” Echenique said of his success. “Obviously some things were different about this game, but I think it was the same Jaime. Maybe a little more mature and a little bit stronger, but I think it’s the same Wichita State Jaime.”
Making the performance even more impressive was the fact that Echenique gained the upperhand in a matchup against Brooklyn’s recent first-round draft pick Day’Ron Sharpe, a 6-foot-11 rookie out of North Carolina. Not only did Echenique score a team-high 17 points, he had four rebounds, three steals and two blocks and played a role in Sharpe finishing without a made field in an 0-for-6 performance.
“He played very well,” Wizards Summer League head coach Mike Miller told NBA.com afterwards. “He was called on and he immediately impacted the first half of the game with his rebounding. His defense was good and he was a presence as a roller with some post-up situations.”
Echenique’s 21 minutes off the bench was a vast improvement over his first NBA Summer League game with the Wizards when he only saw four minutes of action and did not attempt a shot.
He hopes the extended play continues in the Wizards next game on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks (3 p.m. on NBA TV).
“I didn’t get disappointed by how the first game went,” Echenique said. “I know everything is a process and my time will come, so I just had to be prepared. I wanted to show great body language and show that I love being here. I’m just grateful for this opportunity because not many guys get this kind of chance.”
After graduating from WSU in 2020, Echenique played his first professional season in Spain’s top-tier league for Acunsa GBC and averaged 12.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks before a patellar tendon tear ended his season.
When Echenique returned to the United States earlier this summer, he was set up by his agency, Wasserman, to train in Los Angeles with a group of big men that included current NBA starting center Steven Adams. The experience of not only practicing against Adams, but also picking his brain was beneficial to Echenique.
“He helped me a lot to improve my game and to understand things about the NBA and how the game is played at that level,” Echenique said. “He was a great veteran for me to learn from.”
Echenique hopes to some day become the first Colombian player to play in the NBA.
“I have so much love from my family and friends and people who know me from back home,” Echenique said. “To be able to make it overseas and now to grind and make it this far (to NBA Summer League), it means a lot to me to be able to represent not only my country but for all of South America.”
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 6:30 AM.
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