UCLA Basketball: How To Watch Ex-Bruin Jaime Jaquez In Tonight's All-Star Dunk Contest

For a non-All-Star, former All-Pac-12 UCLA Bruins small forward-turned-Miami Heat star rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. sure has been active during this year's 2024 All-Star Weekend festivities!

There's a good reason for that. After being selected with the No. 18 pick out of UCLA last summer, Jaquez has quickly outplayed his draft position, and now looks like a lock to make the All-Rookie First Team, along with San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, and Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller.

The 6'6" wing has emerged as an absolutely critical component for the defending Eastern Conference champs' 2023-24 season, as Miami looks to return to the NBA Finals for the third time in five years this spring. Jaquez is already his team's top reserve (from a minutes perspective, at 29.5 per), averaging 12.9 points on .492/.321/.815 shooting splits, 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals a night.

Last night, Jaquez played for Team Pau (as in Gasol) during the Rising Stars event, alongside Miller and Wembanyama. In a 14-minute semifinal game (Team Pau lost in an upset to Detlef Schrempf's team of G League players), Jaquez scored six points on 3-of-4 shooting, dished out three assists, and snagged two boards.

In tonight's Kia Skills Challenge slate of events, Jaquez will be partaking in the AT&T Slam Dunk competition. He'll compete against Boston Celtics All-Star shooting guard Jaylen Brown, reigning champion Mac McClung of the NBAGL's Osceola Magic, and New York Knicks two-way forward Jacob Toppin.

The action tips off at 5 p.m. PT on TNT.