Jaime Jáquez Jr., the Mexican-American forward for the Miami Heat, expressed that playing his first NBA game in Mexico, the birthplace of his father, exceeded his expectations with the warm reception from the local fans.

“The support I felt and the atmosphere surpassed my expectations because of all the love the fans showed to me and my family. It was great signing autographs and feeling their affection,” Jáquez stated after the Heat's 118-98 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The game marked the 33rd NBA match in Mexico, making it the country that has hosted the most NBA games outside the United States and Canada, which both have teams in the league.

“I really enjoyed the three days I spent in Mexico because I got to have dinner with my family there; we had a good time and I'm happy because I don’t know when I’ll see them again, since I live in the United States,” added ‘Triple J,’ as he is nicknamed.

The California native scored eight points for Miami in the win against the Wizards, with six coming in the first quarter, while Bam Adebayo led the Florida team with 32 points.

“Heat’s coach, Erik Spoelstra, remarked, “Jaime wasn’t nervous in the game; he's been accustomed to dealing with pressure moments like this since his college days. For him, it was a fun experience, and the crowd really embraced him.”

Spoelstra noted that besides securing a victory that positions them with a winning record of three wins and two losses, fourth in the Eastern Conference, the trip to Mexico helped to unite the three-time NBA championship team.

“We had a great time, both the players and the staff. We love coming to Mexico, the atmosphere was fantastic, we had two nights here and got to go out, but the best part of all was the victory,” concluded the coach.