Gabriela, Jaime Jaquez cement family’s UCLA basketball legacy

In the years before she starred for UCLA, Gabriela Jaquez loved to tag along with her parents to watch older brother Jaime play basketball for the Bruins.

Except for the time when she felt she needed to do homework and didn’t accompany them on the drive from Camarillo to Pauley Pavilion.

Big mistake.

Jaime made the game-winning 3-pointer against Arizona State as a freshman, starting to cement the family legacy inside its college basketball home.

“After that,” Gabriela told The California Post, “I was like, dang it, you know, I’m going to do what I can to go.”

Missing anything that the Jaquez siblings have done as Bruins over these last seven seasons — including one in which they overlapped — has been a regrettable experience.

As a sophomore so determined to win that he once crawled across the court to chase a loose ball, Jaime helped UCLA reach the Final Four. As a senior, he was the Pac-12 Player of the Year on a team that could have won a national title had it not lost two starters to injury.

Gabriela has enjoyed her own storybook rise with the women’s team, long ago shedding the label of Jaime’s little sister. She was part of a Final Four run last season and could help the second-ranked Bruins capture their first NCAA championship this spring.

Along the way, the Jaquez siblings have become two of the most beloved players in UCLA history. That will make Gabriela’s final regular-season home game against Wisconsin on Sunday the end of an era for not only her family but also an entire basketball community.

“It’s going to bring a tear to my eye, man,” father Jaime Jaquez said. “It’s just like, I can’t believe it’s over, I’m still shocked it happened so fast.”

First family of UCLA basketball

Jaime and Angela Jaquez zipped along on the way to Gabriela’s game earlier this week.

It took only an hour to get from their home to Pauley Pavilion, about half as long as is sometimes needed when traffic is crawling along the 44-mile route.

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It’s a drive that Jaime knows well considering he’s missed only one UCLA home game involving his children, when he was bedridden last weekend during the team’s victory over Indiana. Jaime Jr. was able to make that game thanks to the NBA’s All-Star break, the Heat forward sitting courtside next to his mother.

Four days later, Angela and Jaime were joined by Jaime’s sister, Petula Rodriguez, one of a slew of family members who have come to games over the years. Not long after they settled into their seats seven rows up near midcourt, Gabriela sprinted onto the court, glanced up at her family and waved while smiling.

When Gabriela was introduced as part of the starting lineup before the game against Washington, Angela stood and cupped her hands over her mouth to yell in excitement.

The parents cheered every good play involving the team, not just their daughter’s. Jaime repeatedly tapped his hand on his head each time the Bruins forced a shot-clock violation. Like other fans, Angela held up one finger in encouragement every time a UCLA player stepped to the free-throw line.

But there was also plenty of gusto reserved for Gabriela. Jaime yelled “Post!” as his daughter ran into the paint and threw an arm up, calling for the ball. She got a post feed on the next possession, turning and scoring as her parents cheered.

After a hard-fought 82-67 victory that clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, the family met friends on the concourse and made postgame dinner plans.

About 15 minutes later, they gathered on an unusually chilly night around an outdoor table at Fat Sal’s, a sandwich joint near the edge of campus.

Everyone munched on multiple orders of the Jaquez Asada Fries, a signature dish as part of an NIL deal between the restaurant and Gabriela that’s smothered in grilled marinated sliced steak and mozzarella cheese, along with other toppings.

As the conversation veered from Gabriela’s outfit choice during an upcoming dance appearance at a UCLA men’s basketball game to possible WNBA destinations, everyone paused to delight in a lowrider bouncing on Gayley Avenue as it waited to turn into In-N-Out.

These are the little joys the first family of UCLA basketball will miss most.

“Obviously, the highlight moments of winning shots, going to the Final Four with both of them — those are obvious, fun things and great memories,” Angela said, “but I like the day to day, just coming, getting dressed up, driving here, taking pictures with the kids and then going to eat after.”

Loyalty in transfer portal era

One might consider the story of the Jaquez siblings one of extreme loyalty. What are the chances that two stars of their caliber stay at the same school for four years in the transfer portal era?

“Well, it’s unbelievable, obviously,” UCLA men’s basketball coach Mick Cronin said.

According to Cronin, Jaime Jr. turned down NIL offers of $1 million before his senior year to remain a Bruin and play for $44,000. When Jaime and point guard Tyger Campbell filmed a commercial, they distributed the proceeds to teammates who weren’t making anything.

The feeling among the Jaquez family is that they have been the lucky ones.

“I mean, my kids weren’t going anywhere else, to be perfectly honest with you,” the elder Jaime said. “I know, for us, the grass is never greener on the other side, and you can’t get better, in my opinion, than UCLA and Pauley Pavilion.”

Gabriela said she’s been trying not to think about the end of her UCLA journey for fear of getting sad, though she’ll get to enjoy additional home games for the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament with the Bruins a likely No. 1 seed.

Before Jaime Jr.’s final home game, his father bearhugged Cronin and lifted him off the court in a spontaneous display of emotion. He said not to expect anything similar Sunday.

“I’ll be on my best behavior,” Jaime said with a laugh.

Any tears may not be the last ones for a team with national title hopes.

“Hopefully, at the very end,” Jaime said, “it will be tears of joy, too, if you know what I mean.”