Jaime Echenique He made his debut this Thursday with the Washington Wizards and in this way made history by becoming the first Colombian to play in the NBA. The 24-year-old center played three minutes in the Wizards’ victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers (110-93). Echenique was active last season in the ranks of the Gipuzkoa Basket, being one of the best of the team until an injury cut short his season.
“It has been an incredible day,” summed up a very emotional Echenique at the press conference after the meeting, with tears in his eyes. “I am simply happy for me, for my family, for my country and for the people who believed in me. “he added. The young man was very grateful for the opportunity given to him by the WizardsHe stressed that he wants to enjoy and take advantage of the moment, and said that all the obstacles he has faced come to nothing for days like the one he has experienced.
“Right now it only passes through my mind to keep working, keep exploiting my abilities, keep believing in me. This is neither the end nor the beginning: this is the continuation of all the work I have done throughout my career,” he explained. The player also wanted to send a message to Colombia and Latin America just before breaking down crying again: “If it’s worth dreaming.”
Echenique lived a day of very intense emotions as the Washington franchise called him this morning and announced his signing with a ten-day contract just a few hours before tonight’s match. in front of the Cavaliers.
Given the numerous cases of coronavirus that are occurring in the NBA in recent weeks, all teams in the league are turning to short-term contracts to make up for those casualties. In any case, this extraordinary situation in the NBA has allowed Echenique to have made history for Colombia by debuting in the highest competition in world basketball. The Barranquilla player played in the last Summer League (NBA summer league) with the Wizards, who finally sent him to their affiliate team of the G League development league, the Capital City Go-Go.
As part of that team, Echenique has played 14 games in the G League in which he has averaged 12.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game, numbers that have allowed him to make the leap to the NBA.
Echenique was trained in the United States (Trinity Valley Community College in Texas and Wichita State in Kansas) before making his debut in professional basketball in 2020 at the hands of the Acunsa Gipuzkoa Basket, wheree played 18 games in which he got 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
.
