Colombian Jaime Echenique joins Wizards NBA Summer League squad, hopes to represent home country soon

MIAMI (United States) - Colombia and Latin America will closely follow this year’s NBA Summer League that will be held in Las Vegas from 8-17 of August. The reason? Jaime Echenique, the center from Barranquilla, will be part of the Washington Wizards summer roster.

The 24-year-old remains in high hopes of reaching the best league in the world after going undrafted in 2020 after graduating from Wichita State University. The pandemic at that time was a factor because he could not show himself as he would have liked to before the teams, so he ended up landing at Spain’s ACB with Gipuzkoa.

Now, with one more year of experience, he will be measured against other players who, like him, are fighting to make their way in the NBA.

"It's something I wanted to do. Last year I could not go through this process, now the opportunity is being given and I am going to try to enjoy it," Echenique said.

The previous season was particularly challenging for the 2.11m tall player. When he was doing better with Gipuzkoa, he suffered a knee injury, in the patellar tendon, which forced him to undergo surgery on January 4. It was thought that he would lose the entire contest but was able to recover in time to act in the last two dates of the regular phase of the Spanish league. In total he participated in 18 games leaving averages of 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds.

"Physically, thank God, I am very well. At that time of the injury, we went to immediate action. I moved to Madrid and went to rehab. I evolved very well, we thought that I had more serious damage but it was not like that, and I was able to return for those last two games of the season. When all that happened, I thought that things happened for something and I said to myself ‘I have to settle down’ I never let myself down, I always did my best. In my rehabilitation there were great professionals who helped me a lot and that made things easier for me. It was a process of growth and learning," said Echenique, who graduated in Sociology with a masters in Psychology.

Regarding his chances with the Wizards, Echenique made it clear that he tries not to think about it too much because there are things that are beyond his control, but he guaranteed he will give his best.

"I leave everything in God’s hands. If I stay in the NBA, fine, but if I have to return to Europe, nothing happens. There are things that I cannot control. I am going to do my job and I am prepared to face the situation. The difference is that now I am more mature. I have understood many things. My time in Europe taught me to understand and see the game differently. Maturity has not only been mental, but physical. The key for me is going to be to show what my impact can be on the court without having the ball. Know where to place myself. These are details that the coaches see and that many people do not realize." 

"I know very well who the players are in the team and those who left, but I don't stress thinking about that. For me the important thing is that I am here and I am going to try to seize the opportunity. I focus on what I can contribute," Enchenique said, who himself is an admirer of Tim Duncan and LaMarcus Aldridge.

Echenique is an old-fashioned center (hence his admiration towards Duncan). His strength is the game with his back to the basket, but he is clear that in the current NBA he has to have the ability to add other tools to his game that allow him to open the court. Of course, without forgetting its fundamentals.

"I have my well-defined characteristics. My way of running the court and playing with my back to the basket will never change. My team has always told me that I can't change what I'm good at. I am an aggressive player, but there is always room for improvement and I am working on those things. Long distance shooting I've always had it, just focused on other things. In Europe the centers are seen more in the old way, playing in the paint, but I keep working to expand my game."

An unexpected mentor

Before arriving in Las Vegas to join the Wizards, Echenique was preparing in Austin and then Los Angeles. In LA he caught up with center Steven Adams, a veteran who is going into his ninth season in the NBA and who was recently traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, after having played with the New Orleans franchise.

The Colombian said he was able to establish a good relationship with Adams, who served as a mentor.

"It gave me a lot to understand how to deal with this. I came to Los Angeles to train with my coach and he was there. I did not miss the opportunity, I went up to him and began to ask him many questions. It was an immediate absorption. I've been working with other rookie players who go to the Summer League, who went to the Draft, but when a veteran is there, I try to take advantage of it. He welcomed me very well. I asked him a lot about postures, how to attack the post, read the defenses, a lot of details and he helped me a lot."

All of Echenique’s focus at this moment is directed towards this new challenge at the Summer League, but that did not prevent him from talking about the national team, which he hopes to join when possible.

"It would be very nice to represent Colombia, but I haven’t had the chance. First it was the commitments to the NCAA, then I went to Spain. I was going to join one of the windows of the AmeriCup qualifiers and then injury came. The truth is, I want to wear the shirt, it is something very important to me."

FIBA