CAMARILLO, Calif. — The sizzle and smell of burgers on the summertime grill could come from just about any backyard in America. Here in Southern California, an unexpected breeze makes for a welcome guest on a sunny afternoon. Jaime Jaquez Sr. embraces it joyfully while grilling for his parents and three children. At the table, the three generations gather to mingle in two languages about their shared passion: sports.
The conversations with Spanish peppered in serve as a constant reminder of the family’s Mexican heritage. Jaime Jaquez Jr., a standout rookie for the NBA’s Miami Heat last season and a star at UCLA before that, mostly reacts to the chatter around him. His sister Gabriela Jaquez, a rising star guard for UCLA’s women’s basketball team, inspects the snacks in front of her and considers her hot sauce options. Youngest brother Marcos Jaquez, a defensive lineman enrolled at Ventura College, asks his grandparents, Ezequiel and Gloria, about their time as young athletes.
“My dad saw that we liked basketball, and he made a rim out of rebar or something like that,” says Ezequiel, who would play hoops on the street or in the backyard with his older brother. “But he didn’t know the dimensions. It was only 16 inches. A regular…
