Jaime Jaquez Jr. and girlfriend Dominique Ruotolo take on Boban Marjanovic and his partner in pickleball duel
Miami Heat star Jaime Jaquez Jr. is in the middle of his first offseason since joining the NBA. In his free time, Jaquez and his girlfriend have picked up pickleball, testing their skills against big man Boban Marjanovic and his wife, according to a recent post on social media. While footage of the game hasn't been released, Jaquez has posted photos of the day to his Instagram story.
In one, he and his girlfriend can be seen posing with their racquets, while in another Jaquez and his girlfriend can be seen standing next to Boban Marjanovic and his wife. While there hasn't been any video footage of the game yet, it appears as though Jaquez and his girlfriend are both wearing microphones.
Given that, it seems likely that we get a chance to see the Heat star and his girlfriend compete against the towering 7-foot-4 star and his wife once the video is edited.
In the meantime, check out some photos from the pickleball match between Jaime Jaquez Jr. and his girlfriend and Boban Marjanovic and his wife.
Note: As Instagram stories are automatically deleted, they cannot be embedded. Instead, you can see screenshots of the posts from Jaime Jaquez Jr's Instagram story below.
Looking at Jaime Jaquez Jr's rookie season, Summer League play and the year ahead
Last season, Jaime Jaquez Jr impressed while playing with the Miami Heat. After being drafted as the 18th pick of the 2023 NBA draft, Jaquez Jr showcased some elite play, finishing the year with 11.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game over 75 games played.
At the same time, he also showcased some impressive efficiency, shooting 48.9% from the field and 32.2% from downtown. While his 3-point efficiency has room for improvement, Jaquez seems poised to be an integral part of the Heat's rotations going forward.
This summer, Jaquez Jr competed for the Miami Heat in the NBA 2k25 Summer League in Las Vegas. After an impressive rookie year, Jaquez helped lead the Heat's summer league team to an undefeated 6-0 record, despite only playing in two of the team's six games.
Thanks to his play, Jaquez Jr was named to the NBA 2k25 All-Summer League Second Team.
Looking at Boban Marjanovic's future in the NBA amid free agency
While Jaime Jaquez Jr is preparing for the 2024-25 NBA season ahead, there's been no word on Boban Marjanovic's future. Last year, Marjanovic played for the Houston Rockets on a one-year deal that saw him play in just 14 games.
Now, as a free agent, it's unclear what the future may hold for Marjanovic. At 35 years old, he may very well have played his last NBA game, given that he rarely touched the floor last year.
As one of the most beloved players in the NBA, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the center.