The NBA Draft night is a life-changing event for any basketball player but the Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. has revealed that he took things to another level in 2023.

Jaquez Jr. was the 18th pick at the glitzy event in New York by the Heat and understandably wanted to celebrate his step into the NBA with a night out in the city that never sleeps.

And a landmark moment in his life took an extra extravagant turn, he revealed in an interview on the ‘Straight to Cam’ podcast with WNBA star Cameron Brink, when he met his now girlfriend, the model Dominique Ruotolo.

‘I met her in New York on draft night. I was having the time of my life. My dream came true,’ he explained.

‘I bump into her, literally bump into her, like straight out of a movie. We start talking and chatting, and then as the night progresses, we were having a great time, talking and getting to know each other.’

But if things felt too good to be true for Jaquez Jr., now 24, it’s because they probably were. The amount of tequila he had been drinking was catching up with him.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. has opened up on an awkward first night with girlfriend Dominique Ruotolo

Jaquez Jr. had been celebrating in New York after being drafted by the Miami Heat in 2023

But he drank so much tequila that model Ruotolo had to take him back to his H๏τel room

He continued: ‘I’m like (to Ruotolo), “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go get some pizza or something.” She was like, ‘Okay, let’s go.”‘

‘As soon as I got in the Uber, and the loud music and the lights stopped going, I realized, “Oh wow. I can’t go get pizza. I need to go home.”‘

‘She was like, “What do you mean?” I was like, “I’m not okay. Please take me home.”

‘She’s like, “Wait, what do you mean? You’re taking me to your H๏τel? Who are you? I don’t know you,” and I said, “Please, just take me home.”‘

Things got worse for Jaquez Jr when he got back to his room – where his brother was waiting for him.

‘She ends up taking me to my H๏τel. She takes me up to my room, my brother is asleep and he’s like, “What is going on?” And I end up making a beeline for the bathroom,’ Jaquez said.

‘You guys can put the story together from there. I ended up dying.’

The next morning, the new NBA star began his day by sending a groveling apology to Ruotolo, who was understanding and forgiving.

Jaquez Jr invited Ruotolo for a night out in Los Angeles three months after his tequila binge

But it still took Jaquez Jr. another three months to rebuild the courage to ask her out again.

‘We didn’t talk for about three months. I’m living my life, she’s living hers,’ he said, before a friend suggested he invited her out when he was in Los Angeles.

‘She came, brought her friends, and the rest is history. We hit it off that night. Fell in love so quick. She forgave me for my dark moment. And yeah, we hit it off. I had just drank straight tequila all night. My boys are crazy.’

Jaquez Jr. and the Heat made the postseason playoffs in the 2024-25 season but were ruthlessly swept 4-0 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.