Jose Alvarado, a Brooklyn native, makes his Knicks debut: 'I just feel like it was meant to be'
Jose Alvarado of the New York Knicks knocks the ball away from Payton Pritchard of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at TD Garden on Sunday. Credit: Getty Images/Winslow Townson
BOSTON — Late in the third quarter Jose Alvarado let fly with a three from the corner, right in front of the Celtics bench, and as it missed everything the players on the bench let him know it. But rather than sulk, he did what he has done for his entire career — sneaking up behind Jaylen Brown near midcourt, poking the ball free and then scoring on a layup ahead of the defense.
And then he turned to the Celtics bench and let them know, too.
“They basically said, 'You’re going to miss,'” Alvarado said afterward. “And I said, 'That’s how you get it back,' you know what I’m saying? Who cares about the miss if you get it back on the back tip and layup and it worked out in my favor.”
Alvarado’s arrival in a trade deadline deal may have felt like an emotional maneuver, returning the Brooklyn-born point guard to his hometown team. But more than just a chance to see his family that still reside in the same home, he gave the Knicks what they desperately needed on the court — an infusion of defense, toughness and energy.
With one walkthrough his only chance to acclimate himself to the team Alvarado still played 25 minutes, contributed 12 points, two steals, a block and six deflections, pestering Payton Pritchard and Brown all over the court in a 111-89 Knicks win on Sunday. After the backcourt steal (that went to Landry Shamet, who caught the deflection), he then raced out to pick up Brown on the final possession of the quarter, stripping him in the lane and flexing to the Knicks bench.
Alvarado may be the type of player that teammates and fans enjoy much more when he’s in their uniform than when he’s sneaking up behind them or even throwing punches.
But there was some emotion for him, even as his debut came at TD Garden rather than Madison Square Garden.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “But I just feel like it was meant to be. It feels like I’ve been part of it for a while, even though it was the first game. Like it felt like nothing. It felt like home. It felt like it was supposed to happen this way. And I’m glad I did.”
The 27-year-old went undrafted after stellar careers at Christ the King High School and then Georgia Tech, but in his fifth season with the New Orleans Pelicans he had established himself as a defensive pest and a point guard who can help relieve the pressure on Brunson. And in New York, he knows that he’s home.
Asked how many calls he’s gotten since the trade, he said, “Too many. Too many. But like I said, this is a blessing. I’m from here. My family never left the city. To be in that atmosphere, I mean, they’ve been Knicks fans since before me. To be with a team that’s trying to contend for something and me be a part of it is pretty special.
“To be honest, I can’t even say I ever dreamed about this. If you know my story, I’m not saying I wasn’t going to make it to the NBA, but it was a big question for me. To be part of the city it’s just a surreal feeling.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
