Jose Alvarado (basketball)

Early life

Alvarado was born in Brooklyn to Jose Alvarado Sr., an electrician of Puerto Rican descent, and Odilia Martinez, a stay-at-home mom of Mexican descent. He lived in Lindsay Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the Pomonok Houses in Queens. After quitting football due to a neck injury, he played Catholic Youth Organization basketball at St Ann's in Flushing, Queens, where his passion for the game developed. He attended PS 200 in Queens for elementary school and later played for Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, Queens.

As a junior, he averaged 17 points and 6.5 assists per game and was named CHSAA Player of the Year. As a senior, he recorded the first quadruple-double in school history (18 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals) in a win over Xaverian High School. He was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN and a three-star recruit by 247Sports.com, and committed to Georgia Tech in September 2016.

College career

As a freshman, Alvarado started all 25 games, averaging 12.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, becoming the fourth Georgia Tech freshman to average at least 12 points, 3.5 rebounds, and two assists per game. His season ended early due to a left elbow fracture against Duke on February 11, 2018. In his sophomore season, he scored a career-high 29 points against Pittsburgh on February 20, 2019, and led the team in scoring, assists, and steals.

During his junior season, he missed seven games with an ankle injury but recorded a school-record nine steals against NC State on January 25, 2020, and was named Third Team All-ACC. In his senior year, Alvarado and Moses Wright led Georgia Tech to its first ACC title since 1993, and he was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He graduated in 2021 with a degree in literature, media and communications.

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft, Alvarado signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on August 19, 2021, splitting time with the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League. On January 25, 2022, he received a technical foul after a verbal altercation with Joel Embiid, who later praised Alvarado and paid the $2,000 fine. His two-way deal was converted to a standard four-year, $6.5 million contract on March 28, 2022. He gained social media attention in 2022 for sneaking up behind ball handlers to create steals, earning the nickname "Grand Theft Alvarado."

On December 4, 2022, he scored a career-high 38 points against the Denver Nuggets. He won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award on February 17, 2023, but his season ended in March due to a stress reaction in his right tibia. During the 2023–24 season, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in 56 games off the bench. He signed a two-year, $9 million extension with New Orleans on September 28, 2024.

In the 2024–25 season, he averaged career highs of 10.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 56 games. On February 5, 2026, he was traded to the New York Knicks for Dalen Terry and two future second-round picks. On February 11, 2026, he became the first Knicks player to record 25+ points, 5+ steals, and 5+ three-pointers off the bench, scoring 26 points in a 138–89 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

National team career

Alvarado, who was born in Brooklyn, plays for Puerto Rico's national team because of his Puerto Rican heritage. Carlos Arroyo, the team's former captain and current general manager, recruited him in 2022.

Alvarado helped Puerto Rico secure a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics by winning the semifinal against Mexico and the final against Lithuania in a 2024 FIBA qualifying tournament. He earned tournament MVP honors, averaging 16.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals, including 29 points versus Italy and 23 versus Lithuania. He primarily plays shooting guard for the national team.

Did You Know?

• He bought a house in Atlanta, becoming the first person in his family to own real estate.
• He and his girlfriend Flor Castillo have two daughters and were expecting a son in 2026.