Jose Alvarado, Knicks
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NBA player Jose Alvarado poses with his daughter prior to a game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints in the game at Caesars Superdome on November 23, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Veteran guard Jose Alvarado made an immediate impact in his New York Knicks debut on Sunday, finishing with 12 points, two steals and two assists off the bench to help his team beat the Boston Celtics, 111-89.
After the game, Josh Hart sent a four-word message that captured how Knicks fans feel about Alvarado, who is already a favorite among the fanbase.
Josh Hart
José, José, José, José!
Hart also praised Alvarado in his postgame news conference.
“That’s him,” Hart said of Alvarado, who was a pest defensively in his Knicks debut.
“He’s a really good on-ball defender, takes the challenge of being a great secondary ball handler for us, being able to playmake, get into the paint, handle pressure, so what you got from Jose today is the player he is,” Hart added, via NYPost
Jose Alvarado Shines
Further to Hart’s point, Alvarado was originally earmarked for 21 minutes by Knicks head coach Mike Brown, but saw his minutes rise to 25 with his third-quarter showing. Besides stripping the ball twice from Jaylen Brown, Alvarado did a number on Payton Pritchard, holding the Celtics guard to 1-of-4 shooting as the primary defender.
Alvarado, a native New Yorker, said that his trade tot he Knicks was “meant to be” after his electric debut performance.
“It just feels like it was meant to be,” Alvarado said.
“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.”
Jose Alvarado’s ‘Unmatched’ Energy
Knicks head coach praised Alvarado’s infectious energy, which his team needs while Miles McBride is sidelined for an extended period.
“He brings a level of toughness to this team, his energy is unmatched,” Brown said of Alvarado, via SNY. “What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the front court with the ball especially on the pick-and-rolls and stuff, is at a pretty high level.
“He shoots it better than people think, too. We want to play fast and we believe he’s a guy who will come in and push the pace, get into our offense, and all of that because he’s quick and has a low center of gravity — excited to have him.”
Alvarado will play his first Knicks home game Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers. The pesky guard is expected to get a rousing ovation from the Madison Square Garden fans, who always seem to appreciate blue-collar players like Alvarado.
The red-hot Knicks (34-19) have won nine of their last 10 games, which includes impressive wins against the Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers and Raptors. Their only loss during the stretch came to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons when the Knicks were without three starters and three other key rotational pieces.