Jose Alvarado grew up playing the game in Brooklyn and starred at Christ the King HS in Queens.
So when he heard the ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd when he checked in late in the first quarter in his home debut as a Knick, it hit him.
“It’s different,’’ Alvarado said. “Playing for the Knicks is a huge thing, but I’m literally a kid from the same streets the fans are, and to be part of everything here, it’s a blessing. It’s something I had to get used to and to get it out of the way, let’s get the ball rolling.”
As for the reaction itself, Alvarado said: “It was amazing. Being a kid from the city, for the city to show me love back, it’s one for the books. I really can’t explain it.”
Of course, the result was far from ideal, as the Knicks suffered their worst loss of the season, a 137-134 overtime dud against the awful Pacers. And Alvarado finished with just four points in 18:13, although he did have five assists.
“It’s not the outcome we wanted, but I’ll tell you this, it was a blessing to be out there,’’ Alvarado said. “I can’t wait to continue growing and getting better.”
He had a large section of fans on hand. When asked the number of people in his group, Alvarado said, “A lot.”
“I was nervous today, for sure,” the point guard said. “There was a lot going on. I was glad I got it out the way. I can’t wait to come back and get better and win some games here.”
And while the former Christ the King star had some good moments, he was far from his best, as the Knicks couldn’t pull away.
After sparking the Knicks to a convincing win in Boston on Sunday, Alvarado didn’t check in until there was 2:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Coming out of a Knicks timeout, Alvarado entered to a loud ovation with the team trailing by one point.
It didn’t take long for Alvarado to make an impact, first saving Jalen Brunson from a turnover and then assisting on Brunson’s 3-pointer later in the possession. He also dove into the stands to save another possession.
But there were ultimately too many mistakes by Alvarado and his teammates.
Still, there will undoubtedly be better moments in his hometown for Alvarado.
“It was always great for him to come home,’’ Joe Arbitello, Alvarado’s high school coach at Christ the King said before the game of his former player’s days with the New Orleans Pelicans. “For it to happen as a Knick brings it to another level.”
Arbitello was among those in the crowd supporting Alvarado and it’s an atmosphere the coach believes Alvarado will thrive in, even if that wasn’t the case Tuesday.
“I think he’ll be great here, just like he always is,’’ Arbitello said.
But unlike some other players who might play with added intensity in front of their home crowd, Arbitello said it might be different for the New York native.
“He’s going to be the same player he’s always been,’’ Arbitello said. “He’s going to play with the same toughness we saw from him every day in every game and every practice.”
So the spotlight of the Garden won’t change his former star?
“It doesn’t matter where he is,’’ Arbitello said. “He could be at the Garden or at a rec game. He’s going to be the same guy and play as hard as he possibly can.”
Which is why Arbitello is among the people who believe he’ll excel as a Knick and draw praise from the Garden faithful.
“If he plays like he did in New Orleans or anywhere else he’s been before now and he does it here, I think he’s gonna be a fan favorite,’’ Arbitello said. “He brings what New York fans love: toughness, hard-nosed, winning basketball. We’ve seen it for years and for it to come here, it’s gonna be electric.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
