Asked to describe how far he’s traveled in just the past 18 months – going from undrafted to undisputed champion of the New Orleans fan base – Jose Alvarado replied Sunday, “It’s amazing. It’s a story you can’t (make up). I’d be lying if I said when I was a kid, this is what I thought it was going to be. It’s something I really couldn’t explain.”
Indeed. How could anyone predict – including the man himself – that a player averaging 8.7 points this season would get blazing-hot Sunday, pouring in 38 points vs. Denver, rocketing past his previous NBA best of 23? How about the same guard doubling his career high of four three-point makes in a game, by going 8/11 from deep in just 27 minutes? A standing ovation from 15,000-plus fans and a subsequent “Jo-se! Jo-se! Jo-se! Jo-se!” serenade as he exited Sunday’s 121-106 win?
Pelicans Highlights: Jose Alvarado career-high 38 points vs. Denver Nuggets 12/4/22
Actually, the latter wasn’t surprising at all, given that the Smoothie King Center crowd now commonly sings in tribute to the 24-year-old, a tradition that began in earnest during the 2022 playoffs. Since then, Pelicans supporters have embraced Alvarado at a level normally reserved for perennial All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. Alvarado’s 38-points-in-27-minutes eruption gave his raucous supporters perhaps their biggest opportunity yet to show appreciation for the 6-foot, 179-pounder, particularly as he piled up 19 first-half points, then 19 more in the fourth quarter.
“It’s amazing. The love he gets, he deserves it all and more,” said forward Zion Williamson (25 points vs. Denver). “Because away from the court, he’s still that same dude. You can’t help but love him.”
“Everybody loves him,” center Willy Hernangomez said. “He plays with passion, heart, gives everything he has every single game. It doesn’t matter if it’s G League, or here. He plays for the city, lives for the city. The city sees that and is proud.”
With second place in the Western Conference at stake, Alvarado lifted New Orleans (15-8) from a 14-point first-half deficit against Denver (14-9), for stretches singlehandedly carrying the Pelicans. He started 4/4 from deep, making just about every three-point attempt when his feet were set all afternoon. The Georgia Tech product brought the crowd out of their seats on numerous occasions, culminating with Pelicans forward/center Larry Nance Jr. gesturing to fans as Alvarado was subbed out for a final time, imploring for them to cheer. They didn’t need any prompting.
Jose Alvarado on his career-high night, team win | Pelicans Nuggets Postgame Interview 12/4/2022
“It’s amazing,” Alvarado said of the crowd’s reaction. “It can never get old. Every time they scream Jose or do that (Jo-se!) chant, or show me so much love, it gives me goosebumps.”
“They love Jose,” forward Naji Marshall said. “The way they embrace him is crazy. It’s a blessing.”
Asked to explain Alvarado’s seemingly boundless appeal to fans, Williamson summed up the ongoing love affair by detailing some of the reasons the scrappy guard is so beloved in the Gulf South.
“In this world, as humans, we love an underdog story,” Williamson said. “To see someone like Jose, not the tallest guy out there, doesn’t have a lot of the physical attributes a prototypical NBA player would have, and he’s not just out there, he’s making an impact. He’s the X-factor for us. When people see that – and he’s telling (the crowd) to stand up and get hyped – it’s infectious energy. You can’t help but want to be a part of that.”