Jose Alvarado makes the New Orleans Pelicans his priority

Jose Alvarado of the New Orleans Pelicans was one of the best stories in the NBA last season.

He went from an un-drafted free agent to part of Summer League, to the G-League and eventually earned himself a spot on the roster.

By the end of the season he was going head-to-head with Chris Paul in the playoffs and getting national attention for getting into the Hall-of-Famer’s head.

Along the way he became a fan favorite, which is understandable, as fans love an underdog, especially one who works as hard as Jose Alvarado and wears his heart on his sleeve.

The New Orleans Pelicans rewarded him with a four-year contract, committing to the young point guard who has shown that he is more than just steals.

Now Alvarado has returned the favor by making New Orleans his priority.

Jose Alvarado putting the New Orleans Pelicans first

Alvarado, who had been training and playing with the Puerto Rican national team in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers, decided to take some time off to focus on the upcoming NBA season.

Here is the statement he published on Twitter:

Alvarado has decided to forgo this portion of the World Cup qualifiers in a show of commitment to his teammates and the Pelicans’ organization.

This had to be a tough decision for Alvarado, who was playing well for Puerto Rico and bringing a lot of excitement to their national team.

This shows the type of chemistry the New Orleans Pelicans are building, as Jose felt compelled to be there with his teammates every step of the way, which may have been somewhat compromised had he continued playing for Puerto Rico.

We’ve seen it in comments from star players like Brandon Ingram, and even in the marketing materials the Pelicans have put out, which feature Alvarado, Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III on most of the covers.

New Orleans is a team first and everyone from the superstars to the end of the bench is committed to making this franchise a success.

Jose can still re-join Puerto Rico down the road, but for now, he is putting all of his effort into the Pels, repaying them for the commitment they showed by giving him a contract.