The legend of Jose Alvarado continues with another storybook chapter

As an undersized 3-star guard not even ranked in the top 150 players in his high school class, Jose Alvarado’s chances of sticking in a giant-obsessed game were slim to none. His hopes were further decimated when he went undrafted in the 2021 NBA draft. And after receiving a DNP-CD for 27 of the 13-22 New Orleans Pelicans’ first 35 games during 2021-22 season, even the most optimistic observer would have told him to kiss it goodbye.

All those factors make this moment right here that much sweeter:

To understand how far Alvarado has come, look at who tweeted that moment. That isn’t the Twitter handle of a diehard draft analyst toiling through hours of film, hoping to discover the hidden gem of the current class. That isn’t the Twitter of a Pelicans’ beat writer desperately trying to alert the national media of just how good Alvarado secretly is.  That is the NBA account.

Last night, Alvarado didn’t just have the attention of scouts or Pelicans’ fans and media. The whole basketball world was collectively basking in his splendor.

Follow this link to NBA.com. Once you get there, hit control + F, type in “Alvarado,” and see what you get. Nothing, right? He wasn’t even one of the 30 players selected to last year’s team. In fact, this year, he was the only undrafted player selected to participate in the festivities.

And what did he do with his opportunity? The same thing he always has: beat the odds.

Through two games, Alvarado contributed 18 points, two assists, one steal, and one epic game-winner en route to tournament victory and a well-deserved Rising Stars MVP – making him the first undrafted player in NBA history to win the award. Yet another wonderful chapter in what is shaping up to be a storybook career.

In the semifinals, Alvarado’s Team Pau (coached by NBA and international legend Pau Gasol) was forced to vanquish his fellow Pelican teammate Trey Murphy III, despite the second-year forward adding nine points, two rebounds, and two assists of his own. Murphy was a member of Team Deron, which was coached by former All-Star point guard Deron Williams.