The New Orleans Pelicans will have an Olympian representing them this summer in Paris.
On Sunday, Jose Alvarado led Puerto Rico to a 79-68 win over Lithuania. His 23 points helped Puerto Rico clinch a spot in the Olympics for the first time since 2004.
Puerto Rico will be a part of Group C along with the United States, Serbia and South Sudan. That means Alvarado will face off against LeBron James, Kevin Durant and the star-studded American roster in group play.
Puerto Rico punched its ticket to Paris in its capital city of San Juan. Alvarado celebrated with the exuberant crowd by stepping onto the scorerβs table.
A moment Jose Alvarado will never forget. Celebrating an Olympic berth with his daughters then jumping on the scorers table. Iconic pic.twitter.com/F88uXolSKR
β Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) July 7, 2024
Alvarado was named the MVP of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament that was held in San Juan.
Puerto Rico is guaranteed three games in group play. It faces South Sudan on July 28; Serbia on July 31; and the U.S. on Aug. 3.
Alvarado, who born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, chose to play for Puerto Rico because of his ancestry. Longtime NBA player and Puerto Rican standout Carlos Arroyo recruited Alvarado. The two embraced with a hug after Puerto Rico clinched its spot in the Olympics on Sunday.Β
Special moment for Carlos Arroyo as he returns to the Olympic stage with Puerto Rico π΅π·#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/n3Itnj3xq1
β FIBA (@FIBA) July 8, 2024
"The game was amazing," Alvarado told reporters. "The atmosphere was great. This game was everything we worked for. For us, for the island, we knew it was more than basketball. We knew how great we had to be to represent this island. As a kid, I wasn't born in the island so I'm learning so much about this game and the history that came with it. I'm just so happy to be a part of it. JJ (Barea), Carlos (Arroyo) and all those greats that were here created a path for us."
Former LSU guard Tremont Waters added 18 points for Puerto Rico. Waters was responsible for one of the highlights from Sunday's game. Early on, he whipped a behind-the-back pass to George Conditt for a dunk.
π΅π· Tremont Waters behind the back pass to George Conditt for the slam has us like π₯΅π₯΅π₯΅π±π±π±#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/kDITnoUIBH
β FIBA (@FIBA) July 7, 2024