Alvarado Celebrates Knicks Title on Puerto Rican Day Parade Float Alongside New York Mayor
Jose Alvarado joined New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on a float at the 69th annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on June 14, 2026 - less than 24 hours after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to claim the franchise's first championship since 1973.
Alvarado, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent and represents Puerto Rico in international competition, flew overnight from San Antonio back to New York before joining the parade. A native of Queens who attended Christ the King High School, Alvarado spent much of his time on the float shirtless, in a mood consistent with a player who had just won an NBA title. Video from the event showed him rapping Jadakiss' verse from the 2004 Ja Rule track "New York" - a song that has been repurposed as an anthem by Knicks supporters during the championship run - while Mamdani joined in. Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson was also spotted on the float.
Alvarado came to New York via a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans and made a notable contribution to the Knicks' title run, playing significant minutes in the fourth quarter of Game 4 as New York erased a 29-point deficit. The Knicks also came back from a double-digit deficit twice in Game 5 to close out the series. The championship is New York's first since Willis Reed, Walt Frazier and the 1972-73 Knicks won the title more than five decades ago.
The full Knicks roster is scheduled to take part in an official championship parade through New York City on Thursday, June 19, 2026.
