Puerto Rico is one of four new nations that have qualified for the 2024 Olympics in France through FIBA's qualifying tournament – the others being Brazil, Greece and Spain.
One of the players who played a key role in Puerto Rico's return to the Olympics was New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado, who scored 23 points in Sunday's qualification game.
Alvarado then dragged his kids across the court to savor the moment with them, before hopping onto the scoreboard to excite the home crowd.
A moment Jose Alvarado will never forget. When he celebrated his Olympic qualification with his daughters, he jumped onto the scoreboard. An iconic moment. pic.twitter.com/F88uXolSKR
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) July 7, 2024
He shared another great moment when he received the MVP award at the San Juan Olympic Qualifying Tournament and invited his teammates to celebrate with him.
Jose Alvarado was named the San Juan OQT MVP. He invited all his teammates to dance as the fans sang “Jose, Jose, Jose.” pic.twitter.com/7OxywiPatm
— Pelicans Film Room (@PelsFilmRoom) July 8, 2024
Alvarado and the Puerto Rican team will be in Group C at the Olympics with the United States, South Sudan and Serbia. This will be Puerto Rico's first appearance in the Olympic Games since Athens in 2004.
Alvarado, who returned to the NBA in the fall, is under contract through 2024-25 and will become a free agent after the season. The Georgia Tech graduate entered the NBA as an undrafted player and made a name for himself as a crafty and tenacious bench guard with the Pelicans. He finished sixth in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last year.
