NEW YORK — The New York Knicks celebrated their first NBA title in 53 years with a ticker-tape parade on the streets of Manhattan on Thursday morning.
“Good Morning America” caught up with the champions ahead of the parade, including former Georgia Tech star Jose Alvarado.
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He is the fourth former Yellow Jacket to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy, joining Chris Bosh, Iman Shumpert and John Salley. The 6-foot point guard is also a native New Yorker.
“It just hits home different. You know, I’ve been a Knicks fan since I was, since I was born. My parents have been Knicks fans. And just seeing the, the progress of everything happening, I can’t really put in words. It’s just special to me. It’s special, real special,” Alvarado told GMA.
The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games. They trailed in each game and erased a 29-point deficit in Game 4 at home.
“That was one, that’s my favorite game of all time,” he said.
Alvarado not only represented his hometown, but his heritage as well. He’s only the third Puerto Rican to win NBA championship and he says it’s amazing to have his community look up to him.
“You know, just to put that my island on the on the biggest platform," he said. “You know, we win, we come back and as a Puerto Rican parade, it was meant to happen.”
But his biggest support comes from his two young daughters. “Good Morning America” asked Alvarado about the voicemail they left him before the championship-clinching Game 5.
“Like I watch it on a repeat and I’m always going to watch it because that’s what you do it for, right?"
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