Is Jose Alvarado from Puerto Rico or Mexico? Investigating his racial and cultural origins

By | Niranjan Bhargav 18 Feb, 2023

Jose Alvarado, who was recently named MVP of the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game in 2023, is Puerto Rican. But he was a Brooklyn native who played college football for Georgia Tech. Parents of the New Orleans Pelicans point guard are Odilia Martinez and Jose Alvarado Sr. Diana Martinez, his grandmother, died in 2017 from stomach cancer, but they had been close. Along with Flor Castillo, Alvarado’s girlfriend, they have a daughter named Nazanin.

Odilia Martinez, who worked part-time at a bank, was just 17 years old when Jose Alvarado was born. His father did his best to make ends meet as well. He spent most of his time with her grandmother when they were both busy at work.

Alvarado’s defense, toughness, grit, and no-holds-barred attitude are the cornerstones of his game. He frequently attributed all those qualities to his grandmother.

Jose Alvarado always brings the hustle 😤

Hear how his grandmother's battle with cancer inspired him to give his all every time he steps on the court.#PackerAndDurham pic.twitter.com/9A8NUY4WcC
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) February 9, 2021

“All those reactions like getting everybody pumped, I swear I don’t think about it, sometimes I don’t remember it. It just goes through my game, it just comes out. I don’t even know how to explain it”

“I always compare it to my grandmother that passed away from cancer. She woke up every day fighting for her life. And I used to wake up every day complaining, ‘Oh, I got to practice. I wake up too early.’ She showed me that you can be much stronger than you are.”