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New York Hoops, Nationwide Impact

BQE Admin on May 7, 2026

How New York is headlining the hardwood

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

New York City is balling out, but the impact of local hoops is being felt across the country. The Knicks are red hot, former Johnnies are playing big postseason roles, and Brooklyn’s past youngsters are forging paths forward.

Jose hoops at home

Brooklyn native and former Christ the King standout Jose Alvarado laced up his shoes at the Mecca for his first playoff series as a Knick. Jose played five of the six games against Atlanta, scoring 5 and picking up a steal on average in 9.6 minutes played.

While most of the heavy lifting was done by Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Mikal Bridges, the Puerto Rican point guard helped keep NY’s energy and effort with the rest of the Knick reserves.

On Monday night Jose picked up another 5 points as well as an assist, a rebound, and a steal as the Knicks trounced the Philadelphia 76ers by 39 points.

Daniss in Detroit

Daniss Jenkins went undrafted after a stellar senior year at St. John’s. The guard followed Rick Pitino from the Iona Gaels to the Red Storm for his final year, where he averaged 14.9 points and 5.4 assists.

Now with the Detroit Pistons in his second year as a pro, Jenkins is starting to make a name for himself. He knocked down a huge buzzer-beating three against Orlando to help Detroit overcome a 3-1 series deficit, leading all bench scorers with 16 in the Game 7 win.

Jenkins isn’t the only former Johnnie playing postseason ball this year. Julian Champagnie spent three years in Queens, standing out in his sophomore and junior seasons. While it took the sharpshooting guard some time to settle, he’s finally carved out a significant role for the San Antonio Spurs. Champagnie cemented his role over the past two seasons, playing all 164 regular season games with 68 starts this past year.

Pitino’s stars blossom

Pitino’s other stars are also starting to blossom on the NBA stage. In the 2nd round, Jenkins took on the Cavs, featuring one of Hall of Fame coach’s top performers at Louisville, Donovan Mitchell.

For the upcoming NBA draft, Pitino’s recent senior standouts have been invited to the combine this month. BIG EAST Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor will be hunting a first round selection, accompanied by Dillon Mitchell, who hopes to impress with his defense, athleticism, and potential.

A first round selection would be the first out of St. John’s since Philadelphia drafted Moe Harkless 15th overall in 2012 (Dom Pointer was a 2nd round pick in 2015, but only played in the NBA Development League and abroad).

BK’s past powers Cavs

The Brooklyn Nets of years past have their fingerprints all over Cleveland’s Game 7 win against Toronto. Leading the charge was Kenny Atkinson, who coached Brooklyn during some pivotal years. Atkinson picked up his second playoff series win, also advancing out of the first round last season.

The difference-maker in the winner-take-all game was Jarrett Allen. The former Nets 1st round draft pick recorded a monster double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds. Allen averaged 11.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game in the series.

A few other former Nets filled out the Cavs roster. James Harden averaged a hair over 20 points per game with 6 assists and 5.3 rebounds. Dennis Shroder also added some minutes off the bench for Cleveland, 

Cloudy skies ahead

After what seemed like an eternity, Natasha Cloud has put pen to paper. The veteran guard will be with the Chicago Sky for the 2026 season, joining another former NY fan favorite in Courtney Vandersloot.

Cloud averaged about 10 points and 5 assists in her one year with the Liberty. Between her contagious energy and unshakable passion to speak on social issues, Natasha stands out despite joining New York after their championship season and playing just over 40 games.

From the Archives – August 26, 2021: “Former Christ the King Star Jose Alvarado Signs with Pelicans”

BQE Admin on February 12, 2026

Plenty has changed from CTK to Georgia Tech and the Pelicans, but Alvarado’s tough style of play hasn’t. (Photos from D1Scout.com, ramblinwreck.com, & @PelicansNBA)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

Five years ago, Jose Alvarado was named CHSAA Player of the Year, turning heads at Christ the King High School in Middle Village. Now the Brooklyn native is on his way to an NBA career, recently signing a two-way contract with the Pelicans.

“When I first met him I thought he was a win at all cost player, the ones I love,” said Christ the King head coach Joe Arbitello. “I knew he would be successful at whatever he chose to do. It’s not a surprise to me he’s in the NBA.”

Alvarado was a four-star recruit out of high school, landing at Georgia Tech under head coach Josh Pastner. In his first year he averaged 12 points, the fourth most by a GT freshman.

By his senior year, Alvarado was averaging 15.2 points and 2.8 steals, a tough player on both sides of the ball. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year as Georgia Tech finished 4th in the conference before making a run for the ACC championship.

“Jose is a hard worker, a real hard-nosed individual,” said Pastner. “Coaches love guys like him. He does all the little things to help you win games, fights for every 50/50 ball. That’s what made him Defensive Player of the Year and back-to-back steals leader, the first in the ACC since Chris Paul.”

Up five in the final seconds of the championship game, Alvarado sealed the title with a steal and assist.

“This is why I work my butt off,” said an emotional Alvarado after the game. “A lot of people doubted me. I wasn’t supposed to be in the ACC, but coach took a chance on me,”

Not many players in his situation end up in the NBA, but on draft night, Alvarado knew he had a chance.

“I worked out for 17 different teams and honestly I didn’t know who was going to pick me,” said Alvarado. “I knew the chances of getting drafted were pretty low, but as the process went I started to feel that this might happen, I might get my name called. When I got the phone call it was a dream come true, like a number one pick for me.”

While he didn’t end up picked in the top 60, Alvarado was a part of the Pelicans’ draft day plans. They kept a keen eye on him as they dealt their final pick of the draft, later picking up the Yellow Jackets star.

New Orleans was one of the most comfortable pre-draft workouts for Alvarado, who kept busy in the months leading up to the draft.

“It felt really good,” he said. “They welcomed me with open arms and good energy. It was a good fit, not forced or anything, one of my best workouts easily.”

In the NBA Summer League, Jose took the floor looking to prove he belonged on the roster. In his five games, he did exactly that, leading the team in steals, blocks, and rebounds per game while finishing second in points and assists.

Alvarado’s energy was contagious and he remained confident as ever on the ball. While he has plenty of growth to do, he got valuable experience to learn the speed of the pro game.

With his NBA career on the horizon, Alvarado still looks back to his time hooping in his hometown.

“New York is always gonna be my home, when I go to Christ the King, they’re always gonna be my family. They show so much love because they know my story, they were there with me. My story’s different from a lot of others because not a lot of guys like me get a chance to make it. Where I’m from, that’s never happened.”

Alvarado’s stats may not pop off of the box score, but his effort, dedication, and heart certainly stand out on the court. He knows his role and he plays it well. Whether starting, coming off the bench, or training with the team, the Pelicans are lucky to have Alvarado on board.

“I’m 6-foot on a good day, don’t have the craziest length, I can’t jump up and jam, don’t have the best jump shot, but I give my heart out and I’ll give it my all every time,” he said. “I play like I’m 7-foot and I play like I’m jumping out of the gym.”

This article was originally published on August 26, 2021. Alvarado was traded to the New York Knicks on February 5, 2026.

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