Alvarado & Champagnie: From the courts of Queens to basketball’s biggest stage
By Noah Zimmerman
noah@queensledger.com
The path to the NBA Finals is truly one forged in Queens, on the hardwood courts where countless kids dreamt of their moment of basketball greatness.
A decade after the Brooklyn-born guard finished his high school career at Christ the King in Middle Village, Queens, Jose Alvarado is living out that shared NYC dream, getting ready to suit up in orange and blue for the NBA Finals.
Alvarado was always a hard worker. While he never stood as tall as others and didn’t capture the same attention and awe as the game’s most dynamic young stars, the pesky guard found a way to carve out a significant role, making whatever impact he could on both ends of the floor.
At Georgia Tech, Jose was a two-time conference leader in steals, the first in the ACC since Chris Paul. His perseverance and hustle saw him named to two all-ACC teams, as well as the conference’s All-Tournament team and a nod for Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2021.
It’s incredibly tough for a four-year NCAA athlete to find a foothold in the NBA draft, but Alvarado was able to impress in workouts, leading to him being picked up undrafted by the New Orleans Pelicans. Now with his hometown Knicks, Alvarado has a chance to cement his place on a long list of the city’s basketball icons.
Starting for the Spurs is another former standout from the city. Staten Island native Julian Champagnie has truly come into his own this postseason after becoming a key part of the San Antonio rotation.
Champagnie starred at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn before impressing at St. John’s. The guard was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman team in 2020 before making back-to-back all-conference first teams in 2021 and 2022. Even though he wasn’t able to lead the Johnnies to titles in his time in Queens, Champagnie was fondly remembered by the Red Storm faithful.
Champagnie was undrafted in 2022 but landed with Philadelphia. He never got much of a chance with the 76ers, eventually moving to San Antonio where he continued to grow into the impactful player he is today.
No matter who takes home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2026, the impact of Queens hoops will be felt and its imprint everlasting. Both Alvarado and Champagnie are giving new life to that New York basketball dream… proving that hard work and determination can make it come true.
