Adam Eliassof’s lifelong devotion to the Knicks began in the early ‘90s, when his late father, Mark, a Navy veteran, first brought him to the Garden. Now living in Somers in Westchester County, he has turned his basement into a fan’s dream space, displaying autographed jerseys, framed game photos, a piece of the Madison Square Garden court, and even a game-used net.
At the midpoint of the 2025-26 season, Eliassof, a 41-year-old real estate broker, feels more confident than ever about the Knicks’ championship prospects — thanks to the early February addition of 27-year-old guard Jose Alvarado.
“I’m super pumped for Alvarado,” said Eliassof, who has had season tickets at the Garden for the past 10 years and tries to go to away games whenever possible. “He’s going to give us what we need, that hustle and heart. It’s really gonna bolster the bench and our hopes of winning the title this year.”
Like Eliassof, Knicks fans are buzzing about Alvarado, a high-energy defender known around the NBA by his nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado.”
On Feb. 5, just hours before the trade deadline closed, the Knicks acquired Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans. In his first three games with the Knicks, Alvarado averaged 12 points, four assists and 2 steals.
Alvarado, a 6-foot-0 Brooklyn native, is thrilled to return to New York City. “I’m so happy to be home,” he said, introducing himself to Knicks fans. “I’ve been a Knicks fan since I was so young, and now I’ll be playing in front of all my peoples.”
Alvarado played for Christ the King Regional High School in Queens and earned the Catholic High School Athletic Association Player of the Year in 2016.
“I love that Alvarado is from New York,” said Eliassof. “The mentality he brings… he’s one of us.”
What’s more, Alvarado, who represents the Puerto Rico national team, is quickly becoming an inspiration for Latino Knicks fans. “For me, as a Dominican, it was a dream come true when the Knicks landed Karl-Anthony Towns,” said José Castillo, 48, a program manager at a food testing lab. “But now we also have Alvarado, which is crazy.”
“I know a lot of young kids who see themselves in Jose,” he added. “I’m telling my own son to look at Alvarado — he might not be the most skilled, but he’s always played the hardest. He shows us that anything is possible if you try hard.”
After graduating from Georgia Tech in 2021, Alvarado signed as an undrafted free agent with the Pelicans, where he spent four and a half seasons. Learning he was headed home made Alvarado and his family emotional.
“We were shocked, like happy shocked,” he said. “Everybody cried. I think I cried too.”
Not the right time for Giannis
Though the Knicks managed to snag Alvarado at the 11th hour, the blockbuster move NBA followers speculated about for months never happened: Giannis Antetokounmpo will finish the 2025-26 season in Milwaukee.
Knicks fans—known for both their passion and deep basketball knowledge—understand that acquiring Antetokounmpo, the “Greek Freak,” midseason would have meant gutting the roster to afford Antetokounmpo.
“Giannis is a top-five player in the league. It would be great to have him as a Knick,” said Steve Murray, 39, a bank executive and lifelong Knicks fan. “But bringing him in would mean trading away Karl-Anthony Towns, or OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges. To break up the team like that now? Not a good idea.”
In fact, for some Knicks fans, the Antetokounmpo chatter has mostly felt like media hype.
“This Knicks front office is different,” said Chuck Goldberg, a 31-year-old Manhattanite who never misses a Knicks game, whether in the Garden or on TV. “They don’t flinch or chase headlines — they have a plan. They build teams the way New York builds things: strong, tough, maybe a little ugly if it has to be, and built to last.”
Goldberg and other fans prefer to focus on the trade that happened, not the one that got away. “Alvarado is a dog, a pain in the ass, the kind of guy opponents hate,” said Goldberg. “He presses you, annoys you, and makes every possession miserable—the Garden is gonna eat that up. The guy is built for New York.”
Goldberg has high hopes for the Knicks who are third in the Eastern Conference with a 35-21 record: “Sky’s the limit for us this season. The team will make it to the Finals, no question about it.”
And for Eliassof, the question isn’t if Alvarado’s jersey will hang in his basement—it’s where it will go.
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