Former Georgia Tech Star Jose Alvarado Leads Puerto Rico to a Berth in the 2024 Olympics, named TISSOT MVP

Alvarado is now going to be competing in the 2024 Summer Olympics

Apr 29, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado (15) brings the ball up court against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (7) during the first half of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

What an incredible week it was for former Georgia Tech basketball star Jose Alvarado.

He scored a game-high 23 points Sunday, leading his Puerto Rico team to a 79-68 victory over Lithuania in the championship game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico team, ending a 20-year Olympic drought, becomes the final team to qualify for the 2024 Olympic games, July 27-August 10 in Paris, France.

Not only that, but he was named TISSOT MVP of the FIBA Qualifying Tournament.

MVP, MVP, MVP 🗣️@AlvaradoJose15 | #StingEmhttps://t.co/NPvDsYUHsh

— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) July 8, 2024

The leader of the Yellow Jackets’ 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship team becomes the sixth Yellow Jacket player to compete in the Olympics since 2004. Tech has sent a player to compete in every Olympic games dating back to 2004.

• 2024 – Jose Alvarado (PUR)
• 2020 – Josh Okogie (NIG) / Avi Schafer (JPN)
• 2016 – Alade Aminu (NIG)
• 2012 – Alade Aminu (NIG)
• 2008 – Chris Bosh (USA)
• 2004 – Stephon Marbury (USA)

Alvarado, Tremont Waters and company led from the end of the first period on before a crowd of 13,504 fans at Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot. Alvarado set the tone with suffocating defense, breathtaking speed and bulls-eye accuracy from beyond the arc.

The New Orleans Pelicans guard scored 10 points in a key stretch of the third quarter where Puerto Rico took control of the game. He finished with 23 points, six rebounds, and two steals for a 23 efficiency while shooting 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from downtown.

He was the second-leading scorer in the San Juan Olympic Qualifying Tournament, averaging 16 points on the strength of his 29-point game against Italy in the group phase and his 23-point effort Sunday night. Alvarado connected on 50 percent of his shots from the floor (22-for-44), 50 percent from three-point range (12-for-16) and 100 percent from the foul line (8-for-8).

Exactly 20 years after Puerto Rico shocked the world by defeating the United States in Athens, they return to the Olympic games, sharing Group C with the United States, Serbia, and South Sudan in Paris.