Jose Alvarado on Victor Wembanyama and the spurs not shaking hands at the end of the series:
“I got mixed emotions… the way he did it was a little too crazy for me cus I loved how he compete during the game”
Getty
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
NBA champion Jose Alvarado made his feelings known after witnessing San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama refuse to shake the hands of the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
Alvarado said he had mixed emotions after seeing Wembanyama snub the rest of the Knicks during the final moments of Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Wembanyama went straight to the locker room after the final buzzer in Game 5 without giving plesantries to the Knicks, whose players went on to celebrate the championship right after.
GettySAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JUNE 03: Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks shoots the ball against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
“I got mixed emotions. I mean, I am a competitor too. But I stare my enemies down. I look forward to them. I shake their hands,” Alvarado said. “Obviously, it’s a game. You don’t like that moment, you probably had the biggest game of your career, and you’re going to have those moments, but I feel like the way he did it, it was a little too crazy for me because I loved how he competed during the game. Obviously, people did not like how has been getting aggressive.”
“But bro, I mean, we were fighting for something. But between the lines, I feel anything is cool. Outside the lines, shake hands.”
Jose Alvarado on Victor Wembanyama and the spurs not shaking hands at the end of the series:
“I got mixed emotions… the way he did it was a little too crazy for me cus I loved how he compete during the game”
Wembanyama has drawn numerous reactions from former players and fans for his post-Finals conduct.
Wembanyama played as the go-to guy for the Spurs throughout the five-game NBA Finals, but the Knicks secured the championship via numerous come-from-behind performances in the series.
Alvarado played as the backup for NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson. The Puerto Rican averaged 4.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game and logged about 9.5 minutes per game.
Alvarado had eight points in the crucial Game 4 Knicks victory, which saw New York return from a 29-point deficit, capped off by an emphatic game-winning putback from OG Anunoby.
GettySAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – JUNE 13: Jose Alvarado #5 of the New York Knicks celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy after the victory against the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 13, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
With the NBA championship now in his resume, Jose Alvarado knows he is in a good position to secure a solid contract as he enters free agency in the offseason.
According to Alvarado, he needs to get paid well in his next contract. Alvarado, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, also spoke about possibly staying in the New York area.
“First of all, I got to go get paid, man,” he said in The Breakfast Club. “That’s God willing. I want to be in this for a long time. I love this life. I love the NBA life. It feeds my family, and you know, it puts me in rooms where I could never be at.”
“I got to see what makes sense for everybody. I truly do feel like if it’s a great opportunity to stay home, I stay home.”
Alvarado was traded to New York in the middle of the 2025-2026 NBA season. Before going to the Knicks, he spent four years with the New Orleans Pelicans, where he made a name for himself as a relentless defensive player and solid bench guard.
Several teams are expected to give an offer for Alvarado following his NBA title run.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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