Jose Alvarado’s high school coach gets real on special Knicks NBA Finals performance

With the New York Knicks’ wild Game 4 comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, 107-106, coming back down from a deficit of 29 points, it has been cemented as a legendary all-time game in NBA history. While there were a lot of contributions, there was one Knicks unsung hero in Jose Alvarado that was key in the comeback, and while some are shocked, his high school coach is not.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Alvarado is representing his state in the biggest way, as a key part of his basketball career came when playing for Christ the King in high school under head coach Joe Arbitello. Playing 16 minutes total in Game 4, almost 10 of them came in the fourth quarter, where he made crucial plays on both sides of the ball, as Arbitello had a stress-inducing time watching the game.

“It’s hard to be a fan. My stomach is in knots,” Arbitello said, via SNY Knicks. “I can’t take the emotional roller coaster…I’m living and dying on every play for this kid. And then sometimes I just sit back and think to myself, ‘He’s playing in the NBA. If the worst possible thing that happens to him is that he loses, people would pay for that, that kind of success that he’s had.'”

"It's just such a special moment for him and it's a special moment for me and it's a special moment for everybody that loves that kid."

Jose Alvarado's high school coach at Christ the King, @ctkcoachjarbs, joins @emacSNY on SportsNite:

@Honda pic.twitter.com/kAFlvd9scI

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 12, 2026

Jose Alvarado looks to help bring a championship to the Knicks

Arbitello would continue about watching Alvarado’s progress in his basketball career, saying how “every time I think the story can’t get any better,” it absolutely does, leading to the current time with the Knicks and his role in the NBA Finals.

In Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Alvarado would record eight points on three of four shooting from the field, two of three from deep, to go along with three assists and two rebounds. Arbitello expressed how “no moment’s going to be too big for him,” citing his tough nature, having grown up in Brooklyn, and his time in high school.

At any rate, Alvarado looks to help New York in beating the Spurs in Game 5 on Saturday and bring his home state its first championship since 1973.

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