Jose Alvarado once dreamed of being the next José Reyes.
As he prepares to fulfill a different lifelong dream by playing for the Knicks in the NBA Finals, Alvarado spent a night off Wednesday with his family at Citi Field during the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Reds.
He grew up a Mets fan about 15 minutes away in Brooklyn during the years that Reyes manned shortstop.
Jose Alvarado on the field before the Mets’ 4-2 win over the Reds on
May 27, 2026 at Citi Field. Ryan Dunleavy/New York Post
Jose Alvarado had his own jersey. Ryan Dunleavy/New York Post
Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) before the game. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Alvarado was presented with a Mets jersey with his name and No. 5 on the back as well as other Mets memorabilia.
He practiced his imaginary swing in the dugout and signed an autograph for a thrilled young Knicks fan before going to the clubhouse to meet some players.
Alvarado is averaging 4.2 points and 1.1 assists in 8.5 minutes per game during the playoffs.
The Eastern Conference champion Knicks will visit the winner of the Thunder/Spurs series June 3 in their first NBA Finals game since 1999.
