After the New York Knicks’ thrilling come-from-behind victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals this week, Karl-Anthony Towns delivered one of the funniest lines of the night in a press conference.
Asked about Knicks teammate Jose Alvarado’s skills and influence on the court, Towns said with a smile, “As a Dominican, it’s hard for me to talk about Puerto Ricans like this.”
The room was filled with laughter. So was Alvarado.
The joke capitalized on a long, mostly friendly rivalry that has existed for decades, with Dominicans and Puerto Ricans arguing about everything from baseball and basketball to music, food and national pride.
But it also highlighted what the players represent in New York.
For generations, the Dominican and Puerto Rican communities have helped shape the sound, flavor, and spirit of New York City. Their flags fly from apartment windows, their music fills summer block parties, and their passion lights up basketball courts across the five boroughs.
Now, two players in that same tradition are helping lead the Knicks to one of the most memorable postseasons in NBA history.
And for many Latino fans, that means much more than basketball.
Towns, an All-Star center for the Knicks, grew up in New Jersey and was selected No. 1 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Before arriving in New York, he spent nine seasons in Minnesota, where he was a multiple All-Star and established himself as one of the league’s top big men.
Towns, whose mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, was born in the Dominican Republic, has proudly embraced her Dominican identity throughout her career.
As a teenager, he chose to represent the Dominican Republic on the international stage despite interest from the United States. He led the Dominican national team to a gold medal at the 2012 Centro Basket Championship, the premier regional tournament for national teams from the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, becoming a source of pride for Dominicans throughout the country and diaspora.
That connection feels especially strong in New York. No other city outside the Dominican Republic is so closely tied to Dominican culture. In neighborhoods like Washington Heights and Inwood, Dominican flags hang from storefronts and apartment balconies, and basketball courts serve as community gathering spots.
When Towns started playing for the Knicks, many fans saw it as a return home. “He’s coming home,” Mike Jones, coach of the Dominican Power Street basketball team, told the New York Post in 2024 after the trade.
For Towns, the journey was also deeply personal. In 2020, he lost his mother to complications from COVID-19, a tragedy that forever changed his life and career.
During the Knicks’ playoff run, Towns often talked about holding on to his memories. “I feel her presence, and I just want to make her proud.”
If Towns represents one side of Latino basketball history, Alvarado represents another.
The Brooklyn native, who is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent, was largely ignored by many scouts because of his size. At just 6 feet tall (small by NBA standards), he earned a role with the New Orleans Pelicans after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech before being traded to the Knicks earlier this year.
Now, his signature steals and fearless style have earned him the nickname “Grand Theft Alvarado” and made him one of the league’s most beloved role players.
Like Towns, Alvarado has embraced expressing his roots and has become one of Puerto Rico’s most prominent basketball ambassadors.
In 2025, the National Puerto Rico Day Parade named Alvarado its Athlete of the Year for both his accomplishments on the court and his impact on the Puerto Rican community.
“Being able to express my Puerto Rican roots in such a meaningful way is a dream come true,” Alvarado said while accepting the honor. “This is not just for me, but for everyone who has supported me along the way.”
Both players are also part of a larger story: the history of Latin Americans who have helped shape professional basketball for decades.
In 1978, Puerto Rico’s Alfredo “Butch” Lee became one of the first Latino players in the NBA, helping to open doors for future generations.
Players like Carlos Arroyo, J.J. Barea, Al Horford, and Manu Ginobili later demonstrated that Latino athletes could become stars, champions, and future Hall of Famers.
The NBA currently has players with roots in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Cuba, Brazil, Argentina, and other parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.
And their influence extends far beyond the athletes themselves. The Latino community has become some of the league’s most passionate fan bases, filling arenas, organizing youth leagues, and helping grow the sport in cities across the United States.
That passion for the game is especially evident in New York.
Walk through Washington Heights, the South Bronx, Bushwick, or Jackson Heights on a summer evening and you’ll find packed courts where Spanish and English blend as naturally as a crossover dribble or jump shot.
So for many young fans around the city, watching Towns and Alvarado succeed on the NBA’s biggest stage will mean more than just a championship.
It’s about imagining themselves in NBA jerseys and realizing that the future of basketball increasingly resembles their community.
For them, the message is clear: You belong here too.
