After José Alvarado won the NBA Finals with the New York Knicks, he promised to bring the Larry O'Brien Trophy to Puerto Rico. The trophy arrived at Luis Muñoz Marín Airport, and Carlos Arroyo, general manager of the Puerto Rico National Team, confirmed it was the original trophy. Arroyo described the process as 'complicadísimo' due to the trophy's handling and transportation requirements.
The trophy has an estimated value of $15,000 to $30,000 and is made of 14.5 to 15.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil with a 24-karat gold coating. Yum Ramos, president of the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation, explained that the process took four to five days and involved communication with the NBA and the Knicks. The trophy will be returned to New York on Friday.
Alvarado is the third Puerto Rican player to win an NBA championship, following Alfred 'Butch' Lee in 1980 and José Juan Barea in 2011.