Was Jose Alvarado involved in a car accident ahead of Pelicans season opener? Debunking viral tweet

New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jose Alvarado addressed and dispelled rumors claiming he was involved in a car accident on Wednesday. Just before the Pelicans' 2024-25 season opener against the Chicago Bulls, a report surfaced on social media suggesting that Alvarado had been in a car accident.

The rumor, posted by an X (formerly Twitter) account named Pelicans Press, falsely claimed that the Puerto Rican guard's availability for the season opener was uncertain due to a "knee contusion" sustained in the alleged accident.

"New Orleans #Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado was involved in a car accident this morning," the tweet read. "He was able to walk away without any major injuries. His status for today’s game is up in the air as he was already listed as questionable due to a knee contusion."

Alvarado swiftly responded to the tweet, putting an end to any concerns about his availability for the game and his involvement in the alleged accident. The young point guard clarified that it was actually one of his fans who had been in the accident and he was merely there to check on his friend, not a participant in the incident.

"I’m all good. I was not involved in a car accident today. I was just making sure my friend that was involved was ok and everyone that was there ! Appreciate the concern," Alvarado said while replying to the tweet put out by the Pelicans Press.

Alvarado featured in the game on Wednesday and contributed towards the Pelicans' 123-111 victory over the Bulls at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Jose Alvarado vs. Chicago Bulls

Jose Alvarado came off the bench in the New Orleans Pelicans' season opener against the Chicago Bulls, logging 12:48 minutes on the court. The Puerto Rican guard scored three points, shooting 1 of 3 from beyond the arc. He also contributed three assists and one steal during the game.

In the preseason, Alvarado participated in three games, where he averaged 6.7 points on 40.9% shooting from the field, including only 15.4% from 3-point range. He also averaged 2.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game in 17.6 minutes.

Moving forward, Alvarado is expected to take on a larger role for the Pelicans, especially after star guard Dejounte Murray suffered a left-hand fracture during the game against Chicago.