Alex Caruso's Championship Mentality is the rise of youth thunder

Melissa Rohl

Fox Sports NBA Vriter

Lebron James played with a lot of stars because of his 22 seasonal career, including twine wades, Kirie Irving Anthony Davis and Luka Doncic.

But when it comes to who enjoyed the decision of the court mostly, the face of the league recently mentioned a different name and discussed that Oklahoma City ThunderWhat are three victories from the first franchise championship.

“They come from the bench with one of my favorite teammates of all time Alex CarusoWho is the final knife of the Swiss Army “,” James recently said on the podcast “Um in the match”.

“We literally saw him guarding Giannis, we saw him guarding the joker, we saw him guard Ant, we saw him guarding Julius Randle, we saw him Jamal Murrai throughout this postsetzone. And you look at the plus-minus after the game, AC will have five points, three jumps, two assists and his plus-minus will be cursed plus-17. “

Caruso is a type of player whose influence goes beyond the boxed. His game didn’t shine. It’s Gritty. He is the ultimate worker of a blue collar that plays the hard defense, buzzing around the superstar like the irritating fly are desperate towards SVAT.

He went to be in 2016. years nedged from Texas A & M and had to cland from G League to help Los Angeles Lakers Win their first title for 10 years in 2020. years, and often draw MVP chantes from adoration of crowds. And after leaving to Chicago Bulls In a free agency in August 2021. it grew into two-way NBA all defensive team selection.

Last June, Thunderbolt gave him out of bulls, because they wanted someone to be with the experience of the Championship to help the leadest team of the league, which has an average age of 24,148 years.

The 31-year-old Caruso was a difference created for the lightning lightning.

His Magnum Opus came in the second round of playoffs in the winner – all the match 7 against Denver Nuggetswho won the 1823 champion. year and hired a triple MVP Nikola Jokic.

For most of the game, Thunder Coach Mark Daignealt had Caruso guard Jokic, which has 100 kilograms and six inches on guard with shooting / small forward. The result? Caruso ended with stunning +40, while helping the Yokic’s maintenance at nine attempts on the field.

Caruso has passed in a big way in the game 2 NBA finals. After Lasting lost the game 1 in a dramatic way, with Indiana Pacers star Tires Haliburton Making buzzers with 0.3 seconds left, Caruso was well-being that his team could not afford to go into play 2 on their domestic court, which would put them in a series 2-0 with the next two matches on the road.

So, although it usually operates in shadows, doing things that are sharper trained trained basketball minds, but not temporary statistics, he helped to take the game. He played a notice defense, and at the same time, the second leading shooter with 20 points, including four 3-pointers.

After the game, a 23-year-old Chet Holmgren It was also asked about Caruso’s energy despite his (very relative) advanced age.

DRAWED HOLMGREN: “Don’t respect our goat like that, man.”

Although that question was completely light, the truth was Caruso felt dishonestly for a lot of his career. She inspired him to constantly grow his game, like a tree that overturned to reach sunlight.

Necessary? Make Pennies on the dollar in G League? Caruso built a chip on the shoulder, which used it as a motivation to approach each ownership with an endless intensity of his career that is on the line.

It worked.

Caruso has turned a two-way contract with Lakers in standard, two years, $ 5.5 million in July 2019. years. It limited that he inspired him to inspire the bulls to hinder $ 37 million in the amount of $ 37 million in $ 37 million in the amount of four million dollars. He recently agreed to a four-year extension of $ 81 million with the thunder in December.

Now, Caruso shines at the highest stages, with another championship in his understanding.

Although thunderbols has a league of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the stars Jalen Williams And Holmgren, Oklahoma City knows a big reason that they have recently adopted a key decision on caruso, whose shortened play, leadership skills and sharp mind and sharp differences in their quest for their first Larry O’Brien trophy.

As for James, it says about the quantity that one of his favorite teammates remain a guy who initially didn’t even deserve Rosteric place in the NBA.

A few years ago, when Caruso returned with bulls for his first game in Los Angeles, where his career indeed He started, he affected his trip, which has since taken up even larger heights – including him, and now he helped the thunder ending with the highest defense in the league, in regular season and awarding.

For Caruso, and then now has the same motivation.

As he stood in the hallway of the Crypto.com Arena after the video, then inspired by the injured James to walk on the street clothes to hug him in November 2021. years, Karuso reflected him that he inspired him from his trip.

“Thirty-two teams thought I wasn’t good enough to play in NBA,” Caruso said Fox SportIt is obvious to add two additional teams in order to have already shone gently appeared even worse in his mind.

Melissa Rohlin is included NBA A writer for fox sports. She has previously covered the league for illustrated sports, Los Angeles Times, News Gulf Group and News San Antonio Express news. Follow it on Twitter @Melissarohl.