Alex Caruso is an NBA champion again, and unlike his 2020 win no one can dispute the merits of it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder reserve guard called out his critics after he and the Thunder clinched the 2025 NBA championship with a 103-91 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.
The Thunder acquired Caruso from the Chicago Bulls for Josh Giddey one year and one day before they won their first championship since moving from Seattle in 2008.
Caruso was an integral part of OKC’s rotation in the playoffs. He played all 23 playoff games for the Thunder and averaged 9.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24 minutes per game.
Why Do Critics Say Alex Caruso Has A Fake Championship?
Though he may be best remembered for his time with the Chicago Bulls, Caruso broke into the NBA as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.
Caruso spent his first four seasons with the Lakers, including the COVID-affected 2019-20 season there. He played 21 games for the Lakers in the 2020 bubble playoffs in Orlando, where they went 16-5 and defeated the Miami Heat in six games to win the organization’s most recent championship.
But cynical NBA fans called Caruso’s a “fake title,” which the super-sub finally could put to bed.
“Now I got a real one,” Caruso said. “Now nobody can say anything.”
Caruso said the Thunder’s path to the title, which took the season to the final possible day, was difficult because he was the only player on the roster who had won a championship.
“It was much harder with this team because of the [lack of] experience,” Caruso said. “You need experience to win a championship, … but good basketball is good basketball and winning basketball is winning basketball and the best team can win no matter what happens if you go out and execute and you go out and do what you need to to win the game.”
The Thunder’s roster was much different than the 2020 Lakers, who were led by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and a roster that had eight 30-plus-year-olds.
“For me, I’ve seen greats do it, so I knew the way, I knew the mindset,” Caruso said. “But to see these guys do it, I’m so happy for the guys to figure it out and get it done.”
What Else Did Alex Caruso Say About The Thunder’s Championship?
The Thunder are clearly built to win past this season, but Caruso is going to relish the ride of 2024-25, especially due to their core’s ability to mature.
“I think this year throughout the playoffs, this team grew up and learned on the fly, which most teams have to learn through losses and learn through defeat,” Caruso said. “I think this team learned through success, and it’s a unique capability to do that for 21-to-27-year-old kids.”
The Thunder’s entire roster is locked in through at least 2025-26, and they are loaded with picks — they have five over the next two combined drafts. But Caruso is still going to relish this opportunity, since it may not happen again.
“At this moment right now, I’m thinking about celebrating with my brothers,” Caruso said. “To be able to get to the pinnacle of the sport is nothing short of extraordinary, and to think you can do it every year is naive.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Alex Caruso Sends Bold Message on 2nd Title: ‘Now I Have a Real One’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.