Home/NBA

USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

Alex Caruso has become a fan favorite for the Los Angeles Lakers. The former G-League player is one of the most adored players on the Lakers. The rise of Caruso has been one of the feel-good stories in recent Laker history and is one of the unexpected stars to come out of the 2019-2020 season.

Caruso played all four years of college basketball at Texas A&M. In 2016, Caruso entered the NBA Draft but went undrafted. After bouncing around in the G-League for a year, Caruso signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. The contract saw him play for the South Bay Lakers, the G-League subsidiary.

After impressive performances in the G-League, Caruso continued to shine. Now on the bright stage of the NBA, Caruso stepped up his performances. During the 2018-19 season, Caruso was the only player aside from LeBron James in the Lakers who posted a 30-point, 10-rebounds, and 5-assists game.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Caruso had impressive performances throughout the season, earning him a two-year full-time contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

USA Today via Reuters

Alex Caruso on his favorite meme

While Caruso became a full-time Laker, not much was expected of him. He had a relatively low ceiling in the eyes of fans. But he surpassed those expectations with his performances. Caruso is not a dynamic attacking threat like most players on the Lakers. Rather, it is his work on defense that has won him such great acclaim.

Throughout the regular season and the post-season, Caruso averaged at least one block a game. Not to mention, the grind that does not get recorded in the box scores.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Caruso became a key contributor for the Lakers during their 2020 NBA Championship run. His performances led to him starting Game 6 of the 2020 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, the game that proved to be the close-out for the series.

Alex Caruso has earned the title of fan favorite, even participating and playing along with the fun Lakers fans have with him. Caruso spoke to JJ Reddick for his podcast. When asked about his favorite meme about himself, Caruso was quick to give an answer.

“My favorite meme about me? I think the photoshop picture was probably my favorite. I got back before training camp and I’m working out. Just when they opened up the facilities, and of course they have a social media team taking pictures of everybody in the gym. There’s one of me in the weight room.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

“I look good, look like I had been lifting a little bit, towards the end of the lift. It goes out on the internet, like 2 months after I signed my contract. So I’m still like top of the radar for LA fans to tweet and talk about. Some kid photoshops it to make it look like I’m a defensive end in the NFL.”

Caruso has become a cult figure among Lakers fans, with many lovingly joking about the player’s ability and influence on the game. Laker fans will hope to keep Caruso around for years to come, should his performances improve further.