NBA Champion, Alex Caruso is a man of many talents and many names. The media call him “Carushow” and “Bald Mamba” the latter being a flip on Kobe Bryant’s nickname with reference to Caruso’s receding hairline.
At one point, he even shaved his head to help raise testicular cancer awareness. His sense of humor is one of the things for which fans adore him. He is also appreciated for being a great playmaker and point guard. His skills definitely evolved throughout his career as he came a long way to make his NBA dream come true.
Alex Caruso – High School Career
Alex Michael Caruso was born on February 28, 1994, in College Station, Texas, where he attended A&M Consolidated High School. He was coached by Rusty Segler and Rick German and played for the school’s basketball team. He finished his high school education, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game, which led to him being named TABC All-Regional, All-State, TABC All-Star. He managed to lead his team to the postseason and was chosen district MVP.
What college did Alex Caruso go to?
Alex Caruso enrolled in Texas A&M University, where he played for the Texas A&M Aggies. He finished his degree and throughout his time with the team, he averaged 8 points, 4.7 assists, and 2.02 steals per game.
He was the school’s all-time leader in assists and steals, with 649 and 276 respectively. In his senior year, he managed to lead his team to the NCAA’s Sweet 16, for which he earned second-team All-SEC as well as SEC All-Defensive Team honors.
Alex Caruso – Oklahoma City Blue
In 2016 Caruso entered the NBA draft but was undrafted. He tried his strengths with the Philadelphia 76ers, during the NBA Summer League, where he was noticed by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Caruso signed with the Thunder, just to be waived by them. Ultimately, he ended up in their NBA Development League affiliate, Oklahoma City Blue.
Alex Caruso – Los Angeles Lakers
For the 2017 NBA Summer League Caruso joined the Los Angeles Lakers. It was clear that he made progress. He showed his skill when he replaced injured Lonzo Ball and led the Lakers to a win. The team was so astonished by his performance, that they offered him a two-way contract. It made Caruso the first player to make such an advance, coming from the D-League straight to a two-way deal. During the summer, the Lakers won the championships in Las Vegas.
Alex Caruso – NBA Debut
Caruso appeared in his first NBA game on October 19, 2017. He played 12 minutes off the bench, in which he posted two points, two assists, and one rebound. At the conclusion of the season, he scored career-high 15 points, against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers re-signed Caruso after his performance in the 2018 Summer League, again with a two-way contract. He developed with the Lakers, scoring a season-high 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists on March 6, 2019.
He topped his career-high on April 5, with the 32-points effort against the Clippers, joining LeBron James as the only two Lakers to have 30+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a one-game that season. After LeBron James had to miss the last six games of the season, Caruso filled the void and posted 18 points as well as career-high 11 assists to win over the Utah Jazz.
For the 2019-2020 season, Caruso signed a two-way contract with the Lakers again. It was the year that the Lakers went to the NBA finals and won their seventeenth NBA championship, tying the Boston Celtics’ record. Caruso started the sixth game against the Miami Heat, so he directly had his hand in the win.
Alex Caruso – Chicago Bulls
For the 2021-22 season, Caruso signed a four-year, $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in hopes that he will help them excel to their previous high spot in the Eastern Conference. Sadly, he’s expected to miss some games early in the season due to a right hamstring strain. The hamstring injury was reported on December 5th and is said to be reevaluated a week from then. Before suffering that injury, he was averaging 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Why did Alex Caruso leave Lakers?
The Chicago Bulls offered Alex Caruso a much more lucrative deal, compared to the Lakers’ $15 million over two years.
