Alex Caruso has won an NBA championship before, but this one felt different.
“It was much harder with this team just because of the experience,” the veteran guard said moments after helping the Oklahoma City Thunder clinch their first NBA title in franchise history with a 103-91 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the Finals.
Alex Caruso said this Thunder championship was "harder" than his run with the Lakers in 2020 👀
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 23, 2025
The Thunder had just climbed basketball’s highest peak, and Caruso — the oldest player on the league’s youngest team at 31 years old — had been both a steadying hand and a spark plug during their improbable title run.
Undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016 and now 2x NBA CHAMPION in Year 8... Alex Caruso!
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
Back in 2020, Caruso captured his first championship with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and a veteran-laden Los Angeles Lakers squad during the pandemic-hit season.
In contrast, this Thunder roster "had to learn on the fly", per the two-time All-Defensive Team member.
“These guys had to grow up through success, which is rare,” Caruso said. “Most teams, most players, grow through failure. But this group — 21-, 22-, 23-year-old kids — they kept winning, and kept learning while winning. That’s a unique capability.”
Caruso’s return to Oklahoma City came via a trade with the Chicago Bulls last offseason, with the Thunder sending Josh Giddey the other way.
The deal also marked a homecoming of sorts — Caruso had begun his professional career in the city as a member of the Oklahoma City Blue, then part of the NBA G League. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, who led the Blue from 2014 to 2019, coached Caruso during the 2016–17 season.
Now it’s come full circle.
Alex Caruso and Mark Daigneault grinded through the G League together to get to this moment 🙏
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2025
And now, they're both NBA champs 🏆??
(h/t: @JeffEisenband)
Oklahoma City became just the third team in league history to win 84 or more games across the regular season and playoffs, and Caruso was a key part of that journey, not just as a role player, but as the team’s veteran anchor.
He scored 20 points in both Game 2 and Game 4 of the Finals — his only 20-point games of the season. In Game 4, he also tallied five steals, becoming the first player in Finals history to post those numbers off the bench.
After the final buzzer, as the champagne bottles were passed around in the locker room, there was just one problem — most of the Thunder players didn’t know how to open them. Some scrambled to their phones, searching YouTube for help.
Caruso stepped in.
“None of us knew how to do it,” center Isaiah Hartenstein said. “Caruso eventually showed us how. We didn’t get it right until the third try.”
Caruso, ever the veteran, laughed it off. “I tried my best,” he said.
Caruso (the only previous champ) had to teach the team how to pop champagne 😂🍾
— NBA (@NBA) June 23, 2025
He praised teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who capped off a historic season by adding Finals MVP honors to his regular season and West Finals MVP awards
“He’s got that capability. MVP, West Finals MVP, Finals MVP, champion. I don’t think anybody would question his ability,” the eight-year vet spoke of his star teammate.
[ALSO READ: Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander deflects credit after historic season: “It’s a win for everybody”]
The championship had been a long time coming for Oklahoma City. And with the team’s core under contract, Caruso believes they’re just getting started.
“We’ll get some rest, reset, try to go again next year and see if we can do it again,” he said. “We’ll be better. We’ll be better next year.”
