During an interview with TexAgs Radio, new Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso said LeBron James believing in him gave him the confidence he needed to thrive in the NBA.
Caruso and LeBron were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers from 2018-19 to 2020-21. They won the 2020 title together.
“LeBron James’ love gave me confidence,” Caruso said. “Coming from someone of that stature, someone who is that smart and skilled and the face of the NBA, and arguably the greatest of all time, that means a lot. It gave me the confidence in myself to believe that what I was doing was right. It helped me believe that what I was good at could contribute and be a deciding factor in NBA games. All I ever wanted was to be out there at the end of the game and have a chance to win. Like I said, I am a competitive guy. So, at the end of the day, I am most worried about that. If I have a chance to be out there, that is what I am asking for.”
Caruso averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks in 2023-24 for the Chicago Bulls while shooting 46.8% overall, 40.8% from beyond the arc and 76.0% from the free-throw line. He will make $9.9 million next season.
The Bulls traded Caruso to the Thunder this offseason.
The 30-year-old Caruso has career averages of 6.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks with the Lakers and Bulls. He helped the Lakers win the 2020 championship against the Miami Heat at the Walt Disney World bubble.
LeBron is a four-time MVP, a four-time Finals MVP and a four-time champion. He has career averages of 27.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers.
LeBron, arguably the best basketball player ever, is the only player in NBA history to rank top five all-time in points and assists, the only player to win three Finals MVPs with three different teams, the only player with 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 career assists and the only player to score 40,000 points.
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