The only Thunder champion: Caruso wins the right to speak with hard work and sweat

I always say that the NBA does not lack inspirational stories, but the experience of Caruso is definitely ranked nearly ten years ago.

In September 2016, the wind in Oklahoma City was still carrying the autumn cold, a undraft named Alex Caruso walked into the Thunder's training hall with the trial notice of the Exhibit-10 contract. To put it bluntly, the contract is "temporary workers" - a 50,000 bonus. Even if you can win the roster of the Blue Team (a subsidiary of the Thunder Development League), it is considered burning high incense. There were six people on the day of the trial, but later I found out that the only one who was really staring at the Thunder management.

Why? Dagnut, then coach of the Blue Team, had noticed him in college games long ago. In the disastrous defeat against the University of Florida, Caruso was fighting desperately in the second quarter as if he was playing in the finals. Dagnott thought at the time: "I'm afraid this guy didn't see the score?" As a result, on the day of the trial, the other five people "To be polite, it's not professional enough." Caruso was better. He took over the training directly in the middle of the trial - just like he is now a big brother in the Thunder locker room, and he is born to set the pace.

Just like that, he joined the Blue Team with an annual salary of 13,000 (plus bonus), and when the starting point guard led the team to the second round of the playoffs, he led the team to 34 wins and 16 losses. But at that time, he was not easy. Seeing his teammates being recalled to the NBA one by one, he couldn't even get a two-way contract. Later Presti told him personally: "I did misunderstand it back then. "

Who could have thought of it? Nine years later, this guy stood on the finals stage wearing a Thunder jersey and became the oldest "champion mentor" in the team.

Back to now. How popular is the Thunder this season? Alexander's MVP, Chet Homgren's talent, and Jaylen Williams' growth are all headlines. But it was Caruso who really gave this 24.5-year-old "Youth Army" the confidence to compete for the championship.

The most honest data: When Caruso was on the court in the playoffs, the Thunder won 16 points per 100 rounds, and among the players who played in the league for more than 225 minutes, this data was second only to teammate Carson Wallace. But how can his value be framed by data?

In the Nuggets tiebreaker, Dagenot, "crazy" and let Caruso, 1.96 meters and 84 kilograms, defend against Jokic, 2.11 meters and 129 kilograms - what's the result? Caruso played against Jokic for 40 times in the first half, made 5 of 9 shots, made 5 of 5 mistakes, and scored 0.78 points in a single round. This is the game where Jokic has been defended by a single defender in 839 regular season + playoffs.

Degnot said: "Do not stare at his defense, watch the dead ball time." What is he doing when he dies? Eyes sweep the scoreboard, coaches, teammates, referees, and keep talking about tactics, reminding young people to pay attention to details. But he is not like some veterans "stop the game," Carson Wallace said, "He knows when to say it, and what we say is right, we are willing to listen. "

This kid is very interesting in the team now. At the age of 31, he is the oldest in the team and is called "old man" by young people every day. Carson Wallace joked: "He was my first bald teammate in my career." Caruso was not annoyed, and replied: "This is the highest place in my achievement list. "But when he really went to the training hall, he took young people to have a small meeting, taught Wallace to "add some brains" to defend people, and talked about Jaylen Williams about running without the ball - these things he did when he led the "schooler" in the blue team.

Speaking of which, the Lakers and the Bulls have underestimated him. In 2021, the Lakers did not match the Bulls' four-year and 37 million contract, but Caruso went to the Bulls twice to enter the best defensive team; last year the Thunder "redemption" was made with a trade, with 81 million in four years. Presti said: "To bring this competitiveness and mind into the locker room. "

Caruso now averages 19.2 minutes per game, the lowest since the 19-20 season, but he has never complained. When he was leading the score, he was a "coach extension" on the bench and gave a message to young people; in the critical battle, he could defend Morant, lock Jokic, and stare at Halliburton - as Dagnot said, he was a "warm-air player" and the playoffs were his stage.

The first game of the finals was reversed by the Pacers, and the Thunder in the second game was strongly defeated. What the Thunder needs most is Caruso, a "chat veteran who has played from the Development League"? He knew how to twist the 24.5-year-old boys into one rope, how to stay focused for 48 minutes, and even more, that every drop of sweat that was ignored in the Blue Team back then was the confidence I had saved for today.

What did you think he was trying to? Caruso himself made it clear: "I'm a little confident and a little conceited - I can win wherever I go. "

From 13,000 to 81 million, from the Development League to the Finals, Caruso's story hides the simplest truth in the NBA: those days that are looked down upon will eventually become the light that illuminates the championship road.