Alex Caruso leans into Lakers' 2020 NBA ring jokes: 'I got a real one now'
Entering his postgame press conference with a few beers in his belly, Alex Caruso was more than happy to overshare. The 31-year-old is usually methodical when he talks to the media. He knows the right things to say and what to avoid.
But when you just won an NBA championship, all that is thrown out the window. The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrated a 103-91 Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers with your classic champagne shower and beer chugs in the locker room.
The smell of alcohol was right underneath your nostrils when you penguin-walked through a jam-packed postgame locker room. After playing high-intensity basketball for the last two months, Caruso deserved a mini-bender. He only needed one season to help the Thunder get a ring.
The best moment from Caruso's postgame presser was about his first NBA championship. He was a role player on the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. LeBron James and Anthony Davis helped bring home another title when they won the 2020 NBA Finals inside The Bubble.
Of course, James attracts the most haters in professional sports. After he won a championship with a third franchise, the biggest counterargument is that the Lakers won it in freakish circumstances that can't be compared to your average championship.
The NBA was paused for three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They returned to action but played at Florida in a quarantined resort. Hence why most critics call James' 2020 championship a Disney ring. Caruso was sick of those talks. He said his 2025 championship validates his winning play style.
"Yeah, no, I got a real one now. Now no one can say anything," Caruso joked.
Everybody reacted to the light quip, but pockets of the internet saw James' supporters and Lakers fans upset at Caruso for feeding into the internet trolls who discredit every championship that's ever been won. The 31-year-old later took to social media to clarify he wasn't sincere.
I had 3 beers already, it's SARCASM!!-two time https://t.co/coxn1bDpKp
Postgame championship celebrations are always fun to attend. Most players on the winning side are too tipsy to be calculated. Caruso is the latest example of that. I think most people understand that. But needing to clear the air adds an extra layer of comedy to the off-hand remark.
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