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LeBron James and Alex Caruso seemed to be a dynamic duo in Los Angeles; however, everything changed prior to last season.
When it was announced that Alex Caruso had signed a multi-year deal with the Chicago Bulls, many fans were stunned. The news came on the heels of the Los Angeles Lakers winning a championship where, by all accounts, Caruso had performed extremely well. As a spark plug that helped the team on both ends of the floor, one would think the Lakers brass would have held on to Caruso for dear life.
That wasn't the case. Caruso revealed, in the weeks following the signing, he was willing to take a pay cut to stay in L.A. Despite that, the team wasn't interested in paying him what he wanted. Therefore, a subsequent contract with the Chicago Bulls was finalized. Since then, Caruso has proven himself to be one of the most valuable signings the Bulls new front office has made.
Given that he spent a considerable amount of time playing alongside LeBron James, Caruso picked up some incredibly valuable habits. At the same time, he learned countless things both on and off the floor from the NBA legend. During a recent sit down with NBC Sports, Caruso spoke about his relationship with LeBron James, and the importance of team chemistry, saying:
"He’s stingy when it comes to competing. He wants to win. That chemistry we formed was validating for me. He showed me how to chase greatness."
When Caruso joined the Lakers he did so after spending 2017-19 with the Lakers G League team. Given that, the adjustment to playing with greats like LeBron James gave him the opportunity to learn things that will continue to help him for the rest of his career.
Taking LeBron James' Lessons To Chicago
Caruso has one of the most unique stories of any player in the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA draft, Caruso spent nearly five years playing for G League teams, just trying to break through. His opportunity wouldn't come until the 2017 offseason when he played with the Lakers summer league team. He put on a performance worthy of an NBA contract.
After finally arriving on the biggest stage in professional basketball, Caruso had some learning to do. With a leader like James in the locker room, he had a great example to follow both on and off the floor.
"He helped me reach new levels of my game that I maybe didn’t have the confidence to reach at a certain point in my career. He enabled me to get on the court because we had such good chemistry. I was able to play off him and understand the game."
Everything Caruso learned from James has helped him in Chicago. Since joining the team last season, it has been obvious that the former NBA champion is simply 'built different' due, in no small part, to the things he learned from LeBron James. Ahead of a season where the Bulls will look to build momentum, his services will be greatly needed.
Guess the Lakers players!
