Download our Free Mobile App!
Faster with Fewer Ads

Get App
Lakers Nation
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • Lakers 2025 Preseason Schedule
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App

Download our Free Mobile App!
Faster with Fewer Ads

Get App
Lakers Nation
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • Lakers 2025 Preseason Schedule
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App
Search
  • Rumors
  • Schedule
    • 2024 preseason
    • 2024-2025 regular season
  • Videos
    • YouTube
    • Podcast
  • FAQ
  • About
    • About Lakers Nation
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy
  • Download Our App
Follow US
© 2024 Medium Large Sports Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Lakers Nation > Blog > Featured > Lakers News: Alex Caruso Compared To UPS Worker In 2017 Summer League
FeaturedLakers News

Lakers News: Alex Caruso Compared To UPS Worker In 2017 Summer League

Sanjesh Singh
Published: 03/13/2021
3 Min Read
Alex Caruso
Andrew D. Bernstein-NBAE
SHARE

It’s not often you see an undrafted player climb their way up the ranks to become a pivotal rotational player for an NBA team, let alone the Los Angeles Lakers. However, with Alex Caruso, his journey with the Lakers is a unique one.

Caruso played collegiate basketball with Texas A&M but went undrafted in 2016. The 6’4″ guard spent time playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s G League affiliate, in the days where the development league was referred to as the D-League.

His feisty style of play ended up garnering the attention of Nick Mazzella, the South Bay Lakers general manager, in 2017 during the NBA’s Elite Mini Camp in Chicago.

Caruso would later join Mazzella and play for the Lakers in the 2017 Summer League in Las Vegas, but he didn’t look like a typical basketball athlete, according to Sports Illustrated:

At the Summer League first practice, one of the coaches called me over and said, ‘Who gave the UPS guy a jersey?’ ” says Mazzella.

Today, Caruso’s far removed from the days of being confused with a UPS employee. Coming off a season where he played an immense role in winning the championship in the Orlando bubble, Caruso’s evolved into an imperative two-way three-and-d prototype.

His 3-point percentage has hovered around 40% on more than two attempts per game this season while providing a defensive presence the Lakers can rely on to match up with the opposing team’s best guard.

During different points of the season, Caruso has helped stymie some of the league’s best guards such as Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry. He’s fighting through screens, supplying solid close-outs on shooters, jumping passing lanes and rotating brilliantly.

He’s also a lethal off-ball shooter that fits perfectly alongside the creativity of LeBron James and Dennis Schroder, including Anthony Davis when he returns from injury sometime after the All-Star break.

The Lakers possess a strong guard rotation, and Caruso can be found at the core of it.

Caruso signs shoe contract with ANTA

Caruso has been a fan-favorite player in L.A. ever since his debut, but his popularity continues to spike across the basketball spectrum.

Caruso recently signed a multi-year sneaker contract with ANTA, joining other widely reputed athletes like Klay Thompson, Kevin Garnett and eight-division boxing champion Manny Pacquiao as representatives of ANTA.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
TAGGED:Alex CarusoLos Angeles Lakers
BySanjesh Singh
Sanjesh is a journalist currently studying journalism at Long Beach State University. He is currently a writer for Lakers Nation, an NBA podcast host for the Be Heard Platform and an editor for Dig Magazine. Sanjesh has been credentialed for the NBA G League, and his work has been featured on NBA.com, Fox Sports, Bleacher Report and Sports Illustrated among others. You can follow Sanjesh on Twitter @TheSanjeshSingh.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
Get breaking Lakers News direct to your inbox.

Categories

  • News
  • Rumors
  • Games
  • History

Information

  • Advertise
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get breaking Lakers News direct to your inbox.

© 2025 Medium Large Sports Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?