The Conference Final round featured several former Los Angeles Lakers players, including Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso.
Caruso and the Thunder managed to survive a grueling seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets the previous round, but then drew a hungry and well-rested Minnesota Timberwolves squad. However, Oklahoma City seemed to take its collective game up to another level as they made quick work of Minnesota in five games to advance to the 2025 NBA Finals.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the Western Conference Finals MVP and Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson himself congratulated the Thunder star on winning the award that’s named after him. Gilgeous-Alexander deserves the honor given the numbers he put up in the series, though role players like Caruso had a huge impact as well.
Caruso is still beloved by the Lakers community and Johnson made sure to give him a shoutout, via his personal X account:
Congratulations former Laker and NBA champion Alex Caruso who now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder and is headed to the NBA Finals!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 29, 2025
Caruso was a key member of Los Angeles’ 2020 title team that won in the Bubble, so he’s well-aware of what’s at stake and what it takes to win a championship. Like he did on the Lakers, Caruso has been a spark plug for the Thunder and always seems to be in position to make a winning play.
For example, Caruso spent time guarding everyone on the Timberwolves and even found himself as an important offensive contributor as well. The former undrafted guard is the ideal role player for playoff basketball because of his willingness to do the dirty work and defend at a high level.
It’s been years since Los Angeles watched Caruso walk away in free agency to the Chicago Bulls, but the fan base and people like Johnson are still rooting for him to succeed. Caruso was a fan favorite with the purple and gold and it goes to show that love and loyalty from the fans stays with a player forever.
Alex Caruso still thinks about what could have been with LeBron James & Anthony Davis
Alex Caruso’s low-usage, defensive-minded play-style was the perfect complement for LeBron James and Anthony Davis considering how much of the offensive load they carried. In fact, Caruso admitted he still wonders what could have been had he stayed with the Lakers stars for longer.
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!
