After a decisive 103-91 victory for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Alex Caruso is officially a two-time champion. This one was 'real' too.
Over the years, fans have scrutinized and questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 NBA bubble championship for the Los Angeles Lakers. Those criticisms often come off as foolish to those of sound mind, but they exist nonetheless.
That 2020 title was another championship that Caruso played a large role. The two-way guard was a pivotal piece off the bench for the Lakers during his time with the franchise.
The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after winning Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025.
The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate after winning Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center on June 22, 2025.
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
When Caruso was asked at the postgame press conference about this championship with the Thunder, the star role player made a hilarious joke at the expense of the Lakers title.
"Yeah, now I got a real one. Now nobody can say anything," Caruso said with a smile on his face. "Just because of the way the team is constructed now versus the team I had in 2020, it was much harder with this team just because of the [playoff] experience."
Lakers fans could not have loved that remark. However, the Twitter trolls certainly did. After the clip went viral, Caruso hopped on the platform to clarify his hilarious comments.
"I had 3 beers already, it’s SARCASM," Caruso joked in the quoted reply of the clip on Twitter/X.
The former Laker ensured everyone knew he viewed himself as a two-time champion in the post. That will hopefully bring the pitchforks down in Los Angeles.
Caruso played a pivotal role in the Thunder securing their first championship in Oklahoma City. The bench guard averaged 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks, while shooting 40.0 percent from downtown, against the Pacers.
Caruso continues to cement himself as a definitive role player of his generation. The Thunder should give him plenty of opportunities to become a three-time champion in the future.