While you can't compare that championship to any other in league history because of once-in-a-lifetime circumstances, Caruso said his time with James as teammates taught him how to develop from an undrafted rookie into one of this era's best defenders.

The 31-year-old has built a career off making the small plays. And those might prove the difference against the Pacers in the NBA Finals.

The Thunder answered in Game 2 of the NBA Finals with four players scoring over 17 points, evening the series with a 123-107 win. OKC tried a two-big lineup with Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren in the first quarter to ignite an 11-0 run and finished the first half with a commanding 59-41 lead.

In an inspiring display of mutual respect and support, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso paid a sincere tribute to WNBA star Caitlin Clark during Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Final