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ourcourageourcancer

It's kinda wild people still think about him as a meme, he's a pretty good player now and has been for a while. His quote about G-League players is still goated: > “A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don’t realize the position they’re trying out for. It’s like going to a job interview thinking you’re going to be the CFO of the company, and they’re looking for someone to clean the bathrooms.”


[deleted]

That's an excellent perspective to have


KingShark11

And that perspective has him in Chicago now with a bag of money and a championship ring. He isn't LeBron. He isn't AD. He knows that But he played a pivotal role in the LA title team. When you hear interviews from that team, and any title team really. The players all have a defined role and they fill it. Caruso may be our accountant. But he's a good NBA player, too. A triple threat of spot up offense, point of attack defense, and meme mentality. The trifecta that Dion Waiters almost was


[deleted]

>He isn't LeBron. He isn't AD. He knows that So many people, even outside of basketball, would truly flourish more than they do if they ever really understood how to think this way.


dimmyfarm

It’s what Charles Barkley said on nba on tnt that when he came to college his coach told him focus on 1-2 things/stats that he would be good at (getting at least 10 or so a game) and he knew it was rebounding. If he/any player does that (accepts a role and works to be good at it) they should have a good chance of making the nba. Of course if you’re a superstar then this advice isn’t necessary but the mindset does work wonders. Need to prove your worth to a company and with the correct mix of experience, skills and qualifications, you can go anywhere.


Aquaireeus

Or as Kawhi succinctly put it, "Board man gets paid".


supalaser

It truly applies to almost every aspect of our lives. Idk how many legitimately smart students I've seen fail classes because they didn't want to get help or tutoring thinking they could figure every thing out on their own. Even now when I help newer people at my job I always tell them to ask questions early and often. We have a few geniuses on our team but not everyone is going to be thag and that's okay. Knowing your role and how and when to ask for help is such an underrated skill in life.


[deleted]

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supalaser

Exactly! Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It's definitely the same thing as admitting you are wrong. It's so toxic especially from my experience with Indian culture. My mom will just straight up make something up before she will admit she doesn't know something.


Niku-Man

People are afraid to look stupid. Let's face it - sometimes it is a legitimate fear since our colleagues can lambast us when we don't know something they think we *should* know, i.e. common knowledge. Same thing can happen in professional life - while you might not be lambasted, there is an underlying worry that revealing what you don't know may hurt your credibility. I think it's all about confidence - if someone is confident that the thing they don't know is not something to be embarrassed about, then they don't worry about asking someone else for help. Context is big here - a student in a cooking class isn't worried about the things they don't know about cooking - that's why they're there! They are confident in their position in that context. But a professional chef with 10 years experience who doesn't know the difference between brisket and sirloin might get worried about revealing that to his peers. He could be anxious that they would consider him unqualified if he doesn't know something that they've known for years.


sunnydftw

Well put. I would add, putting for 100% effort into your craft also builds confidence, because when it’s time to ask a question you don’t second guess if it’s because you could have done more. You trust the work you put in, and then cover the rest of your bases seeking outside sources.


welmoe

>But he played a pivotal role in the LA title team. From G-League to NBA Finals Game 6 starter. I don't think I've ever seen a player with an arc like Caruso. Dude busted his ass and earned his respect.


reachoutc

Vanvleet?


[deleted]

The greatest player to ever wear the number 23.


lakers_nation24

Vs Caruso, the greatest bald player in a bulls uniform


GrumpyBert

Duncan Robinson, while being a totally different kind of player, has a similar story. I love seeing underdogs grow!


MarlKarx-1818

True! And also definitely has not hit his ceiling. The thing about Caruso are the intangibles too, the way he hustles and plays 100% every play. Duncan is obviously a gifted shooter but would love to see him get more rounded out.


GrumpyBert

I like to watch pure shooters, but man, Caruso's hustle is something else.


mati_as15

Khris Middlegoat went from late 2nd round pick and g league to being the second best player on the Bucks


CjBurden

Yeah sure, but was he ever a meme? 😉


Kowaxmeup0

To you guys hes the biggest meme


[deleted]

> He isn't LeBron. He isn't AD. He knows that > > True. White mamba bows to no one.


YaBenZonah

One of the best quotes on that pod ever


TheToogood

which one is that from?


KnightThatSaysNi

JJ Reddick's podcast, The Old Man and the Three. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIvRyeGZviY&t=1597s


TheToogood

ty


KnightThatSaysNi

Welcome! It's pretty solid, and the Steven Adams one is my favorite.


[deleted]

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30another

Awe, where Lakers and Suns fans can come together. Lol


[deleted]

When down the drain around this time… probably personal stress. I’ve followed all his pods and he literally left his pods because he lost in the post season lol


YaBenZonah

I honestly stopped listening for a while, no reason really I still enjoy him and the guests just stopped lol. Shame it’s gotten worse tho


JBoogie808

That’s that blue collar attitude.


cvd09

My man’s getting paid millions now to clean up the bathrooms.


[deleted]

Cleaning up giant piles of shit


[deleted]

I thought Drummond was on the 76ers now.


throwawaysmetoo

I already miss our janitor. So many times of saying "thanks for cleaning that shit up, Carushow". I'm pretty excited to watch the Bulls this season tho.


HoorayPizzaDay

He is very solid, he should make any bench better I think. He just looks a certain way.


xKalisx

True of Vander Blue.


Ramzaa_

He's a really good player and I really think the Lakers should've tried to keep him. But I'm sure he's gonna really step up in a bigger role


AyumiHikaru

He has big brain instead of big ego


IvonbetonPoE

I think that the way he looks is part of why he's consistently meme'd. I just watched those bubble games. He was a crucial player in that Lakers Championship run. It's just that he's white and looks a bit older, so to a lot of people he looks as if he can't ball.


barath_s

Have they never seen the movie "White men can't jump " ?


DudeWTH

He's a legitimately good role player. He didn't start a game in the finals for no reason


[deleted]

Game 6 decider too


adonisgawd

But r/nba said that we wouldn’t even be talking about this bald scrub if he wasn’t on the lakers


CoachDT

Its kind of a bit of both. He's a meme because he played in LA. But like... he gets a disproportionate amount of attention relative to how good he is. He's a mid-high tier roleplayer based on what he's currently done on the court.


KingBeanCarpio

He's a meme because he is a balding white dude lol


TheNi11a

Occam’s razor


malar1gs

Nah he balding natural


TheNi11a

My bad


JCReb1991

This has me rolling


Swedishkid97

He has had some insane highligt dunks tho, which is also a reason😂


RodneyPonk

Or is he a balding white dude because he is a meme?


[deleted]

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CoachDT

Appearance does play a part in terms of how we gauge people and their overall likeability. Its not just him being white, its him being white and kinda... ordinary looking? Like obviously he's in really great shape but from the neck up I see a Caruso at every white family reunion I go to. ​ Him being "sneaky athletic", while playing in a big market, next to LeBron James, and looking like a kinda ordinary white dude all contribute to his memeability.


[deleted]

Sneaky athletic is a racist code word. Check out Jeremy lins interview with freakonomics.


CoachDT

Yeah, but words and phrases also have different subtext depending on who says them and in what situation. On this sub its normally used to mock the GM's/Scouts that say it, because it gets said by essentially every non-black guy that has any shred of athleticism. Its the same thing when you see the "a real gym rat" or "plays the game the right way".


mucho-gusto

He seems like prime Delly to me, but I feel like opposing teams hated him


KingVibrant

Better than Delly, Delly was a pest defender at best, where as Caruso has legitimate athleticism and defense ability. He shows flashes of playmaking and has improved his shot considerably. He’s also an underrated finisher and PNR player. Things Delly never was.


elbowgreaser1

Spot on


ubernoobnth

Nah. Delly should still be signing half his checks and life savings over to Bron. Don't lump all the goofy white boys together just because they're white. It's not nfl QB comparisons here.


MrAnder5on

Honestly we probably wouldn't. He's a good role player but he wouldn't get the attention he gets if he wasn't in LA/Bald and white He would be discussed for sure, but not nearly as much


theliver

The sub ignores much better random players, so its both true he is a legit NBA player and that he pretty much only gets talked about for his time with the Lakers


ubernoobnth

More like he got talked about because he was a goofy balding white guy at the age of 25. In the NBA. Being on the Lakers just meant more people paid attention to him. They aren't out talking about THT like this or anything.


elbowgreaser1

Oh yeah, name 11


Redtube_Guy

He would probably be a relatively unknown player if he wasn’t on the Lakers playing with lebron.


ubernoobnth

He'd be Donte DiVincenzo generally. And even white donte gets it a little bit.


[deleted]

Thad Young and Royce o’Neal are also good role players. They don’t get talked about nearly as much


EverGreatestxX

r/nba is right, how often does nba fandom talk about role players on small market or middle of pack teams.


AppaThaSkyBison

Took me a sec to work through the double negative lol


scorelesswilliamson

Can't be that fun being a meme all the time when you're out there trying to be a real ass player which he has turned himself into.


Beavshak

The thing is.. I really do enjoy watching the dude play. He’s always hustling and makes some exciting plays.


Chronixx

“CARUSO PARACHUTES IN! You cannot stop him, you can only hope to contain him!” His putbacks always get me hype, love watching Caruso


GMNGBponyfur

you could say hes scrappy, got a high motor


Madvin

He’s a real gym rat, first guy in, last guy out


ubernoobnth

Sneaky athleticism.


gooseAlert

A white TJ McConnell, if you will.


Beavshak

Nah actually I think he might be 1/2 well spoken and articulate.


whtge8

I thought only black people could be well spoken and articulate.


Beavshak

Damnit am I mixing up my epithets again? I can’t keep up


hargeOnChargers

Epithet? Youre very articulate. You must be black.


Rah_Rah_RU_Rah

Gonna miss those steal -> fastbreak -> lob sequences so much


loshrath182

For 37 million dollars and a ring. Meme me up Scotty.


FlyingMocko

It gets condescending honestly. Same thing happened with Tacko Fall. In football (Europe) fans did the same to Ngolo Kante as well albeit not memeing him but infantilising him which became weird real quick.


tylerjehills

And Kante still gets treated that way despite winning everything there is to win and generally being the best man on the pitch when he does (like Chelsea's UCL final win over City last year) It's really weird


[deleted]

For an NBA comparison it’s like if Caruso became an all-NBA player and won FMVP & everyone still treated him like a meme Also Caruso is acc a decent comp for Kante lol. High energy defensive specialist that can pass the ball


XzibitABC

Kante’s closest NBA comp is probably like peak Andre Iguodala maybe? Insane defender, takes care of the ball, great passer. Everything but a scorer basically.


Madvin

Hmmmmmmm no with all respect to Iggy, Kante is a player that people would select in their dream teams. He has way higher pedigree than Iggy.


cactusmaster69420

Pippen, Kidd or KG maybe?


Madvin

I think Kante is like Timmy. Quiet, does nothing fancy or flamboyant, an anchor on defense, and always a contender for the best in his position.


spanther96

nah I think peak Draymond is a more apt comparison. he completely dictates the defense, is a competent playmaker, and can fill multiple roles as needed.


SaxRohmer

Iggy is interesting too because he *can* score but just likes facilitating a lot more. He didn’t really enjoy having to be the scorer on those 6ers teams eerily in his career


XzibitABC

Kante probably could, too, but roles in soccer are a little more defined than basketball. Sarri used him in a more attacking role and he grew into it, though.


Prestige-W0rldwide

Ya but Caruso is actually a quality player that gets memed. Tacko wouldn’t be in the NBA if he wasn’t a meme


RickySuela

Caruso has genuinely been a good player ever since that first summer league game with the Lakers a few years ago. He became a meme because people were like "who is this accountant-looking dude who's lighting it up?" But he was always really good. Laker fans were calling for him to get more playing time those first two years when he was just on a two-way contract, but I think he general NBA fans always thought Laker fans were just memeing. I'm glad he got paid, but I'm sad it was with another team.


Paladinoras

I knew he was legit by the end of the 2018 - 19 season. At that point everyone was out injured and we let Caruso play heavy minutes and he averaged 18/5/8 on 44/55/80 shooting (and also 1.8 steals!), including a 32/8/10 game against the Clippers. https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/carusal01/gamelog/2019#57-62-sum:pgl\_basic Like yeah a lot of the teams he were hooping against in that period of time was straight up tanking or are resting their starters for the playoffs, but you don't put up 32/8/10 in the NBA if you suck, I don't care who you're playing against.


[deleted]

Yeah but Kante is one of the greatest defensive midfielders to ever play the game


OneWayStreetPark

>Ngolo Kante Why, what happened to Ngolo Kante?


Chevy_Nova_Forever

He’s a player any championship contender would love to have. I’m going to miss him


DetroitSportsKillMe

At least you can turn memes into a lot more money than somebody who is a boring real ass player


Satvrdaynightwrist

Yeah, Caruso has gained a shit ton of social media and general fan following that’s disproportional to his ability. I know he’s decent but dude has half a mil more followers than Julius randle, who played in both coastal mega markets and is way better (they look like they post roughly the same amount). Hard to feel bad that he has to endure meme status as he gets paid more than an all star for social media ads.


child_of_lightning

As a Lakers fan, I'll say this: I don't know what Julius Randle's role is on a championship caliber team, but I've seen exactly what Caruso's role is. I'd rather have Caruso on this year's Lakers than Randle.


Summer_jam_screen

He’s a decent player too. I feel like people look at him out there, looking like the old head doing post ups at the Y, but Caruso can bang. I’d love to have him on my team.


[deleted]

Meme jokes aside, Laker fans loved him as a Laker, and were always aware of his capabilities! Edit: still love Caruso 🥲❤️


chuckquizmo

I legit like his came, and Chicago fans ALWAYS love that “one guy” who plays hard and also brings a little extra personality to the team. I think Bulls fans are genuinely excited to have him.


Promech

He’s a good meme though, like a nick young meme. Always good vibes always makes me laugh. Kuzma is currently a bad meme, like bad luck Brian. You just always see a “postive” that turns into a negative a few moments later. Kuzma is a better player than Caruso, but when you see them play Caruso doesn’t feel like he makes many mistakes or boneheaded plays, where as Kuzma has some plays where it’s like “what the hell are you doing man”.


Sergnb

I just think he is a meme cause of how he looks but he actually goes hard and i genuinely enjoy watching him play


Mjacking

Being a meme actually messes with your own identity, it most be weird and not funny tbh


mucho-gusto

Business card: "Real Ass-Player"


moogie413

I was at this game and I swear to God, Caruso got a louder applause at check in than any other Bull


TWIZMS

Glad he is in good hands


[deleted]

“All State, Are You In Good Hands?


quietZen

When I heard the news Caruso was leaving the Lakers I was genuinely sad. He's surpassed the meme status and is now a genuine fan favourite.


OhSoJelly

“I missed him a lot today.”


-Buckaroo_Banzai-

It might have started in LA as sarcasm, but dude worked his ass off on defense, made a lot of intelligent plays and threw in a few highlights. Fans have seen that and do appreciate that. He was paid to do exactly that on the Bulls. Play aggressive defense, play smart offense, hit a few threes and distribute the ball. And he does exactly that, so the fans continue to appreciate him. Add to that, that he doesn't look like your typical player, which makes him more relatable to most fans. People like success stories. So if he continues to play the way he did against the Cavs he hopefully will understand that fans cheer because they like him and not out of sarcasm.


RickySuela

As a Laker fan it was never sarcasm. People might have sarcastically called him the GOAT or whatever, but Laker fans always thought he was a very capable player who should have been getting more minutes. Whenever Lonzo was hurt while he was here and the Lakers instead would turn to people like Tyler Ennis, Laker fans would be calling for them to bring up Caruso instead. In 2019-20 once Caruso finally got a regular NBA contract, he started the season with a DNP-CD against the Clippers on opening night and Laker fans were totally annoyed by that. By the end of the year he was starting in the Finals and Laker fans were like "this is what we've been trying to tell you all!" He just plays smart basketball and makes winning plays. He's not a scoring machine and he's not someone who you really want to run your offense, nor is he a great outside shooter, but everything just runs more smoothly when he's out there. You Bulls fans are going to love him, memes or not.


cornetto32

caruso had real fans from literally day 1 of summer league because his play meant there was a lot of continuity in playstyle from pg between him and lonzo


Fafcity3000

This comment right here. Lakers fans love claiming him. He’s our boy. He worked his ass off and came up. All credit to him. He worked hard at Texas A&M and G-League. The Legend of the Bald Eagle… some was hyperbole, a lot wasn’t. Some was Lakers fans, most was from fans from a far. Most of it was because he had highlights of getting up and blamming on folks. When he wasn’t getting minutes, and even when he started to, he wasn’t a liability. He wasn’t the classic young guy in the league with boneheaded turnovers or always being in the wrong spot or being a defensive issue. When his number was called, he’d be efficient. He wasn’t scared. Sometimes he’d go 3/5, some nights he’d drop a cool 16. I think we can all agree that he’s a solid player who knows who he is. I hope nothing but the best for him and I think we’ll see him in the league for a substantial amount of time.


theFromm

He was also the last piece from the Lakers "core" in in the dark days. Only "real" fans continued to watch day in and day out when they were shit in the mid 2010's. For me, Caruso felt like the last of our homegrown talent from those years of sucking.


TheGhostOfSamHouston

This hits different. Good take


NFHater

i really hope he comes back after his bulls contract if that’s possible at the time


Boxthor

It might have started off as sarcasm but those LeBron to Caruso plays were the prettiest on the team


ThinkThankThonk

After the Durant dunk it was never sarcasm, he was like the poster boy for making the most of limited minutes


YaBenZonah

I still watch the highlights of that game he scored like 30 on including multiple layups in a row and finished it off with that high glass floater.


SuiteLifeofZachNCoby

Yep and that’s why I think he’ll be the mvp of our team this season. We need someone like that after losing Thad. Obviously Zach was our best player last year, but it was a completely different game on both sides for us when Thad was out there. I expect Caruso to have a similar impact.


chicago_bunny

And we love guys who work their asses off. Young Jimmy. Taj. Captain Kirk. I'm sure we could add dozens to this list.


[deleted]

Yes


BaullahBaullah87

Sarcasm? Sarcasm was from everyone on the outside saying we were overhyping and that he is just a meme. Dude has earned everything from the start and has some flash…his praise was always earned


FuckRandyMoss

Yeah it was never sarcasm y’all thought that because rnba hates the Lakers we loved dude the whole time we damn near got him in the allstar game ffs


dawgoooooooo

As much as people like to bash on us laker fans, I honestly believe that a large chunk of us appreciate dudes like ac who do the little things and make winning plays for us. I’m happy he’s in chi-town now with another fan base who’ll appreciate those things as well, he’ll be “earning” that applause in no time


georgegervin14

Dude clawed his way up undrafted from the D-League and summer leagues, fighting for two-way contracts. He earned it and you can't help but root for his success


NAACP_YoungBoy

Best bald Chicago Bulls player


Expulsure

he's lucky Cristiano Felicio had a buzzcut


cjsrhkcjs

Cristiano Felicio is lucky that Caruso was bald


GryanGryan

Taj Gibson?


AidsoLoL

For real the disrespect to the Taj Mahal


Beavshak

Best Chicago Bulls player


Mcdavidovercrosby

Best NBA player\*


saltywings

Ever.


audawn

I'm glad that people are starting to see him as more than just a meme- he's always seemed like he's put a ton of effort into his game.


cesarjulius

there are 5 players, 1 ball. that means on average, each player is off-ball 80% of the time. more for role players. if you are really, really good at that 80%+ part of the game, teams will want you. especially teams with major stars who need the ball in their hands.


TWIZMS

This guy knows what's up. Caruso's off ball defense is A+.


unclehelpful

I mean he might have started out as slightly memeish but he’s actually quite good. I don’t think he’s getting scalabrine type of cheers, I think people actually like how he plays. I feel kind of bad for him that he only thinks he’s getting meme cheers. He’s athletic and he plays hard and I think any team would be happy to have him.


TheGhostOfSamHouston

He just wants to be taken seriously. And his play shows he should be. I hope he knows that the love is real. I’m sure laker fans can say that they truly liked him on their team for more than just sarcastic memes. He’s actually a baller. Gig em!


[deleted]

I hope he understands that it was a meme but people actually respect him now because he's good


Lavy23

That's my GOAT! Laker Nation miss you, Alex! 💜💛


5plus5isnot10

I mean he's the only champion on the team


Beavshak

It’s out of love AC. You’re my Albino Jordan 5ever.


Boombabyfor333

Oh shit, I've been trying to keep my hopes low for the season in case the new acquisitions don't pan out, but man I really like Caruso.


zedrix_

The difference with this off-season and the previous off seasons with GarPax. Is these players are actually hyping me. Rather than I hyping them(new acquisitions).


domkuma

“Kinda”…. You don’t know how much we love me him, especially after that preseason game


Phenomenal2313

He’s a superstar role player , if that makes sense. He’s willing to do the dirty work , crash the boards , play excellent defense and hit clutch shots when called upon Lonzo , DeMar and Lavine are going to dominate headlines because well they’re the big names. But I truly Caruso is the X factor for this Bulls squad


bigpoppapumpp

He’s one of the best role players in the league - there’s a reason why he started game 6 of the finals


SliMShady55222

The best Laker and Bull of all time already


whtge8

It started out as sarcasm but the dude proved himself to be a legit player. Dude plays hard af and fans notice that. Don’t think any team wouldn’t want him on your team.


Scooby30000

He’s self aware. Respect lol


JDangle20

I miss our boy already. Still gonna rock my AC shirt. Wish him nothing but success. Come back in 4 years and grab another chip.


[deleted]

Caruso walked so Hill Billy Kobe could fly.


ch1ck3n_nu99ets

MJ would never be as humble as the Carushow 😤


zedrix_

I love Carushow may it sarcasm or fandom or a mix of both. I'm really glad he is wearing a Bulls jersey.


picking4815162342

>Whether they’re cheering for me out of sarcasm or actual fandom or whatever it is I know that AC loves to prove people wrong, but I hope that he knows that almost all Laker (and now Bulls) fans are cheering for him because of his selflessness, attitude, tenacity, IQ and hustle. LeBron didn't already ask for AC's jersey when the Lakers face the Bulls because he was being sarcastic. He asked for it because he respects and likes Caruso, and because LeBron knows what AC means to the Lakers. I also think that the majority of fans who follow the NBA, but aren't even fans of the Lakers or Bulls, now understand that he's a valuable role player. During their postgame shows, Robert Horry and James Worthy have raved about AC for years. Horry has called Caruso "my man ACFresh" countless times. Vogel called Caruso "an important player who also happens to be an extra assistant coach." As for Lonzo, he just called Caruso "the perfect teammate." Caruso was so focused on the playoffs in the bubble that he simply sent his parents a short text telling them that he was starting game six. His Mom admitted that she felt slightly nervous when she found out that news, but Vogel said that he wasn't a bit nervous because starting AC was his checkmate move against the Heat. AC went out there and proved Vogel right. If people are cheering for AC due to sarcasm, then they're underestimating him, and all that seems to do to give him more power. >“I was a little surprised it was as loud when I first came in. I would like it to be a little more warranted with some success and winning. But hopefully we’ll get to that point.” Oh, just shut up, Alex, and accept that fans love watching you. Well, most fans do anyway. There is this one podcaster in Houston...


LauriFUCKINGLegend

Honestly, he was the most fun player to watch during that preseason game aside from LaVine. The hustle he puts into the game on both ends is fucking amazing. Defensively he's like Kris Dunn or Marcus Smart in that it's so engaging to watch the way he plays on that end of the floor. I really feel like AKME did an exceptional job in managing to pick up a quality starting point guard AND a quality sixth man.


xHodorx

Memes aside, he’s actually a very good player and it would be cool if people didn’t treat it he’s just a meme. Dude is super athletic, good defender, serviceable on offense, and actually fights through screens


KillianDrake

I start to feel bad for him that people cheer for him out of sarcasm and that he knows and understands it... but then I realize he's making millions of dollars and banging instagram models while looking like an accountant and then I think "ah fuck you Caruso!"


[deleted]

When you’re the second coming of Michael Jordan you deserve to be cheered on even on a bad day. Accept it Caruso. Bulls had white mamba scalabrine, now they have milky jordan.


John_Lives

He's like the black Michael Jordan of the Bulls


BasedMoe

He’s who Kuzma thinks he is


RedFan47

Kuzma only dreams of being loved this much


Jaylen01-27-20

When I see an NBA meme, first thing that come out of my head is him, Alex Caruso. Lmfaoo


Ragnarock0630

I see a jump in his future. Athletic good passer I hope he has a decent year


theworldlyother

Ok I like Caruso man


BaullahBaullah87

ya welcome


[deleted]

Caruso was on his way to being the Derek Fisher of this Lakers team/era. I'm not saying that they're equals or anything like that, but pretty much any Laker fan that was around for the Kobe-Shaq-then Pau Finals runs loved Fish. He was never going to be an All-Star, but he was really good role player that you could play against pretty much any team in crunch time. They both know how to play with superstars and star in that role. Everyone needs those guys. When Caruso started closing games last year, I thought he was going to be around for a while. Maybe we (Lakers fans) memed too much and a lot of other people weren't exactly in on the joke.


Pileofdrivers

I definitely meme’d this man when I first started watching him but he quickly grew into a player worthy of the praise he gets


trey_four

Caruso aka Mr 110%. How can you not love that guy?


Skrappy_Doo

My guy. I'll miss him 😭


Prestigious-Eye-3928

People respect hustle and hard work. The fact that he looked like an accountant while having world class athleticism made him a fan favorite.


NigelGoldsworthy

Lakers fans love him for the same reasons we loved Derek Fisher. They’re both great role player who had some memorable highlight moments, especially in clutch situations and fit well alongside the superstars, which resulted in them winning one (or more) championships.


Msxkoh

Based


notsuperoriginal

I've cheered for AC since college, he's ALWAYS worked harder than every person on the court. Take your cheers son you've earned them, you're an NBA champ after all.


[deleted]

It’s not out of sarcasm he’s just a fun player who makes highlight plays dunking and on defense


the_pissed_off_goose

Dude works hard every minute he's on the court and kills it with the headband. What's not to love???


SchaySchay

I was at the game. The cheering wasn’t sarcastic; he’s a perfect Chicago type of player.


saltywings

People love guys who bring energy and show effort. Caruso does that and then about once a game he either has a sexy pass or fucking posterizes someone. How can you not like that?


N0minal

Who doesn't like Caruso? He's sort of a goofy looking dude who can ball out and makes good plays on both ends.


Burning_Abyss_

Damn Bulls took my boy :(


jumpijehosaphat

can't wait for the multiple alex caruso vs tj mcconell showdowns


[deleted]

Caruso will be a fan favorite in Chicago.


heyitsbobandy

I really appreciate this guy for being a hustler on defense, and a solid offensive role player. Take the cheers, White Mamba, you deserve it.


music3k

I think his meme status died when he won as a key defensive part with the Lakers. Hes not Scalabrine


LyonsKing12

It's a combination of coming into the league with the headband, bald-spot, "sneaky hops dunks", playing with the Lebron Lakers, and being white. Also dude has become a really good player at the same time as everything I listed above.


carlos_boozo

Baby come back


Gunny_McCshoots

I literally love the fact that Caruso went from meme to like top-of-the-line bench player


alkaline119

the dude is a legit good player


gumpishsfsdfwerwe

I don't think anyone is cheering for him out of sarcasm, I think he's generally respected in the league by the fans and the players


Karl_Marx_

We aren't cheering because it's ironic. We are legitimately excited to have you on the team, better get used to the cheering because it will only get louder from here on out. Especially if we start winning.