The stories you hear about Alex Caruso behind the scenes are the stuff of legends. When the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired the veteran, you could sense a shift in the locker room dynamics. There were intangibles you could feel just from how they carried themselves.

Not only was Caruso’s acquisition an on-court positive. But off the court, his championship pedigree completely altered the chemistry like Walter White. The youngest first seed suddenly became a more viable threat to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy.

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As the Thunder dominated the rest of the NBA on their way to a historic 68-14 regular-season record, they kept their eyes on the prize. The group’s goofy personalities seldom showed up during games. Instead, they were stone-cold professionals who blew teams out left and right on their way to a championship.

As the only player who had a championship, Caruso leaned on his experience throughout the Thunder’s 2024-25 season. He famously brought his 2020 Los Angeles Lakers ring to the locker room and handed it around like it was show and tell. He wanted to show his teammates a tangible award for the invisible work.

According to Miller Kopp, Caruso has carried that moxie since he arrived in OKC. His roll-up-your-sleeve persona wasn’t just for show or cool anecdotes. It’s how he operates on a day-to-day basis. The former G League’s OKC Blue player recently shared a story that exemplified that.

Kopp shared a video he sent to his brother from last summer. He was part of OKC’s 2024 Summer League squad. In what sounded like a scrimmage with the regular Thunder players, he busted his nose when he matched up against Chet Holmgren.

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“Took an elbow from Chet. Got up. Nose was bleeding. Lip busted. Jogged off to the sideline real quick. Did not sub out, of course. Just getting a little thing for my nose to stop the bleeding,” Kopp said. “Coach asked me, ‘Mill, you good?’ I go, ‘Yeah.'”

With his upper right lip still inflamed, Kopp then said Caruso showed him support for battling through the injury. If anybody knows what it’s like to put your body through the wringer to help your team win, it’s him. He’s carved out an entire career out of it, from undrafted rookie to a two-time NBA champion.

“Right after I said yeah, Caruso goes, ‘Nah, he’s good. He’s gotta be good.’ Guy gets it, man,” Kopp said. “He f—ing gets it. He’s tough as nails. He’s a winner. In great condition. Talker. Walks in the office and says hi to everybody. Chefs, new guys. Doesn’t matter. There’s something there, bro… Guy’s a f—king winner.”

It’s not a surprise to see Kopp idolize Caruso’s work ethic. He also had a similar start to his career. It took years for him to go from G League player to one of the best defenders. That type of basketball background helped OKC build up an indestructible culture that turned them into a winning machine in his first year there.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Former OKC Thunder player shares story that exemplifies Alex Caruso