Thursday 14 May 2020 10:50, UK
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Alex Caruso said LeBron James' work ethic has rubbed off on him and helped his game.
Speaking in an NBA Together Twitter Q&A, Caruso reflected on the Lakers' 2019-20 season and how playing alongside James has helped his development.
"Playing alongside Bron is a lot of fun because he understands the game so well. We are always kind of on the same page," Caruso said. "I think his work ethic has rubbed off on me and helped my game. Being able to see how hard he works first-hand makes it easier to realise how much you have to improve. It has helped me tremendously."
Caruso has appeared in 58 of the 63 games this season and attained cult status with Lakers fans thanks to some timely in-game dunks.
"My dunking seems to be popular with Lakers fans," said the 26-year-old guard. "I used to love dunking as a kid - I would watch highlights of Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins and Vince Carter, some of the greatest to ever do it.
"Obviously I am not on their level but I enjoy making the highlights that I can. It's always good to put on a show for the fans and give them something to cheer about. I don't usually recognise (the reaction) in the game because I'm pretty locked in."
After not being selected in the 2016 NBA Draft, the G League (then called the D League) became a critical component in Caruso's journey to the NBA. He credits stints with the Oklahoma City Blue and South Bay Lakers for shaping his game and motivating him.
"The G League was great for me, I spent three years down there," Caruso recalled. "It gave me the chance to learn how to be effective, how to impact a game and ultimately develop my skills and get better as a player.
"The drive and determination to get out of the G League into the NBA is what is going to propel me to have a long NBA career. The work ethic and dedication it takes to get to this point is going to stay with me forever."
While the Lakers superstar duo of James and Anthony Davis are primarily responsible for the Lakers 49-14 record and their place at the top of the Western Conference standings, Caruso picked a game when both big-name players were absent as his favourite game of the season - a 125-110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 11.
"My favourite moment from the 2019-20 season so far is probably a game we played in Oklahoma City where Bron, AD (Davis) and Danny (Green) didn't play. It was just a couple of starters and the bench mob," he said.
"We went in and had a great game, the ball was moving, (Rajon) Rondo led way and played great. Dwight (Howard) had a great game. Guys that usually don't play a lot of minutes - including me - came in and played really well. (Kyle) Kuzma made big shots late in the game.
"The full team effort it took to win that game felt great."
