The Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Indiana Pacers for Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday evening. Both teams fought incredibly hard all season to reach a winner-takes-all game.
Indiana battled the Thunder in the first half, but OKC held on to win 103-91. It’s OKC’s first championship in franchise history. All but one player on Oklahoma City’s team won their first championship Sunday. Veteran guard Alex Caruso won his second NBA title in the last five years. After Game 7, Caruso joked with the media and said he finally won a “real” championship.
Alex Caruso is now a two-time NBA champion
I had 3 beers already, it’s SARCASM!!
-two time https://t.co/coxn1bDpKp
— Alex Caruso (@ACFresh21) June 23, 2025
Not every player’s path to success is the same in professional sports. Certain individuals have to work extremely harder than anyone else just to be seen and have a chance. That was true for Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso. After four seasons at Texas A&M, Alex Caruso went undrafted. To begin his career in the G League, Caruso was part of the Oklahoma City Blue. He played one season for the Thunder’s G League affiliate before signing a two-way contract with the Lakers.
By his third season, Alex Caruso became a reliable player for Los Angeles. In 2020, he was on the Lakers’ roster that won the NBA Finals. Fast-forward five years later and Caruso is the oldest player on OKC’s roster and a two-time NBA champion. After Game 7 Sunday night, Caruso spoke with the media and said he finally won a “real” championship.
Alex Caruso won his first NBA championship with the Lakers in the NBA bubble. Fans and media members have tried to diminish that title because it was not played in front of fans. Regardless, Caruso still has two championships to his name and was a key role player all season long. The 31-year-old detailed how this title in OKC was “harder” to win than his championship in 2020. He said the Thunder’s lack of championship experience made it more difficult. However, the team got the job done on Sunday and won the NBA Finals.
The 2024-25 season was Alex Caruso’s first year with the Thunder. Ahead of the regular season, the team traded Josh Giddey to the Bulls in exchange for Caruso. He was one of the small additions OKC made to help take their team to the next level. During OKC’s 2025 postseason run, Alex Caruso averaged 24.4 minutes per game off the bench. The Thunder are the second youngest team in league history to win the NBA Finals. With the star talent and draft assets they have in the future, just how many championships can this era of the Thunder win?
