Alex Caruso marvels at how LeBron James is sustaining his high level of play

"He's smart enough to figure out what he needs to get better at and put the work in to get there"

© Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is a cutthroat league. One year, you can be the toast of the town; the next, you can find yourself searching for a new job. That's why it is so impressive to see what LeBron James has accomplished over the past two decades-plus, as he continues to play at an elite level despite being in his late thirties.

Former teammates

Caruso has a unique perspective of LeBron’s greatness as he was his teammate for several seasons on the Los Angeles Lakers. The two won an NBA title together in the “Orlando bubble” in 2020. So, LeBron’s accomplishments and longevity don’t surprise the tenacious guard since he knows how much work he puts into his craft.

"It doesn’t surprise me," Caruso said.

"But I have to put it in perspective and understand how great it is because you see it from him year after year after year, and you can get blinded by the greatness that he puts up. It’s fun to watch as a basketball player outside of me having a relationship with him."

Caruso added that LeBron’s ability to adapt his game over the years and be successful has made him even more impressive. Whereas LeBron used brute force and strength to overpower defenders on his way to the basket, he has developed a reliable outside shot and regularly hits deep three-pointers.

"He’s shooting the ball well. That was the kind of the thing. Over his career, he has gotten better and he has changed his game. He used to be all downhill, mix in a couple shots. Now he’s shooting the ball really well,” Caruso shared.

Game recognize game. pic.twitter.com/iXE9ZpbuiR

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 21, 2023

Just try to make it hard for LeBron

Now playing in his 21st season, LeBron remains one of the NBA’s best, posting averages of 25.2 points on 53.9 percent shooting, including 39.3 percent from long range, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists. On Wednesday, LeBron fell an assist short of registering a triple-double against the Bulls, as he finished the 124-108 loss with 25 points, ten rebounds, and nine assists in 37 minutes of action.

Caruso said that any match-up with LeBron will be difficult, but he tries to make it as challenging as possible.

"I try to hope he doesn’t catch it on the block because he’s like 270 (pounds)," Caruso said. 

The Chicago Bulls dominated the second half to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers easily