Lakers' Alex Caruso Discusses Missing His Sister's Wedding To Remain In NBA Bubble
Alex Caruso made a major sacrifice to remain in the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World near Orlando.
He missed the wedding of his older sister, Megan, outside of Austin, Texas, last week.
Megan scheduled her wedding in July to make sure her brother could attend the event. If the season had proceeded as normal, the NBA Finals would've ended in June.
"They originally planned the wedding in the summer to accommodate me," Caruso said in a video conference call Wednesday. "They moved the whole wedding to July so that I could participate. Obviously, events happened and the world was turned upside down."
After the NBA was suspended March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the season was slid back four months, with the Lakers flying to Orlando on July 9.
Caruso was told if he attended the wedding in Texas, where coronavirus cases are spiking, he'd likely have to quarantine for 10 days upon reentering bubble, according to ESPN. That would've meant he'd miss the team's three scrimmages and potentially the start of the season.
Caruso decided to remain with the Lakers, knowing how important he was to the team with Avery Bradley and Rajon Rondo out.
"Everybody has made a sacrifice here or there to make this work," Caruso said. "Obviously, some are different than others just because of the emotional support that my family gives me to play basketball and to have success. So it meant a lot not to be there. Wish I could’ve been there."
Lakers coach Frank Vogel said it was "gut wrenching" that Caruso missed the wedding, adding that he left the decision up to him.
"Anybody who knows me, knows that I’m a family-first guy and this was something that we would have loved for him to be able to attend," Vogel said. "We gave him support whichever way he decided."
Multiple players have left the NBA bubble for various reasons. New Orleans' Zion Williamson and Clippers' Montrezl Harrell left last week because of urgent family matters. Clippers' Patrick Beverly left Tuesday because of an emergency personal matter.
Caruso said even though he hated to miss the wedding, he's trying to keep things in perspective the best he can.
"A wedding is a moment in time that I’ll probably never be able to recapture," he said. "But the many years that I’ll have to create new memories with them is going to be just fine."
