Alex Caruso's Age Isn't Hindering Transition to OKC Thunder

Though the oldest player on the Oklahoma City Thunder roster, it hasn't been a difficult adjustment for Alex Caruso to fit in.

Alex Caruso is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Most of the time 30 years isn't considered old age, but when you're a part of the Oklahoma City Thunder, you're considered an elder.

Acquired near the beginning of the summer, Alex Caruso is set to be the oldest player in Oklahoma City as he nears his franchise debut. On a roster filled with a vast majority of talent under the age of 25, he's one of the only true veterans in the locker room.

Age disparites can cause chemistry adjustments on a new team, but so far, Caruso hasn't seemed to struggle to fit in with the Thunder in the slightest. In fact, forward Jalen Williams already commented on how easy the transition has been.

“AC is cool, too. So I think that helps when you have a good person coming into a good locker room. It’s a pretty easy mix," Jalen Williams said.

Caruso has found his way to the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls previously in his career, so he has experience with being integrated into new teams. Oklahoma City may be the youngest, but that hasn't made it any more difficult to get comfortable.

From the start, it was never a worry for Caruso that he couldn't fit in.

"I've gotten pretty good at getting to know people on the short timeline and making it work," Caruso said. "That's something I think I can do here."

Just because Caruso has more experience than the rest of the Thunder roster doesn't mean he's trying to only be in the veteran role, either. Throughout his career, he's always been a self-proclaimed "team-first" player, and trying to overstep and immediately be a leader is far from a priority.

Caruso will always provide the resources and advice his teammates need, but that's only if they want it. And if the talent in Oklahoma City has shown anything in the last couple of years, they will.

"If anybody needs me for anything, they can always ask me, but I don't come in and try to be the boss or do anything crazy," Caruso said. "It's just about playing basketball and getting to know my teammates."

Caruso probably isn't tuned in on social media as much as Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or carries the personality of Jalen and Jaylin Williams, but he doesn't need to in order to be a key player for the Thunder moving forward. He just needs to show up and do what he does best — being a hustle player.

But of course, he can always have a little fun too.

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