logo
Thunder's Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins' mic drop moment before parade

Thunder's Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins' mic drop moment before parade

Yahoo6 hours ago

The post Thunder's Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins' mic drop moment before parade appeared first on ClutchPoints.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Alex Caruso says Aaron Wiggins stole the show before Tuesday's championship celebration parade. Wiggins' speech kicked off the Thunder's celebratory festivities at the Paycom Center before the start of the parade. In a special send off for season ticket holders, team and front office's friends and family, Aaron's speech was one of Caruso's favorite moments of the day.
Advertisement
Caruso's face lit up when he asked which moments stood out the most from his first championship parade and he remembered Caruso's kick-off speech.
'Aaron Wiggins' speech to start it off. Man, Wiggs killed the speech,' Caruso told ClutchPoints. 'That was probably the best moment from the parade besides the actual going around, seeing the fans.'
Did you see that coming from Wiggins?
'No, nobody did,' Caruso replied. 'We tried to shut it down after he finished, and they said, 'No, we have a program.' We still had to talk to people. But he dropped the mic.'
Then, came time for the parade as Aaron Wiggins, Caruson and the rest of the Thunder players loaded onto the buses to celebrate with their fans down a two mile route in downtown Oklahoma City.
Advertisement
'Just an overwhelming turnout. There were 10 to 20 people deep, if not more, on every corner, every turn,' Caruso said about Tuesday's Thunder parade. 'From the starting line to Scissortail Park, where there was probably like a couple hundred thousand probably packed in there. Just overwhelming support, and it was loud. I didn't know how loud it's going to be because we're outside, right?
'There's no like acoustics to kind of trap all the noise. But it felt loud, and it was a lot of fun. A lot of great energy,' Caruso concluded.
Alex Caruso's blunt take, differentiating Lakers' title vs Thunder's
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Thunder veteran Alex Caruso reflected on his two championships. Pinpointing the differences between the two teams, Caruso addressed the vast differences between the two teams.
Advertisement
'The biggest difference between those two championships, for me, is probably just where I'm at in my career,' Caruso told ClutchPoints. 'I think the first one, I was surrounded by Hall of Fame players with pedigree, and I was learning, you know? I was trying to figure it out. I think this time — around five, six years later — I knew the answers to the test. So, I was trying to give those out. Help the other guys. Be there for the first time.'
This time, it was Caruso's voice guiding the inexperienced to their first championship of their careers.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The 15 most intriguing NBA free agents available in 2025
The 15 most intriguing NBA free agents available in 2025

USA Today

time38 minutes ago

  • USA Today

The 15 most intriguing NBA free agents available in 2025

NBA free agency is here, with the 6 p.m. ET start to the negotiating period on Monday, June 30. That means we might get a whole bunch of reported news that evening with signings and moves. Before that? It's time to start looking at the biggest names available, and we've decided to look at it with intrigue. The superstars available? That's more of a trade thing. But there are some players who could turn an also-ran into more of a contender, and that's what we're focused on here. MORE NBA: Tracking the top 2025 undrafted free agents So let's dive in! Here are the most intriguing names on the market in the NBA as we get set for the free agency madness: 1. C Myles Turner STATUS: Unrestricted The Indiana Pacers center is your ideal modern NBA anchor in the middle -- he can block shots on one end and hit threes on the other. Any team could plug him in and see his presence pay dividends immediately. 2. SF Jonathan Kuminga STATUS: Restricted Hmm. Is Kuminga a flawed player who Steve Kerr struggled to figure out? Or a young player still figuring it out who has untapped potential? If it's the latter, expect an offer sheet from a team rolling the dice. 3. PG Josh Giddey STATUS: Restricted The Chicago Bulls player had a great year as a distributor and rebounder and could be another offer sheet candidate. 4. C Brook Lopez STATUS: Unrestricted Yes, he's getting old. But no, he's not looking old. Dude can still block shots and hit threes. 5. C Deandre Ayton STATUS: Unrestricted There's a lot of chatter about where he's headed after the Blazers bought him out (COUGH Lakers COUGH COUGH), and while Ayton's skills on the defense end aren't the best, he's a scorer and a rebounder in the middle. 6. SG Cam Thomas STATUS: Restricted He can score! We know that much. Everything else? ... Not quite his game. But there's value here that can be unearthed on the right roster. 7. SG Ty Jerome STATUS: Unrestricted He was a terrific glue guy in Cleveland, with some scoring, threes and steals every game. 8. PF Santi Aldama STATUS: Restricted I'm curious if he gets an offer sheet given his stretch forward skills. 9. SG Nickeil Alexander-Walker STATUS: Unrestricted A 3-and-D player who will make himself some money this offseason. 10. C Clint Capela STATUS: Unrestricted He can still rebound and block shots. That's something. 11. SG Quentin Grimes STATUS: Restricted He EXPLODED in Philly, so maybe that was a sign of things to come. 12. PF Dorian Finney-Smith STATUS: Unrestricted See above for what I said about 3-and-D guys. 13. SG Bruce Brown STATUS: Unrestricted Another glue guy for contenders. 14. SF Duncan Robinson STATUS: Unrestricted You need shooting from a stretch forward? Here you go. 15. SG Caris LeVert STATUS: Unrestricted An effective shooting guard who can score. Not a home-run hitter, but that's not a bad thing.

New faces - and old - present as Swansea pre-season begins
New faces - and old - present as Swansea pre-season begins

Yahoo

time43 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

New faces - and old - present as Swansea pre-season begins

Melker Widell and Zeidane Inoussa were among the players who reported to Swansea City's training base on Monday as Alan Sheehan's squad began preparations for the new Championship season. Swedish duo Widell and Inoussa were joined at Fairwood, Swansea's training ground, by fellow new recruits Ricardo Santos and Bobby Wales. Advertisement But centre-back Cameron Burgess, who joined from Ipswich Town earlier this month, has been given extra time off because he has been in international action with Australia over the summer. Burgess is set to arrive at Swansea at the end of the week alongside Wales trio Ollie Cooper, Liam Cullen and captain Ben Cabango, who are also returning to club duty a little late because of international commitments. As well as the new signings, there are some familiar faces who are back with the Swansea squad after loan spells away last season. Among those is striker Jerry Yates, who spent the last campaign at Derby County, as well as the likes of goalkeeper Andy Fisher and attacking midfielders Cameron Congreve and Joel Cotterill. Advertisement Swansea begin the new second-tier season with a trip to Middlesbrough on Saturday, 3 August. Their first official pre-season friendly will be against League One Stevenage in Spain on Saturday, 19 July.

How do Michigan fans grade Sherrone Moore and what's next? Our Wolverines fan survey
How do Michigan fans grade Sherrone Moore and what's next? Our Wolverines fan survey

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

How do Michigan fans grade Sherrone Moore and what's next? Our Wolverines fan survey

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — In an email to fans last week, athletic director Warde Manuel said Michigan is continuing to evaluate ways to pay for 82 new scholarships and $20.5 million in revenue-sharing funds that will be distributed to athletes in football, basketball, volleyball and ice hockey. If Manuel needs more input, The Athletic's Michigan fan survey is here to help. More than 1,000 fans shared their thoughts last week on scheduling more events at Michigan Stadium (yes, please), higher ticket prices (no way!) and permanent advertising inside the Big House (a definite maybe), along with numerous topics related to the upcoming football season. The overall picture reveals a fan base that, despite some short-term uncertainty, feels confident in the long-term trajectory of Michigan athletics in the revenue-sharing era. Advertisement 'I think UM is generally in a good place,' wrote Chris P. 'Football needs to take a step forward after a natty hangover year in 2024, but I like that the team finished strong last season, and I think Sherrone Moore's approaches to recruiting, the transfer portal and building his coaching staff make sense.' 'I don't think this is THE year for Michigan football,' added Noah K. 'We should be good, not great. The next two years are going to be the hot zone for Bryce (Underwood) and the elite recruiting class we just pulled in to develop.' Here's the full breakdown of the survey results. In last year's fan survey, the vast majority of Michigan fans said they were on board with promoting Moore to replace Jim Harbaugh. Moore's first season was far from flawless, but the combination of beating Ohio State and Alabama and landing the No. 1 recruit in the nation earned Moore solid marks in this year's survey. 'Sherrone Moore had me very nervous at first,' wrote Michael L. 'I think he underestimated how bad his QB was and killed the season because of it. I do think he has bounced back in a major way.' Despite the optimism, there's a sense that Moore needs to show something in 2025. Most fans seem willing to give him some runway as Underwood develops, but they'd also like to see Michigan back in the CFP conversation. 'This season is time for Sherrone to prove he can win outside of the shadow of the national championship,' wrote Bruce B. The takeaway here is that a majority of fans would accept a season similar to 2024 as long as Michigan wins its two rivalry games. There's a clear expectation that Michigan should be back in the CFP by 2026, but fans can deal with some growing pains as long as Michigan is moving in the right direction. Advertisement 'To think this team is ready to compete for a national title with a true freshman QB (though I believe he is talented) and a patchwork offensive line is probably unrealistic,' wrote Sam K. 'My hope is that we can see this team start to jell in the back half of the season, keep the core in place, and 2026 could set up for a special year.' With a freshman quarterback and two excellent running backs, Michigan's new offensive coordinator would be smart to rely on the ground game as much as possible. That's what fans expect, though many find it hard to contain their expectations for Underwood. 'I don't think I have ever been this excited for a quarterback,' wrote Adam S. 'I can't wait to see Underwood play.' The split vote reflects a defense that will rely on depth rather than star power. It will be a great sign for Michigan if Rod Moore is in the conversation given the severity of his knee injury and his lengthy path to recovery. The top choice is no surprise, but I thought Michigan's first Big Ten game in L.A. might rate a bit higher. Fans are right to be excited about the Week 2 trip to Oklahoma, a great intersectional matchup that will set the tone for the rest of Michigan's season. Aside from quarterback, wide receiver is the position that seems most ripe for a breakout season from a freshman. Even so, I might cast my vote for Earls, who has a great shot to be Michigan's third cornerback and might even work his way into the starting lineup. Fans seem confident that Michigan's defensive line won't miss a beat despite losing Josaiah Stewart, Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant. I expected the vote to be closer between the D-line and the running backs, though it's tough to go wrong either way. No surprises here. Michigan had one of the least productive wide receiver units in college football last season and returns many of the same players after swapping Tyler Morris for Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley. The long-term picture looks brighter thanks to a strong 2025 class and Zion Robinson's commitment for 2026, but it remains to be seen if any of the young players are ready to emerge. Advertisement My other takeaway: Michigan fans aren't sure what to make of this offensive line. I'd like to get the 7 percent who graded the O-line as the strongest position group in the same room with the 12 percent who think it's the weak link and let them hash it out. We're going on 18 months of opposing fans claiming the sign-stealing scandal is a capital offense while Michigan fans claim it's much ado about nothing. We can all agree on one thing: It will be nice to have closure. 'I feel the Connor Stalions story, while an entertaining distraction, is just that: a distraction,' wrote Nick M. 'Most people will swiftly forget it in a few years, and it will be little more than an embarrassing blip on our reputation.' I do wonder if Michigan fans are setting themselves up for disappointment if the NCAA ruling is harsher than they expect. The case wouldn't have gone all the way to an infractions hearing if the NCAA's enforcement staff was content to let Michigan off with a wrist-slap. That doesn't mean the Committee on Infractions will see it the same way, but Michigan definitely is not in the clear. The perception a few years ago was that Michigan lagged behind its peers in the NIL space. That's no longer the case. Michigan has modernized its personnel department and committed to doing what's necessary to land elite players like Underwood. Give credit to general manager Sean Magee, who has proven to be a smart hire for Moore. The vibes continue to be immaculate for May and his program. Replacing Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf is no small task, but fans are confident Michigan can build on last year's success with the additions of Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau. Manuel didn't provide the exact percentages, but Michigan's strategy seems roughly in line with fan preferences. Football is the bell cow and is going to get a majority of the revenue-sharing funds. The next biggest chunk will go to basketball, with volleyball and ice hockey also receiving some funding. The distribution model may evolve over time, Manuel said, and could include payouts for top performers in sports that aren't on the initial list. Advertisement Football is king, but fans want to ensure sports like swimming, gymnastics and track and field have the resources they need to survive. Those fans will be happy to hear that, according to Manuel, cutting any of Michigan's 29 varsity sports programs is not a consideration. 'I really hope Michigan avoids cutting sports such as track, rowing, field hockey, etc.,' wrote Baker C. 'I feel having those sports plays a part in the overall athletic culture of the university and have each had moments of individual excitement and success that I would be sad to see leave.' Keeping last year's format was the most popular choice, though fans are ambivalent overall about the expanded playoff. It's notable that an option the Big Ten has pushed for — four guaranteed bids for the Big Ten and SEC, two apiece for the Big 12 and ACC, one for the Group of 5 and three at-large — was the last-place option. 'The powers that be are going to ruin college football with expanding the Playoff, doing nothing about transfers/tampering and moving away from regional conferences,' wrote Ben K. 'The regular season used to be special. Now an Ohio State team can win the national title without beating Michigan. We probably don't need more than six playoff spots.' These two questions were designed to test the hypothesis that changes in college football have affected fans' attitudes more than their habits. The results bear that out: 47.6 percent of fans feel less interested, but only 22.8 percent are consuming less college football. While interest in college football remains strong, fans are expressing fatigue with the endless tinkering with Playoff formats, conference realignment, player movement and legal wrangling. 'The transfer portal, revenue sharing and NIL do not bother me in the least,' wrote Andrew R. 'However, expanding the playoff field to an absurd 12 teams has ruined the sport and greatly reduced my interest. Conference expansion at the same time has not helped, either. The regular season no longer matters, officially, so why should we care about it? It's a real shame.' Advertisement Michigan fans are divided on the Gus Johnson/Joel Klatt combo, but the Big Noon window is their clear favorite. It's interesting to me that while Ohio State fans clamor for fewer noon kickoffs, Michigan fans would gladly take more if it meant fewer night games. Perhaps that's because night games are a relatively recent phenomenon at the Big House. Hosting events at Michigan Stadium seems like a no-brainer, and I'd expect more of those in the coming years. Michigan hasn't made a decision on permanent advertising at the Big House, but the wording of Manuel's email made me think it's only a matter of time. 'Permanent advertising in Michigan Stadium has been a topic of discussion for many years, predating my tenure at Michigan,' Manuel wrote. 'It's essential for us to assess all potential advertising opportunities to generate new revenue while respecting our traditions. Every decision we make will take into account Michigan's traditions and values while also understanding the decisions we need to make to continue to support the success of our teams.' As someone who didn't grow up attending games at the Big House, my first reaction was, 'Wait, Michigan doesn't have advertising at the stadium?' I can't say that I notice the difference when I travel to other venues, but I understand that some longtime fans have strong feelings about it. 'Never, ever have advertising in or around Michigan Stadium or the uniforms!!' wrote a fan named Jim. Fans may not like it, but if the alternative is cutting sports or raising ticket prices, they'll take the ads. For a fan base that's more tradition-minded than most, Michigan fans expressed a surprising openness to private equity funding, too. 'College football is trending toward the structure of the English Premier League,' wrote Dana B. 'As such, Michigan should get ahead of the game and bring in private equity investors ASAP. Without a doubt this is the direction the sport is headed.' That's not quite the last resort, but it's fairly low on the list of options. Fans can think of much better ways to pay for those new revenue-sharing deals. 'Eminem at the Big House, anyone?' wrote Sen A.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store