Latest news with #Caruso
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Alex Caruso Details The ‘Resilience' Of Oklahoma City Thunder After Winning 2025 NBA Finals
Alex Caruso details the difference between this championship win with the Oklahoma City Thunder and ... More his win with the Los Angeles Lakers. (Photo by) The Oklahoma City Thunder are likely just getting started when it comes to celebrating championships. The Thunder were the youngest team (25.6 years) in 50 years to reach the NBA Finals when they defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games, winning their first championship since the franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City. Considering their core group of players, 23-year-old Chet Holmgren, 24-year-old Jalen Williams and 26-year-old Shai-Gilgeous Alexander are all in their primes or just entering it, it's not far-fetched to say the Thunder could potentially be at the beginning of a dynasty. The 'old man' of the group, 31-year-old Alex Caruso, joined the team before the start of the season after a trade for Josh Giddey. Caruso had spent the past three seasons with the Chicago Bulls. The veteran guard details his fit on this young Thunder squad, with him and Kenrich Williams being the only players over the age of 30. 'Adjusting to the team was relatively easy once I got here,' says Caruso. 'I just started building those relationships with the guys. I'm pretty unserious off the court as well. I probably don't show it as much as they do, but that part, I fit in pretty well. On the court, it made it easier because we realized everybody was focused on the same thing. Everyone's really competitive. For me, it was pretty seamless once I got here after a month or two.' The Thunder completed a historic season in which they set an NBA record for average margin of victory (12.9 points per game) while racking up a franchise record 68 wins during the regular season. Oklahoma City features mostly home-grown products, including reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander, with a few veterans such as Caruso sprinkled in. He details the difference between this Thunder team and the veteran-heavy Los Angeles Lakers squad that he won a championship with back in 2020. That Lakers team featured future Hall of Famers in LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Caruso cracked a sarcastic joke following the Thunder's title win that he finally got a 'real one." The joke is in reference to the Lakers winning their title in the championship bubble. 'That's what makes the city, the fan base, the team so special,' says Caruso of Oklahoma City. "It's just from the roots. That Lakers team was more or less picked from who he wanted to take and signed a bunch of veterans that were going to the Hall of Fame, or had won a championship before. 'This one was second round draft picks, a handful of undrafted, traded guys, a couple free agents,' Caruso continues to say of how this Thunder team was put together. 'It was pieced together a little more meticulously. A lot of the guys on this team are just starting the beginning of great careers, whereas the other guys (the Lakers) were on the end runs.' Caruso played a pivotal role during the team's run to a championship, stepping out of his usual role as a defensive-oriented, high-energy role player into an offensive force. Caruso scored 20 points apiece in Game 3 and Game 5 victories. By comparison, he averaged 7.1 points per game during the regular season and 9.2 points per game during the playoff run. Although they were heavily favored in the series, it took seven games for the Thunder to put away the pesky Pacers – even despite Tyrese Haliburton playing through injury and eventually suffering a torn Achilles in Game 7. Oklahoma City lost Game 1 after blowing a 15-point lead in the first quarter and trailed the series 2-to-1 at one point. 'For me personally, the amount of effort that I put in and the sacrifice I put in to win it, because it's necessary and I hope that doesn't go unnoticed,' says Caruso of what he hopes people remember from this Finals performance. "For the team, just the resilience. We obviously had a really good regular season, but postseason is different. 'There's ups and downs, and we had the highest highs, won by 50,' Caruso continues to say. 'We lost one game by 40, and then came back and won the next game. Just to be able to battle through the storm and stay together, I think is the biggest thing.' The Thunder have already opened as overwhelming favorites to win the 2026 NBA Finals at +220 odds, according to ESPN Bet. Just days after winning the championship and celebrating with the city for the title parade, Caruso soaked in the victory even further with fans while working a 'shift' at an Oklahoma City Raising Cane's. Caruso talked about the importance of the community in Oklahoma City and how loyal the fans are to the team. The Thunder are only three years removed from finishing with a 24-58 record, the second-worst mark in the Western Conference. 'The importance of coming out and sharing with the community is just because how much of they support us every single game this year, no matter who we were playing, whether it was the worst team in the league or it was a TV game on a Saturday night, they sold out the arena,' says Caruso. 'They're chanting, they're yelling, they're screaming for us. It's tangible, and it's real, and you can feel it. I think all the guys on the team are very, very mature for their age, and understanding of how special that is.' Alex Caruso while celebrating with fans during "shift" at Raising Cane's following the Oklahoma City ... More Thunder's championship victory. (Photo byfor Raising Cane's) Caruso – who previously played in big market cities such as Los Angeles and Chicago – explains what makes this small market team in Okalhoma City so special. 'Oklahoma City is going to be a big city,' says Caruso. "We're getting a new building downtown. It's going to be the world's tallest building or something. It's really cool. I've compared it Texas high school football when there's a game, the city shuts down and everyone's just focused on that one thing. The love and support carries with that," Caruso continues to say. 'That's one of the coolest things, is it's 10 am a couple days after the season's over, and there's a couple hundred people outside of Raising Canes waiting to see me just to say hi because we won a championship. That doesn't go unnoticed.'
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Alex Caruso goes viral after saving Oklahoma City Thunder's locker room celebration
The Oklahoma City Thunder may have taken home the 2025 NBA championship, but their locker room celebration after the win had fans laughing more than cheering. The champagne showers that usually follow a 7 victory didn't go as expected. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Instead of smooth pops and sprays, players struggled to open bottles until Alex Caruso stepped in. What followed was a viral moment, and now, Caruso is opening up about it with a smile and some solid advice for young players. Alex Caruso steps in as the unexpected MVP of the party On Sunday night, June 22, the Oklahoma City Thunder won the NBA Finals in Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers. The game happened at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. After the victory, the team went back to the wardrobe to celebrate, but things did not go as well as expected. The players were all pumped for the classic champagne moment, but when it came time to pop the bottles, most didn't know what to do. It turned into a light, funny scene with lots of smiles, a bit of confusion, and everyone just figuring it out together. That's when 31 year old Alex Caruso went in to help. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard showed his younger teammates how to do it and made the party go. The teammates laughed when he helped them pop the bottles. The moment was caught on video and spread quickly online. TMZ Sports was the first to report it. Alex Caruso praises Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and calls out celebration slip-up Alex Caruso spoke with TMZ Sports while working a shift at Raising Cane's in Oklahoma City, part of a celebratory event with fans. During the event, Caruso was asked about the locker room moment after the big win. Caruso smiled and admitted, 'It was not a great showing,' referring to the team's struggles with the champagne. But he added confidently, 'We'll be better the next time around. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Whenever that is.' This was Caruso's second NBA title, and he's enjoying the moment. He shared that life since winning the championship has been busy but exciting. 'It's been a blur,' he said, still smiling. Alex Caruso also praised his teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named Finals MVP. 'Shai's competitiveness is something else,' he said. 'He just never gives up.' Aside from the celebration talk, Caruso gave heartfelt advice to players who weren't picked in the 2025 NBA Draft held on Wednesday, June 25. 'Not getting drafted doesn't mean it's over,' he said. 'Keep working. Stay ready. Your time can still come.' Alex Caruso's leadership shows up in more ways than just basketball. He knows when to step up, even in the locker room after a big win. The Thunder's champagne celebration might not have gone smoothly this time, but with someone like Caruso around, they'll know exactly what to do the next time they win it all. Also Read:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
WorkFusion's David Caruso on making compliance stronger and at less cost
As third-party payment processors (TPPPs) face ever increasing transaction volumes, they also face increasing pressures to detect and prevent financial crime. Moreover, the criminals' tactics are becoming more sophisticated and are prime targets for financial criminals due to the speed, anonymity, and limited oversight they offer. Payment processors pose a great money laundering risk without a clear and effective way to verify their merchant clients' identities. The risk is even greater when the TPPP does not perform adequate due diligence on the merchants that are originating payments. Traditional compliance methods — plagued by high false-positive rates and slow manual reviews — struggle to keep up with evolving threats. The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council has warned: 'Payment processors pose greater money laundering and fraud risk if they do not have an effective means of verifying their merchant clients' identities and business practices. Risk increases when the processor does not perform adequate due diligence on the merchants for which they are originating payments.' David Caruso, VP Financial Crime Compliance at WorkFusion, tells EPI that is there Agentic AI comes in. 'We make compliance stronger, and we do that while reducing expenses.' That last line is a great soundbite as is the line that its agentic AI solutions are already being deployed by four of the five largest US banks. AI Agents can automate complex workflows and enhance human efforts to detect financial crime like money laundering with greater speed and accuracy. In short, WorkFusion automates the redundant manual work done by level 1 analysts, that is often plagued by errors and a lack of consistency. 'Why we are in business and why our clients use us is because of these high volumes of transactions. There are often high volumes of alerts and until recently, these had to be reviewed by human beings. And when you combine those factors, high volumes and high numbers of alerts, it creates all sorts of additional problems such as work backlogs, which then increases risk. 'If there's too much work, humans can't do it. You get delays. Things slip through the cracks. Human beings can't maintain the pace they need to maintain. They can't maintain the quality they need to maintain. So, what WorkFusion does is use AI agents to perform much of that work. We both automate the gathering of information, and then we also apply reasoning and analysis on top of that.' The AI agents are programmed to undertake AML and sanctions compliance work following prescribed steps in every instance. Caruso says that humans don't always follow all of the prescribed steps for all sorts of reasons. Some well-meaning and some just because they get distracted. In addition, the technology provides a record of why a decision was made; again this is something that is very time consuming for humans. He says that on occasions, human beings maybe do not document their decisions exactly the way that the regulators require. In addition, the machines can do it at a speed that people just can't keep up with and so that avoids any potential backlogs. And then there is the cost angle. Caruso says that TPPs do not by definition, necessarily present a greater or higher risk but there are certain unique characteristics that may make them more attractive to certain types of criminals. For example, a payment processor doesn't have the type of relationship with the person that is initiating the transaction in the same way that a bank will have with one of its checking account customers. There is then, a degree of separation; you have the processor, the merchant, and then you've got the end user. 'There is them the issue that most transactions are legitimate. They are lawful and honest. So, how do you filter the potentially suspicious from the non-suspicious? There are issues such as synthetic identification fraud, which unfortunately the industry is susceptible to. Here you have the interesting scenario of the criminals themselves using advanced technology like AI. History has shown that criminals always tend to be ahead of the industry's use of any new technology.' Looking ahead, Caruso is more glass half full than half empty. It is, he says, incumbent on all stakeholders in the ecosystem to keep pace with the criminals, Whether you are a regulated financial institution, a payment processor or, say a casino, everyone should try to keep pace. I mean, this is never ending. Whether you're a regulated financial institution, a payment processor or, say a casino, we have to try to keep pace. It would be fair to say that the payment processors are technology companies in and of themselves. I think that that's an important element. They understand the power of technology, where sometimes traditional financial institutions do not and struggle in those areas. So, I think in that regard, payment processors are well positioned. Obviously, there is a lot of new technology that they can avail themselves of, AI in particular, so there is plenty cause for optimism.' "WorkFusion's David Caruso on making compliance stronger and at less cost" was originally created and published by Electronic Payments International, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alex Caruso's Outfit at Thunder's NBA Championship Parade Is Going Viral
Alex Caruso's Outfit at Thunder's NBA Championship Parade Is Going Viral originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It was a hot summer day in downtown Oklahoma City, and Thunder fans packed the streets to celebrate the franchise's first NBA title. The energy was electric, the players were in great spirits, and the internet quickly found its new obsession: Alex Caruso. Advertisement The 31-year-old guard played a key role in the Thunder's championship run, helping them win their first NBA title and earning his second ring. His first came in 2020 with the Los Angeles Lakers. But what had everyone talking at the championship parade wasn't just his on-court contributions; it was his outfit. Caruso rocked a shirt that immediately turned heads. What's on it? A Mount Rushmore-style design featuring his face in all four presidential spots, along with a nod to his Lakers championship ring. The internet ran wild with reactions. This commenter said: "AC is such a vibe." "Celebrating Mount Rushmore Season," posted here. Advertisement "That's my GOAT," said this fan. This fan is jealous of the shirt and wants one for himself: "I need this shirt." "TWO TIME CHAMPION AC," posted a fan. One fan said: "Insane aura." Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9).Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Caruso's numbers backed up his confidence. In the regular season, he averaged 7.1 points across 54 games while logging 19.3 minutes per game. He elevated his game in the postseason, averaging 9.2 points in 24.4 minutes over 23 playoff games. In Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Caruso played 32 minutes and scored 10 points. His best performance came in Game 4, where he dropped 20 points in a 111-104 win. Caruso is signed with the Thunder through the 2028-29 season. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in 2029-30 at age 35. Advertisement Related: LeBron James Issues Strong Advice to Cooper Flagg Before NBA Draft Related: Luka Doncic Reportedly Makes Big Change in Physical Appearance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Alex Caruso wore his Lakers championship ring to Thunder's parade
For a moment, some Los Angeles Lakers experienced some momentary anger that was directed at a player who used to be a huge fan favorite on the team. Guard Alex Caruso, the super sub and cult hero from the Lakers' 2020 championship squad, earned his second world title on Sunday when the Oklahoma City Thunder finished off the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He said in the postgame interview that he now has a "real" championship, which made it seem as if he was throwing shade at the 2020 title that was won inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble. He then posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he had been imbibing and that it was just a sarcastic joke. As if to further prove that his comment on Sunday was indeed a joke, he wore the championship ring he earned with the Lakers as a necklace pendant to the Thunder's victory parade. While Caruso may not be the All-Star many Lakers fans claimed he was during the 2019-20 season, when he was among the top vote-getters in the fan vote, fans of the team undoubtedly wish he were still a member of the Purple and Gold. His elite defense and ability to effectively guard multiple positions, combined with his decent 3-point shooting and willingness to sacrifice his body for loose balls, have made him a valuable role player.
