Alex Caruso

I've always been team first trying to win games. If that's me starting basketball games then that's what we'll do. If that's me coming off the bench, that's fine, too.

It's been a fun journey with L.A. I came here on a two-way contract and spent my first two years on two-way deals and Lakers fans have gone through this journey with me and for them to accept me as part of the Lakers family is so special.

I'm just another one of the guys who happens to be really good at basketball and don't look like I should be.

I'm going to try and keep getting better and better and better and part of that is being aggressive to score and a lot of times that will set up my pass and good opportunities for my teammates.

I like to play basketball.

Every time I've gotten an opportunity in my career, I've kinda rose to the occasion, and there's something in me, that competitive spirit, that just desire to be great, the desire to do everything right that just kinda rises to the occasion given the opportunity.

I think everything for me has just been about opportunity and just being myself.

I'm playing to win, so the ball comes to me, I'm going to be ready to go.

That's just who I am. The game's on the line, I'm a competitor.

Honestly, I don't think too much when I shoot. I just kind of get it and just natural body motion taking over.

My game is evolving, my basketball bag, whatever they say, my repertoire of playing defense, pushing the ball on offense, being a good teammate; all that stuff I'm always continuing to work on, trying to get better.

I've always been I'd rather finish games than start games.

For me, it's just making sure I'm impacting the game the right way and have a chance to win it when it matters.

It's nice to be able to connect with the fans and it makes my experience that much more enjoyable when I can go out there and hear them cheering for me.

Any time you win a championship with a team, it's really special coming back and doing it in L.A. with the Lakers, which is historically one of the best franchises in the league. It's really special.

At the end of the day, you gotta show up and do your job.

Professional sports, you win games and everything goes away. Winning solves everything.

You get into the season and it's travel, play a game, travel, get to the next city, have a practice or film, get to the next game.

Six minutes in the playoffs is more than six minutes in a regular-season game, just from intensity and schemes and having to play every possession like it's the last one, like it's the end of the world.

I'm not shying away from showing my competitiveness and playing how I know how to play.

It makes my job easier when you're playing with such good players like that - guys that can score the basketball in a variety of ways.

That's basketball, that's the NBA; it's a physical sport.

I'm a pretty simple guy.

Whatever I have to do to help us win is what I'm going to do.

My entire career has revolved around playing hard.

The stuff that I do is not always glamorous. It doesn't always get highlighted.

I have so much fun competing with my teammates.

My nature is to create for others and to be a positive influence on offense, moving the ball.

Opportunity has always been something that has presented itself and something I've kind of worked toward being ready for.

As you get older, you get to realize what's most important.

I just try to go out there and play winning basketball. It's what I've done my entire life.

I'm trying to just be a student of the game. Continue to work, continue to get better because that's what got me into the league and that's what keeps you around.

Transition is one of the hardest times for defenses to pick up on guys and to match up and play through their principles defensively.

I try to be smart and use the court to my advantage, know where I have help.

Coming from a spot where I was undrafted and teams didn't think I was good enough to be in the league to being, in my eyes, one of the best defenders in the league, we'll see what other people think.

There are a lot of good defenders in the league.

At the end of the day, we're all humans, right? We all like to be rewarded for things we do well, specifically doing jobs that are hard to do.

You might have seen a dunk or two over the years... but the stuff I do is not sexy. It's the stuff that wins basketball games. That's what I love about it.

For me it's never been about starting, scoring points, coming off the bench.

Toughness, to me, is just doing the right thing every time.

For me, I'm just trying to see how long I can play basketball for and a lot of that has to do with how hard you're willing to work.

I've been playing my whole life, I love the game, so I try not to think about being in the NBA or playing in Staples. I just play.

I've had thin hair almost my entire life.

I just try and anticipate the play - whether it's a steal, rebound, assist or a shot.

As far as diving on the floor for a loose ball, it's kind of like every other thing that I do.

I'm a 6-5, pretty athletic wing, point guard, and I can go up and hit layups.

Anytime I can get out there on the court, I get better. I learn the game, I learn the speed, I learn the different movements, and I'm a smart player. So, I get used to it. I know what I can take advantage of to be useful.

It's been the story of my career. No matter what level I'm at, the more time I have on the court, the better I've gotten.

It's a blessing to play basketball, man.

There's something about the end of the game that I love being a part of.