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.

Alex Caruso is finally getting his championship parade and made sure his #Lakers ring was along for the ride. 😮‍💨🫡

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/jw071GgcGF

— Lakers Nation (@LakersNation) June 24, 2025

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.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Alex Caruso wore his Lakers championship ring to Thunder’s parade