“We Were About to Fight”: Alex Caruso Jokingly Addresses Heated Moment with LeBron James
“Yeah, we were about to fight. Obviously, you can tell I’m smiling, he’s smiling.”
In a night where the NBA saw multiple bench-clearing brawls and seven ejections across the league, a brief, tense exchange between former teammates Alex Caruso and LeBron James briefly had fans bracing for more fireworks.
But as Caruso quickly clarified after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 119-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, this particular “altercation” was nothing more than two competitors sharing a laugh—and a joke that landed perfectly in a league on edge .
The “Fight” That Wasn’t
With 8:30 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Thunder clinging to a one-point lead, Caruso stepped to the free-throw line. His teammate, Isaiah Hartenstein, crossed into the lane early, drawing Deandre Ayton with him.
The officials called a dual lane violation a ruling that left the Lakers furious. A jump ball would decide possession instead of the favorable call Los Angeles believed they deserved .
But Caruso was smiling. So was LeBron.
“They were saying something to the refs, and then we were walking off. I was just clearing the air,” Caruso explained postgame.
A League on Edge
Caruso’s joke landed in an atmosphere already charged with tension. Earlier that evening, the Detroit Pistons-Charlotte Hornets game had erupted into a full-scale brawl, resulting in four ejections after Jalen Duren’s “mush” of Moussa Diabaté triggered punches from Miles Bridges and a charging Isaiah Stewart.
Against that backdrop, even a playful exchange between two longtime friends carried the weight of potential chaos. Caruso acknowledged it directly: “I think everyone’s on edge. I think that’s probably what it was” .’
Brotherhood Forged in the Bubble
The reason Caruso and James could laugh through the tension traces back to 2020. Caruso was an undrafted guard fighting for a roster spot when James took him under his wing during the Lakers’ championship run inside the Orlando bubble.
Their bond survived Caruso’s departure to Chicago and later his championship season with Oklahoma City in 2025. When Caruso made a cheeky remark about his Thunder ring being a “real one” a sarcastic jab .
Caruso’s Statement Game
Against his former team, Caruso delivered arguably his best performance of the season. He scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, adding two assists and a steal. His +19 plus-minus led all players .
“It’s always fun competing against the greats of the league, of the history of the league,” Caruso said. “I try to rise to the occasion and compete and play well because that’s the fun part about the NBA. It’s testing yourself against the best” .
James, at 41 years old, finished with 22 points and 10 assists, becoming the oldest player in NBA history to record a 20-point, 10-assist game.
The Final Word
In a night defined by real fights, real ejections, and real animosity, the Caruso-LeBron “confrontation” was a welcome piece of levity. Two former teammates, now competitors on opposing contenders, exchanged words, shared smiles, and walked away.
“We were about to fight,” Caruso joked.
Nobody believed him. And that’s exactly why it was so good.