OKLAHOMA CITY — Veteran guard Alex Caruso helped the Oklahoma City Thunder secure their first championship in franchise history in Game 7's 103-91 win over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, which came at a price. Two days removed from Caruso's first championship parade as a 2x champion, he suffered an injury in the best-of-7 finale. But he's doing fine, enjoying the beginning of a satisfied offseason.

Caruso revealed his injury while talking about the past couple of days at a promotional event with Raising Cane's.

“It's been pretty relaxed. There's not much that's changed, just getting to rest finally. I tried to swing some golf clubs yesterday. My knuckle is still sprained,” Caruso told ClutchPoints. “So, I'm on the IR a little longer.”

Caruso had his right middle finger taped to his right ring finger.

“Game 7,” Caruso replied when asked when he suffered the injury. “I got a steal on Ben Sheppard. I poked it.”

And strained his right hand while knocking the ball loose. Still, even if it costs him an injured hand at the start of the offseason, Caruso will gladly take the result of a gutsy, physical, back-and-forth, best-of-7 NBA Finals series every time. After winning his first title with the Los Angeles Lakers, which happened in the pandemic-stricken 2020 NBA Finals, there was no championship parade for the Lakers.

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“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.”

Alex Caruso commends Pacers for tight series vs Thunder

Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) shoots a lay-up against the Indiana Pacers during the first half of game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder veteran Alex Caruso tipped his cap to the Pacers for a tightly-contested series. Caruso discussed it during a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.

“The team does deserve a round of applause,” Caruso said. “The team had a crazy good run. I think they overachieved in everybody else's eyes, but I think from the inside looking out, they just played their game, and they are a tough out. It was not easy; we had to play good basketball to beat them, so hats off to them. Tyrese (Haliburton), Pascal (Siakam), all those guys, coach (Rick) Carlisle.”

It was arguably the Thunder's most competitive series amidst their path to becoming champions.