History is filled with the amazing.

Especially journeys that have been barely believable considering the obstacles and the improbability of success. Like Lewis and Clark across the unknown American continent, Apollo 11 to walk on the moon, Marco Polo to travel the Silk Road to American swimming pools, Admiral Peary to walk on the top of the world and Alex Caruso to land on the world’s stage.

The Bulls undrafted guard who was released by two NBA Summer League teams and spent two years in the G League Tuesday was included among 41 players in the USA Basketball pool for a chance to play for the team that represents the US in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The list includes the greatest American NBA All-Stars, like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Paul George, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid and Steph Curry.

The surprise now would be if Alex Caruso isn’t one of the elite 12.

Because while that list includes the greatest scorers, shooters and athletes in the game today, it basically doesn’t include anyone who does what Alex Caruso does. Which is defend, hustle, annoy and aggravate as much as anyone in the NBA does to their opponents. And perhaps more importantly coach Steve Kerr, a fellow longtime role playing fit on title teams, knows this. LeBron James knows this since Caruso was instrumental in helping secure what likely was James’ last NBA championship in 2020. And Kevin Durant knows this even with that winning shot Monday in Phoenix with Caruso a fraction from the game saving block.

“A hard worker who is going to do all he can for his teammates,” Durant said about Caruso earlier this season after a Suns overtime victory during which Durant was constantly frustrated by Caruso’s relentless game. “That stuff right there (he does) makes up for a lot of mistakes. He got his hands on the ball and was able to knock down threes, and that takes him to another level when he’s able to knock down three balls and create off the dribble. He’s a phenomenal player. I don’t want to even call him a role player; he’s a guy you can plug in with any lineup and he will make the right reads and right plays on the defensive and offensive side. The Bulls are lucky to have him.”

USA Basketball would be also because it’s often been difficult — and getting more so — for the NBA Olympic teams generally filled with scoring stars. The international game tends to be more physical and certainly less deferential than the NBA is to its star power. Coach Kerr and team president Grant Hill know better than most what leads to success. Kerr had Curry and Klay Thompson, but he understood what Draymond Green meant. Why else put up with all that.

Which makes a heck of a case for the 6-foot-5, 185-pound glabrous Texan who, perhaps more than anyone, plays the game the right way.

“I force you to play harder,” Caruso said in an interview when he was with the Lakers. “I was the annoying one where I’m just playing my game and I don’t care what’s going on. Going through the G League and asking questions about what it takes to make an NBA roster, one of the consistent things was ‘Can you guard multiple positions,’ and ‘Can you exceed in your role.’ I was like, ‘I can do that. I can find a role.’ I think the best part of my game is I can play multiple roles. My role is to play really good defense, be efficient offensively and just bring that edge and that intensity.

“I have a want to stop the other person,” Caruso added. “I have a competitive edge in me where I get more mad when my guy scores than I do (become pleased) if I were to score 20. I find more joy out of frustrating the other team. I just want to win the game and be the reason the other team is frustrated or can’t score. Whether that’s noticed or not, it doesn’t matter as long as I know I’m doing it and I’m having an impact. That’s what really counts.”

It all sounds so simple and yet so elusive. Because the things Alex Caruso does so routinely that lead to winning — he’s probably been the most impactful player on the Bulls this season with everything from multiple game-winning shots to game-saving defensive stops with steals and blocks — are done so infrequently despite the glaring need.

The Bulls have their poorest defensive rating when Caruso is off the court. The team’s overall net rating is best when he’s on the court. When he’s off the court, it’s second poorest. It’s poorest without Coby White, who by the way happens to lead the league in loose balls recovered. Alex would be proud.

The Bulls are equally proud that Caruso is sixth in the NBA in steals percentage, third in defended field goal percentage and second overall in deflections. They don’t keep statistics for that, but if you watch you won’t see anyone who denies his man the pass more — and Caruso routinely guards the opponent’s best player no matter his height disadvantage — and no one likely gets over more screens at a time when everyone else is yelling “switch.”

It’s the sort of right stuff that wins you more games than headlines or highlight videos.

You figure Hill, Kerr, LeBron and KD understand that.

Talk about the most unexpected of voyages.

Nick Mazzella was the general manager of the Lakers G League team that eventually signed Caruso. He said in an interview then that at the first Summer League practice one of the coaches asked him about Caruso, ‘Who gave the UPS guy a jersey?’

That was Caruso’s story growing up in College Station, Tex. He was typically enough, hometown hero basketball junkie going to the local college, Texas A&M; pretty good athlete, good golfer, nice hand eye coordination, but not the great athlete or the particular skill. Not quite a point guard or a shooting guard. It didn’t seem like an NBA destination.

He did make all-defense in the SEC, but averaged scoring just eight points in four years. He was eventually forced off the ball in college despite not being a particularly good shooter. Making it much less likely to find an NBA home. So no surprise Caruso was passed over during those 60 draft selections.

But like his attitude on the basketball court, just straight ahead without the frills.

“I lean into guarding the other team’s best players,” Caruso says. “Those are the matches (for) why I am on the team. Wherever (teams) throw the ball to make a play, a lot of times they are going for their best guy. Maybe they should or maybe they shouldn’t, but I’m going to make plays. Part of me being good on defense is that I’m a good anticipator. I can see stuff and recognize things that will help me have an advantage even when I don’t match laterally or strength wise. I haven’t always been faster, more athletic or stronger. For me, it’s about having good anticipation, knowing the player and what they like to do, and that comes with scouting and seeing guys play,  knowing where the help is.

“I don’t think I was mentally aware of how good I was or could be,” Caruso once admitted in an interview.  “I was typically one of the better players on the team, but I don’t know if I always gave myself credit. I’m not sure if it was how I was raised or if I didn’t like ruffling people’s feathers. I was also a late bloomer. I played varsity four years in high school, but I didn’t really play serious AAU until my last two years. My class was Shabazz Muhammad, Andre Drummond and Anthony Bennett, guys whose names were known and who were being recruited by big programs. The joke of those (all-star) camps was that if you’re a post player, you don’t touch the ball. But I played with Cameron Ridley, who went to Texas and played against me in middle school, so we had a little bit of chemistry and I was literally post feeding him on the block. Typically, if the guard brings it over midcourt in those camps he’s going to shoot it. But that’s who I am as a player. I was trying to play the game the right way and trying to win the game when we’re at this showcase thing where it’s all about showing off how good you are as a player (and scoring).”

And Caruso, by the way, just loved the game; still does.

So he just wanted to play even if the NBA didn’t seem much interested.

He went to Summer League with the 76ers and was released afterward. Then he tried with the Oklahoma City Thunder and didn’t impress them enough with all those lofty draft pick scorers. He finally got a chance with the Lakers loaded Summer League team that included overall No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball, the anticipated star of the summer. Ball was hurt early and Caruso helped lead the team to the title. 

Lonzo went to hang out with Magic; Alex went to El Segundo and the G League South Bay Lakers and got himself a two-way contract to play some with the big guys. But he played mostly in the G League and again the following season. But never, teammates said, was he saying he didn’t belong there or was better than someone else; just trying to help his team win and playing basketball for a living, if modest.

He even learned to shoot and this season quietly is the Bulls best three-point shooter at 42% as the Bulls and Caruso return to LA for Thursday’s game with the Lakers.

In the summer of 2019, Caruso finally earned his first NBA contract and in the famous Covid-inspired bubble helped the Lakers to the 2020 title and the legend of the CaruShow and Bald Mamba grew. Despite his popularity in Los Angeles, the Lakers trying to manage luxury tax payments declined to match his offer from the Bulls in 2021 when the Bulls signed he and DeMar DeRozan after recruiting free agent Ball. That group was leading the Eastern Conference until Ball’s knee injury halfway through that season.

But Caruso, who turns 30 next month, hasn’t stopped.

“The effort he plays with shows why he is who he is,” DeRozan said earlier this season. “It’s amazing, the sacrifice that he goes out there and plays with, throwing his body around. His IQ defensively, his instincts; it’s amazing to watch. It’s kind of like letting a cheetah out of the cage and just run wild when he’s out there. He makes it look pretty.”

And pretty valuable for a team.

“One of the biggest things I’ve come to realize is one of the most important attributes you can have as an athlete is self-awareness.” Caruso said in an interview during his G League time. “Having self-awareness of, ‘OK, who am I? What am I good at? How does it translate to the team? How does it translate to the game? What am I actually going to be able to contribute?’ This is why guys get stuck in the G League. If you average 25 points and three assists and two rebounds…they’re paying guys $30 million to do that. They need guys to be in roles. People often don’t have the self-awareness or the ability to step outside of themselves and be objective and say, ‘What do I have to do to make it?’

Sounds like that’s just what you’d have to do to be part of a successful USA Basketball Olympic team.

Talk about an amazing journey.

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