In his basketball journey, Alex Caruso went from an undrafted G League player to an All-Defensive NBA champion. Some stops of his improbable ride include being coached by a pair of NBCA Coach of the Year winners.

Caruso's start is well-known at this point. After going undrafted, he eventually landed on the G League's OKC Blue. He was coached by Mark Daigneault, who also had an unlikely rags-to-riches story from an unknown when he was hired to one of the league's sharpest minds today.

Caruso's first taste of NBA success happened at the Los Angeles Lakers. He played a vital role in their 2020 NBA championship. He then spent three seasons on the Chicago Bulls, where he enjoyed his best individual success. He was named to two All-Defensive teams during his time there.

On the Bulls, Caruso was coached under Billy Donovan. He previously spent time as the Thunder head coach before Daigneault took over. Donovan and Daigneault have a strong history together. The latter credits the former for helping him find his voice as a head coach.

Considering his unique experience of being coached by both Donovan and Daigneault, Caruso provided firsthand experience when asked about the similarities between both head coaches.

"I think the care factor and the trust they instill in their players is really high. I think that is a really important thing to go out there and believe the coach has your back and has your best intentions in mind," Caruso said "Guys that just love basketball... Mark is a basketball nerd. He just loves the game of basketball, he loves coaching and being part of the team. Those are two things they both really resemble."

Like Anakin Skywalker battling Obi-Wan Kenobi, Daigneault will get a chance to improve his 5-3 record against the Donovan. OKC is set to play at Chicago in its second game of the 2024-25 season. It'll be a matchup of several reunions as Caruso and Josh Giddey will get their first chance to play against their former squads.