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Since the dawn of time, people have argued over who the greatest basketball player of all time is, and there have been so many incredible players that cases can be made for a few players, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and, most recently, LeBron James. So why is it that James gave the nickname “GOAT” to his Lakers teammate Alex Caruso — a role player in just his third NBA season?
No one has the definitive answer to that question but James himself, but Danny Green and Dwight Howard gave their own reasons in a recent episode of Bleacher Report’s “Take It There” with Taylor Rooks.
“That’s the GOAT” @DGreen_14 and @DwightHoward explain the hype around @ACFresh21. New 'Take It There' with @TaylorRookshttps://t.co/jQMjTXW9zH pic.twitter.com/J40CTMbkpx
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2020
“That’s the GOAT. I guess, in the league — I guess this is not bad to say — there’s not a lot of white guys in the league,” Green said. “He’s one of the very few that’s very athletic. He has a little flavor in him, he does all the dirty work, and people love that.”
It’s not uncommon for people to give player comparisons for young players like Caruso. but Howard — a reptile enthusiast — gave Caruso the rare reptile comp.
“I would say that he would be an albino lizard or one of those big dragons,” Howard said. “He’s fast, he bites hard, finishes hard — you know what I’m saying?”
Does that mean the albino lizard is the G.L.O.A.T (Greatest Lizard of All Time?).
In all seriousness, the hype around Caruso may have started because of the stark contrast between his looks and physical ability, but Caruso has blossomed into a solid rotation player, and one of the best defensive guards in the NBA.
Hopefully we’ll get the chance to see Caruso and his albino lizard-like speed on the court again this season.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow this author on Twitter at @RadRivas.