Unsung hero from the three-peat Los Angeles Lakers: Robert Horry
This is kind of cheating as this is the easiest answer to put for these Lakers but Robert Horry is really similar in how he helped the three-peat Los Angeles Lakers to how Caruso currently helps the Lakers.
And let’s be honest: if it was not for the clutch game-winning three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings then he would not get the recognition he deserves from that team. If Derek Fisher would have been standing at the top of the arch and made that show then Horry would have stayed in the background.
Horry is the perfect example of a role player that does not do much offensively but is such a positive defensive presence in the playoffs. Players like Horry are the ones that can swing playoff series, especially when they make one of the biggest shots in franchise history.
Horry’s postseason defensive numbers are insane. Horry’s playoff DPBM in the three title-winning seasons were 2.1, 2.8 and 3.1. For comparison’s sake, Caruso posted a 1.9 DPBM for the Lakers last season in the playoffs. LeBron James actually had the best playoff DPBM at 3.0.
Heck, Caruso and Horry are more similar than you may realize. Both get a lot of love from Laker fans for various reasons. Horry because he made the big shot, Caruso because of the meme-factor and the fact that he backed up the hype.