Alex Caruso has accomplished plenty throughout his nearly decade-long career, parlaying collegiate success at Texas A&M to winning stints with the Lakers, Bulls and, most recently, Thunder.
The two-time All-Defensive Team selection has long been considered a pest to opposition ball-handlers. His display against Nikola Jokic in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals showed he's also adept at badgering post playmakers, as well.
Sprinkle in a steady pour of triples and it's easy to see why Caruso has lasted so long in basketball's top flight.
Time has yet to strike down Caruso's athleticism and vitality on the floor. The same can't be said about his hair, however. Caruso is one of the league's foremost bald players. He's owned the look for the better part of the last five years, "coming home" like his spiritual predecessors, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jason Kidd.
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So, just how did Caruso get to his point in his hair journey? The Sporting News looks at the various looks Caruso has sported throughout his shimmering big-league career.
Alex Caruso hair then and now
2017-18 — Alex Caruso's rookie year with the Lakers
The Look:
Behold Caruso's woolly mane! The then-Lakers rookie looked spry and youthful during his maiden season. Nothing encapsulated that dynamic more than his coiffure, littered with wisps of brown hair. It wasn't the lushest look; a bald spot had already formed atop his crown.
Nevertheless, his emergence as a rotational piece came with hair on his head. Surely it would last in the years to come, right?
2018-19 — Caruso's hair starts to give way
The Look:
Caruso's hairdo already showed signs of precariousness in the years leading up to his sophomore campaign in the NBA. His hair was less untamed jungle and more razed woodland — patches of his scamp were visible dating back to his college days.
While his facial hair remained lush as ever, Caruso's quill grew increasingly perilous. He ended the season with a few whiskers. But only just — the end appeared nigh for the then-25-year old's hairstyle.
2019-20 — A tale of two haircuts
The Look:
Caruso's sported a handful of looks during the 2019-20 season. He started the year by growing out his sides. By the start of the new year, he opted for a temp fade, keeping the top of his head relatively unchanged while chopping down the other parts of his hair. He also enlisted his trusty headband, a fixture in his on-court look book ever since.
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In The Bubble, Caruso sported a far closer shave. The Covid-19 pandemic had many trying out new looks. And with barbers unable to gain entry into the NBA's compound at Disney World, perhaps Caruso went for a look that was easier to manage.
Regardless, Caruso's hairdo served him well. He was a vital piece of Los Angeles' championship roster, proving especially effective as a point of attack defender.
2020-21-present — Caruso "comes home"
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Caruso embraced the shaved head in his fourth season, mowing down his once luxuriant pelt in 2020-21. He's kept the same look in the years since, becoming one of the NBA's highest-profile bald players in the process.
Since taking off the guard of his electric clippers, Caruso has seen his stock balloon. He inked a four-year, $36.98 million deal with the Bulls in 2021 and proceeded to earn All-Defensive first and second team honors in 2023 and 2024, respectively. In June 2024, he was dealt to the Thunder, reuniting with his former G-League boss, Mark Daigneault.
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Caruso spearheaded the league's best defense in his first year in Oklahoma City. Within six months, he had landed another big-money deal, this one paying $81 million over four seasons.
A dogged defender and willing shooter from beyond the arc, Caruso is one of the league's best role players. In a game increasingly defined by aesthetics, Caruso has carved his own — both on and off the floor. While his hair has inspired a number of nicknames — including Bald Mamba, Bald Eagle and, perhaps surprisingly, The Accountant — it also serves as a reflection of his ideals as a person.
"Whatever you want to do, do it," Caruso told GQ in 2021. "That's honestly for hair, for life. So you want to go get a toupee, you want to put some plugs in, go for it. If you want to shave it all, shave it all. At the end of the day, it's your life. You're the one who has to answer the questions and why you did what you did. And as long as you're happy with it, that's all there really is to it.