Lakers' Alex Caruso skips sister's wedding to stay inside NBA's Disney bubble: 'Worked too hard'
The Los Angeles Lakers will begin the NBA season restart with less guard depth, as Avery Bradley opted out of heading to the "bubble" and Rajon Rondo suffered a hand injury.
That will likely mean a bigger role for Alex Caruso, who put his team over family in the Lakers' quest to secure the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
Caruso told ESPN's Zach Lowe recently he missed the wedding of his older sister, Megan, in Austin, Texas last week. The decision came after much deliberation with the Lakers' coaching staff, front office and teammates.
"They supported my decision either way," Caruso told ESPN. "They also helped me realize how important I am to what we are trying to do here, now that [Avery Bradley] didn't make it and [Rajon Rondo] hurt his hand. There is some added responsibility.
"They had my back. I felt genuine support from the organization."
The rising number of COVID-19 cases in Texas meant Caruso's league-mandated quarantine upon his return to the bubble would have been between 10-14 days, he told ESPN. That stretch would prevent him from playing in scrimmages at least, and perhaps miss the start of the eight-game slate.
"The worst-case scenario is that the virus is dormant inside me, I get cleared, and I'm around the whole team," he told ESPN.
"If I was on a team that didn't have title aspirations — a team trying to hold on to the No. 8 seed or something — it might have been different. But we have worked too hard."
The size of the festivity (more than 100 guests) and location (indoor celebration) were other factors Caruso considered, per ESPN. He informed friends and family of his decision to not be there last Thursday and made sure friends take plenty of videos to send him, which he watched over the weekend.
A handful of prominent players — Zion Williamson, Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell — have left the bubble for personal reasons. They will enter four-day quarantines as individuals who depart the bubble under "extenuating circumstances" and with approval from the NBA.