After the passing of Bill Russell earlier this year, the NBA announced that the #6 will be retired by every team in honor of Russell, an 11-time champion and one of the early trailblazers of the sport. The retirement of the jersey number league-wide led to questions of what would happen to the players that use the number like LeBron James and Alex Caruso.
The league had said that players who currently wear the number can continue wearing it, but Caruso wanted to switch his number so that he could honor the NBA legend. The Chicago Bulls guard revealed that he was stopped from changing his jersey number because his jersey was top 75 in sales last season for the NBA.
Alex Caruso said he did give some thought to changing No. 6 in honor of Bill Russell but was told he couldn't because his jersey is in top 75 for jersey sales. All teams are wearing No. 6 patches on uniforms. Said he would revisit decision next season.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) September 26, 2022
Caruso has been a fan favorite ever since his emergence with the Los Angeles Lakers a couple of seasons ago. The Lakers regrettably let Caruso walk away in free agency for nothing to the Chicago Bulls, where he has already proven himself to be one of the most consistent perimeter defenders in the NBA.
The Importance Of Alex Caruso On The Chicago Bulls
With the news that Lonzo Ball will be sidelined with a knee injury to start the season, Caruso is going to have a profound role in being the best perimeter defender the Bulls can use on the court. Last season, Caruso was extremely proficient in helping the Bulls be a strong defensive team and he will hope to have a similar impact this season.
The playoff drought the team was on was finally snapped last season, but they’ll be hoping to make it past the first round of the playoffs this season. With rival teams adding standout guards like Donovan Mitchell, Caruso’s plate just got a little heavier.
Caruso and Ball together form one of the best defensive pairings in the NBA, but Alex will have to start the season without his former Lakers teammate by his side. Hopefully, he can provide enough for Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan’s offensive abilities to help the Bulls earn a lot of wins.
