MIES (Switzerland) - When the dust settled on the 2025 season, one moment rose above the rest for Henry Caruso, earning gold in Mexico.
Winning the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup wasn’t just another stop on a crowded calendar. It was the punctuation mark on a year that validated the grind, the travel and the belief that 3x3 basketball had become more than a chapter in his career. It was the moment that ultimately led to Caruso being named USA Basketball’s 3x3 Male Athlete of the Year and the moment that, in his own words, "finished the season on a great note."
Caruso’s journey to the top of the 3x3 world, however, didn’t follow a straight line. It followed planes, buses, jet lag, heartbreak, belief and breath.
Built on Fundamentals
Long before half-court chaos and 12-second shot clocks defined his days, Caruso was molded by the fundamentals of the traditional game.
At Princeton, he learned how to play basketball, that is to say how to pass, cut, move without the ball, and make teammates better.
"That’s probably the biggest correlation to 3x3," he explains. "How can you be a great teammate and set up others?"
A year at Santa Clara added another layer: leadership. Caruso had to play with new teammates, adapt quickly to a new environment and understand how to guide a group. All those skills would later become essential in the condensed, fast-paced world of 3x3 basketball.
Then came Europe, where pick-and-roll reads and physicality sharpened his instincts. Looking back, Caruso sees the path clearly now. Princeton. Santa Clara. Overseas. Each stop added a piece that would eventually fit perfectly into 3x3’s puzzle.
Shock to the System
If there was a moment when Caruso truly understood what 3x3 basketball demanded, it came in 2023, on opposite ends of the globe.
His first Challenger, in Clermont-Ferrand, France, ended abruptly. Two games. Two losses. Twenty-plus hours of travel for roughly twenty minutes of basketball.
"I was stunned," he admits. "I’m thinking, wow… so this is 3x3."
There was no time to dwell. The following week, the team traveled from France to Baoding, China. This time they had just three players, facing a field strong enough to rival World Tour stops. The heat hovered near 100 degrees. The odds weren’t friendly.
And yet, they won the entire tournament.
Caruso still recalls the details: beating Paris in the quarters, Liman in the semis and edging Raudondvaris 21–20 in the final. One week removed from going 0–2, they finished on top.
"That’s why you play the game," he says. "One week you’re out. The next week, even with three players, you win it all. You just never know."
When 3x3 Became Home
By August 2025, with Team Miami, the question was no longer whether 3x3 basketball was an experiment but whether anyone could slow them down.
After a loss in Lausanne final, something clicked. From that moment up until the World Tour Final in Manama, Miami reached the semifinals or better at every stop. Consistency replaced volatility. Roles clarified. Trust deepened.
"When a group understands what it’s trying to achieve offensively and defensively," Caruso says. "It’s a beautiful thing."
The results spoke loudly. Miami climbed to as high as No. 2 in the rankings. Caruso’s presence grew heavier in the paint, on the glass and in the biggest moments.
Conditioning and Control
The transition from full-court to 3x3 basketball isn’t just tactical. It's physical and mental.
Travel is relentless, especially for U.S.-based teams hopping continents. The game itself is lightning-fast. It demands instant reads and constant movement. Conditioning isn’t optional in this context. It's the cost of entry.
"You almost have to start the game a little tired," Caruso explains. "Because you have to play with that same intensity every possession."
Training shifted to short bursts, quick recovery and relentless sprinting. Mentally, the adjustment was just as demanding. 3x3 basketball speeds up your body and your mind. The challenge is learning when to slow everything down.
"Quality over quantity," he says. "Take a breath. Make the right read."
Mental Edge
That philosophy came to life in WT Shanghai 2025.
Down 17–10 to Raudondvaris in pool play and needing a win to advance, Team Miami gathered at a media timeout. Arms locked, captain Dylan Travis asked everyone to close their eyes. Five seconds. Deep breath in. Deep breath out.
They went on a 12–1 run and won the game.
Breathwork became a weapon and a reset button. It was a reminder that belief and trust can tilt even the wildest 3x3 swings.
"Things can change in a hurry," Caruso says. "You can be down seven and come back. You can be up and lose it. You take the good and the bad but you learn."
Stars and Stripes
For Caruso, nothing matches the responsibility of representing the United States.
"It means everything," he says simply.
With the LA 2028 Olympics on the horizon, he sees 3x3 basketball at a turning point, especially in the U.S. Fans who discover it tend to fall hard, drawn in by the pace, the emotion and the accessibility of the game.
Caruso credits the veterans around him like Damon Huffman, Dylan Travis, Zaire Carrington, Craig Moore and the leadership structure that continues to shape USA Basketball’s 3x3 program. The jersey isn’t taken lightly. For Caruso, it's earned daily.
Versatile Presence
Ask Caruso how he wants to be seen, and the answer is clear: versatile.
He can pass, dribble and shoot. However, he takes the most pride in rebounding, defense and hustle plays. He’ll dunk when the moment’s there (after all, he led the World Tour in dunks last season), but flash isn’t the goal.
"I want people to see I’m playing 100%," he says. "Doing whatever it takes to win."
Defined by Effort
World Cups. Olympics. Titles. They matter, of course, but Caruso hopes his legacy runs deeper.
He wants to be remembered as someone who gave everything, loved the game fiercely and never felt satisfied. Someone obsessed—in the best way—with finding the next level.
"3x3 is the ultimate team sport," he says. "You build bonds on the road. You battle. You grow. And you have fun."
For Henry Caruso, that’s the beauty of 3x3 and the reason he wouldn’t trade this life for anything. As for 2026, well, it is already calling.
FIBA