Nuggets’ Braun seeking NBA title a year after winning NCAA championship

DENVER (AP) —Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the NBAFinals is not too big of a stage for him.

The 21st pickin the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutesoff the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozenrebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat whilegiving teammates an extended breather.

“That’s arare rookie right here,” Aaron Gordon said. “From Day 1 he’s beenon top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that becausehe’s always in the right spot. He’s in the right place at the righttime, and he’s been doing that all year.”

Braun has achance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win an NBAtitle a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining BillRussell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.

Braun gavethe Nuggets a much-needed lift inDenver’sGame 3 rout of the Heat. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murraymaking history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA Finals,Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters MichaelPorter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope struggled again.

Braun’sremarkable resume includes three state championships at Blue ValleyNorthwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a nationaltitle with the Jayhawks last year.

Most rookieswho cap their college careers with championships have to bide theirtime in the pros until it’s, well, their time. Braun is two winsaway from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.

And one ofthose years without a title came in 2020, when the pandemicshuttered sports and society at a time the Jayhawks were enteringthe NCAA tournament as the nation’s No. 1 team.

“Getting shutdown, we feel like we were definitely held back from something,”said Braun, who helped Kansas win the national title two yearslater when he had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the Jayhawks’ 72-69win over North Carolina in the national championship.

“I’mdefinitely blessed,” Braun said. “It’s not necessarily anindividual accomplishment. I’ve been a part of some really goodteams with really good coaches and really good players.”

Like on thecourt, he’s been in the right place at the right time his wholelife.

“All yearlong the one thing I’ve talked about with Christian is that he’s awinner,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “The guy has won atevery level, and here he is in the NBA Finals. It’s kind of stayingtrue to form for Christian Brawn.”

Malone saidhe knew Braun’s addition was going to be big when the 6-7 shootingguard whose last name is pronounced “Brown,” helped Denver to a128-123 win at Golden State in the second game of the season withMurray in street clothes as he worked his way back from a tornACL.

“For a youngplayer playing against the defending world champions on the road,he wasn’t afraid,” Malone said. “That really stuck out to me. Mostyoung kids, they get in a situation or environment like that,they’re going to be a little bit over their head, and hewasn’t.”

Braun’sattitude is that if he’s only going to get minutes here and there,then he’s going to hustle from the second he checks in to themoment he’s summoned back to the bench.

“The last twomonths of the year he was a rotational player for the No. 1 team inthe West,” Malone said. “He’s done his job in the playoffs. He’sgone out there and defended, rebounded, ran the floor, movedwithout it. He’s never afraid of the moment, which you have toappreciate for such a young kid.”

“Obviously,the Final Four kind of helped me with that,” Braun said. “I’ve kindof been here before.”

Several timeseven.