Christian Nicholas Braun (/braʊn/ BROWN;[1] born April 17, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball at the University of Kansas and was a starter on the team that won the 2022 NCAA championship. In 2023, he contributed to the Nuggets winning their first NBA title, becoming the fifth player in basketball history to win NCAA and NBA titles in back-to-back seasons.[2]
.jpg) Braun after winning the 2023 NBA Finals | |
| No. 0 – Denver Nuggets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | April 17, 2001 Burlington, Kansas, U.S.A. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kansas) |
| College | Kansas (2019–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: 1st round, 21st overall pick |
| Selected by the Denver Nuggets | |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–present | Denver Nuggets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
High school career
editBraun played basketball for Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas. As a senior, he averaged 27.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, leading his team to a third straight Class 6A state title.[3][4] He was named Mr. Kansas Basketball and Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year.[5] He committed to playing college basketball for Kansas over offers from Kansas State, Illinois and Missouri, among others.[6]
On April 4, 2022, the school declared that day Christian Braun Day.[7]
College career
editAs a freshman at Kansas, Braun averaged 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, earning Big 12 All-Freshman Team honors.[8] On November 27, 2020, he recorded a career-high 30 points, nine rebounds and four steals in a 94–72 win over Saint Joseph's.[9] As a sophomore, Braun averaged 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.[10] He was named to the Second Team All-Big 12 as a junior.[11] In the Final Four against Villanova, he became the 65th player to reach 1,000 points for Kansas, finishing that game with 10 points and helping the Jayhawks reach the championship. In the championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels, he had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season, which helped Kansas rally from a 40–25 halftime deficit. In the final possession of that game, he defended Caleb Love's three-point attempt, sealing the win and giving him his first NCAA title.[12] On April 24, 2022, Braun declared for the 2022 NBA draft, while maintaining his college eligibility.[13] He confirmed he would remain in the NBA draft and forego his senior season on May 25, 2022.[14]
Professional career
editDenver Nuggets (2022–present)
editBraun was picked by the Denver Nuggets with the 21st overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. On July 3, 2022, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Nuggets.[15] Braun won his first championship with the Nuggets after they defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.[16] He became the fifth player in NBA history to win an NCAA and NBA championship in back-to-back seasons, alongside Bill Russell, Henry Bibby, Magic Johnson and Billy Thompson.[2]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won an NBA championship |
NBA
editRegular season
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23† | Denver | 76 | 6 | 15.5 | .495 | .354 | .625 | 2.4 | .8 | .5 | .2 | 4.7 |
| 2023–24 | Denver | 82 | 4 | 20.2 | .460 | .384 | .694 | 3.7 | 1.6 | .5 | .4 | 7.3 |
| Career | 158 | 10 | 18.0 | .473 | .373 | .672 | 3.1 | 1.2 | .5 | .3 | 6.1 | |
Playoffs
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023† | Denver | 19 | 0 | 13.0 | .533 | .200 | .579 | 2.1 | .6 | .6 | .2 | 3.2 |
| 2024 | Denver | 12 | 0 | 17.0 | .426 | .222 | .688 | 2.7 | .8 | .2 | .4 | 5.1 |
| Career | 31 | 0 | 14.6 | .475 | .214 | .629 | 2.3 | .6 | .4 | .3 | 3.9 | |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | Kansas | 31 | 5 | 18.4 | .431 | .444 | .731 | 2.9 | .5 | .7 | .2 | 5.3 |
| 2020–21 | Kansas | 30 | 30 | 31.2 | .380 | .340 | .786 | 5.2 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .4 | 9.7 |
| 2021–22 | Kansas | 40 | 39 | 34.4 | .495 | .386 | .733 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 1.0 | .8 | 14.1 |
| Career | 101 | 74 | 28.5 | .449 | .378 | .749 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .5 | 10.1 | |
Personal life
editBraun has two brothers, one older and one younger.[18] His uncle played college basketball at Missouri. His older brother, Parker, plays at Kansas. Braun's father Donny was a former walk-on at Kansas, while his mother, along with her twin sister, also played at Missouri. His mother's family was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.[19]
Braun has launched a fashion line, The CB2 Collection.[20]
References
edit- ^ Corr, Joseph (June 6, 2023). "Christian Braun pronunciation, explained: Is Nuggets rookie 'Brown' or 'Bron'?". sportingnews.com. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
Despite its spelling, Braun's surname is pronounced 'Brown' like the color. Below is a clip of the Nuggets rookie on draft day correctly pronouncing his name as he talks about delivering a banner to the Nuggets franchise.
- ^ a b Wimbish, Jasmyn (June 13, 2023). "Nuggets' Christian Braun fifth player in basketball history to win NCAA, NBA titles in back-to-back seasons". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (July 10, 2019). "Braun fitting in well during summer session at KU: 'He really wants to learn'". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Peterson, Rick (March 16, 2019). "Three-time state champ Christian Braun turns focus to future at Kansas". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Chasen, Scott (May 1, 2019). "KBCA picks KU signee Christian Braun as Mr. Kansas Basketball". 247Sports. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (September 17, 2018). "Blue Valley NW's Christian Braun commits to KU. "It's always been a dream for me."". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Schmidt, Heidi (April 5, 2022). "KU's Christian Braun honored by former high school". KSNT 27 News. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Lance, Sam (October 30, 2020). "KU men's basketball guard Christian Braun looks to make impact, build on freshman season". The University Daily Kansan. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "Small ball, Christian Braun help KU basketball race past Saint Joseph's 94-72". The Topeka Capital-Journal. November 27, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ "#2 Christian Braun, Guard". Kansas Athletics. July 10, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Guskey, Jordan (March 8, 2022). "Kansas basketball's Ochai Agbaji named AP's Big 12 player of the year and he's not the only one getting honors". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Boyer, Zac (April 5, 2022). "Christian Braun's big stop helps Kansas hold off North Carolina for title". KUsports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Givony, Jonathan (April 24, 2022). "Kansas Jayhawks' Christian Braun to enter NBA draft but maintain college eligibility". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
- ^ Cisneros, Juan (May 25, 2022). "Former Jayhawk Christian Braun to remain in NBA Draft". fox4kc.com. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
- ^ "Nuggets Sign Braun and Watson". NBA.com. July 3, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
- ^ Pagaduan, Jedd (June 13, 2023). "Nuggets: Christian Braun joins Magic Johnson in exclusive Finals club". ClutchPoints. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ "Christian Braun NCAA Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 29, 2023.
- ^ Eldridge, Taylor (April 8, 2022). "Christian Braun's rise to championship with Jayhawks rooted in small-town Kansas". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
- ^ Battle, Bill (December 20, 2020). "Braun Brothers Have Local Ties". Washington Missourian. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Tait, Matt (February 15, 2022). "KU junior Christian Braun releases apparel line bearing his name | Tale of the Tait | KUsports.com". KUsports.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022.