Christian Braun And The Denver Nuggets Have High Title Aspirations
What does it take to win in basketball?
Is it the skill your team possesses, is it just coming together and getting hot at the right time and/or is it the style of coaching?
Maybe all of these things have something to do with winning, but if you want to know what it truly takes to win, just ask Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun!
No matter if it was at the high school level, college or now in the NBA, Braun has won at every single level and with the Nuggets, his journey is just beginning.
Drafted 21st overall this past summer by the Nuggets, Braun decided to keep his name in the NBA Draft after being a vital part of the Kansas Jayhawks championship run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
From being a hard-nosed defender to being a sponge when around stars in the league to supporting his family and brothers in their basketball journeys, Braun is truly the full package and the Nuggets are extremely happy to have him a part of their organization.
Currently in the midst of the season, Christian Braun took some time to talk to Fastbreak on FanNation recently on The Fast Break Podcast and he discussed what his journey from winning a championship at Kansas to joining a championship-caliber franchise like the Nuggets has been like, as well as why he believes Denver is special.
Looking back on your time at Kansas, you were not only a leader for them all season long, but you stepped up and played in all 40 minutes during the championship game. Take me into this moment and the emotions that you were feeling knowing that you had just won a national championship.
Christian Braun: I mean the moment was amazing. Taking on the challenge of guarding the ball late in the game was an assignment I wanted and we switched all the time defensively to get me this matchup. Obviously, it worked out the way we wanted it to. We were down big in that title game, so being able to comeback and win made this victory even more special. That moment of winning a championship with guys I grew up playing with and spending years with at Kansas was a very fun and a special moment. It was such an amazing feeling.
You won a national championship at Kansas and then you forego your senior year with the Jayhawks to keep your name in the draft. Was this a hard decision for you to make?
CB: I think that I was pretty set on going into the draft. I knew that was what I ultimately wanted to do and I knew it was the right time, but obviously being from Kansas and still having the possibility of my senior year left, you know that’s always a tough decision, but at the same time, it was a great position to be in. Once we won the title, I think I had accomplished what I needed to accomplish in college and I thought I put myself in a great position heading towards the draft. My goal in college was obviously to win a national championship and my ultimate goal was to get to and play in the NBA before being a four-year player at Kansas. Knowing that my goals were right in front of me and I had a really great chance of being a first-round pick, that made this a very easy decision at the end of the day.
In Summer League, you showed your versatility and strengths on the defensive-end of the floor by giving it your all every single possession. Is constantly pushing yourself on both ends of the floor and not putting your head down when things don't go your way the part of your game you take the most pride in?
CB: Yeah, I would say that’s one of the big things I take pride in. Just showing up every day and trying to do my best, I think that’s a skill. Especially in this day and age, it is important to come and give it your all because there are not necessarily a lot of guys who are willing to do that. Working hard and harder than others is a skill to me. If I have that mindset and show up ready to work every day, I know I can have a great career in this league and everyone in the NBA is talented, so you need to try and find a way to separate yourself. One of the easiest ways to do so is working hard whether that means diving for loose balls in games or simply being there for every workout outside of games. All of those little things eventually turn into big things. If I can constantly have this mindset of working hard every day, I think that will keep me in this league for the long haul, so I take a lot of pride in doing that every day and every time I step out on the court.
I am sure you cannot believe it, but you are close to being 50 percent through your rookie season. Take me and everyone listening inside what it is like being a member of the Denver Nuggets.
CB: Man, it's great. It is definitely a different league, especially compared to college. There is definitely a shift and like you brought up Summer League earlier, as far as the game goes, it is completely different. As far as the lifestyle goes, it is completely different. There was definitely an adjustment period for me with all of this, but I am now 100 percent more comfortable and confident in myself and where I am than I was a few months ago. I am really happy to be where I am at, but obviously we have a ton of work to do and a ways to go. Being a part of the Nuggets, the biggest thing that sticks out is how unselfish everyone is. Our superstars are unselfish, the coaching staff is unselfish. It is a great organization to be a part of and I am extremely proud to have been drafted by Denver, but now that I have been here for a while and getting to know certain people, being in the community a little bit, this has been great for me. I love being here, I love playing here and I am just getting more and more comfortable as each day goes on. Obviously I am happy to be winning as well. I am not a guy that is used to being a part of a losing organization or team, so to be drafted in a position where we are ready to win right now and then to be able to contribute consistently is very exciting for me. Like I said, I am really proud to be a part of this organization and I am excited for our future.
What has been your funniest moment as a rookie so far whether it is rookie traditions the team has or locker room chores or something else?
CB: I wouldn’t say that we have had any funny-like moments and I know you see a bunch of guys around the league doing funny things like having their young guys singing and dancing, but I haven’t had to do any of those things… yet! Shoutout to my vets for that. But I do carry a Frozen backpack, so I got a Disney backpack that I got to carry around, so that is actually pretty funny. To be honest, that has actually become my regular daily backpack at this point and I like it. I bring it on all our trips and I don’t even know if they require me to bring it anymore! But like I said, I got great vets whether it is DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Ish Smith, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, all of those guys are genuine good guys and they want the best for their teammates, so like I said earlier, it just goes along with how this organization is. The people in the organization from the top down treat everyone really well and with respect. There have been so many great moments during the first half of my rookie season. Winning games, playing in games, first bucket, whatever it is. There have been a lot of great moments and the greatest thing so far is that we are in first-place in the Western Conference and we aren’t playing our best basketball yet. There is a lot of room to grow for us and I think we have a great group of guys.
Against the Boston Celtics the other night, a game you all won 123-111, you may not have had the best statistical night out of anyone on the floor, but you drew the toughest defensive assignment at times on Jayson Tatum and you held your own against one of the best scorers this league has to offer. What does it mean to you going against some of the world’s best on a nightly basis?
CB: I was happy with our performance and we came out to win. That is what is most important. We are a group that is ready to win and my job when I get out there is not to shoot for a certain number of points or grab a certain number of rebounds or whatever. My job is to just do what we need to do to win the game, so whether it is an assignment of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, whoever it was that night, I am just going to give my best effort. When I do get my opportunity to get out there, I am going to make the best of it and if it is just for two minutes, I am going to give it my all in those two minutes. If it is 25 minutes, I am going to make all the plays I can to put us in a winning position no matter what that means statistically. The Celtics for me and our team was one of the most successful games. To come out and beat the best team in the East, I mean we did not just beat them, we beat them pretty good. It wasn’t a game that was exactly close as far as NBA terms go, so it was a great home win for us. Whether I score 2 points or 10 points, I just try and make the most out of my opportunities in the minutes I get.
What does it mean to you to constantly hear the praise your coaches and teammates have for you?
CB: They’re great. The organization is full of great people whether it is Coach Malone or all the guys from the team. They all help me, they teach me and that’s another part of my job. It is not to just give my best effort every time I am on the floor, but to be a sponge and to learn because I am a rookie and there is a lot to learn about this league. Whether I am on the floor or not, guys are pulling me over in timeouts to point something out and teach me something new. I think we have a collective of guys in which each one of them can bring something new to me. My teammates are all very supportive and Coach Malone has been really great to me early on. There is a lot for me to learn and a lot that I do not know yet and Coach does a really good job of teaching me while I am in the game. Finding ways to contribute in any role the team needs of me is the biggest thing I try to do.
Nikola Jokic has once again been sensational this season. How’s it like being teammates with Nikola and what is it about him, both on and off the court, that brings out the most in his teammates?
CB: I would say that it starts with his daily routine. He does the same exact routine every warmup and every stretch every day. He comes in, he brings the same energy and the same focus and he’s not afraid to be a leader. He’ll grab you and be like ‘Hey, these five minutes we are stretching, you need to take this seriously,’ so his routine and his dedication to his craft is impressive. There is not a single player in this league that can stop him one-on-one and the best part about Nikola is obviously that he is super unselfish as far as passing goes. He is a Top-5 scorer in this league, he’s probably the best passer in the league and he’s just a guy that can do all the little things. He’s active on defense and gets his hands on the ball for deflections on defense. Nikola just wants to win and he makes the right decisions, the right plays, each time up the floor and this starts with what he does before he even steps on the court. He’s the type of guy that comes to work, does his job, works extremely hard and you can just see the work that he does every single day with his performances on the court.
I know your answer to this already, but is Nikola on a collision course with a third straight MVP award?
CB: I think there is no question. I think that right now, especially being the top team in the West, getting a triple-double every night while making the right play, while being the guy defensively getting deflections, getting out and running in transition, hitting shots, getting guys in the right place. I mean, he just does everything, so that right there is quite literally the definition of most valuable player. He just shows up and does his job, but to be honest, he doesn’t really care about those awards and accolades. He says he’s not focused on that and that he wants to make winning plays, so he wouldn’t care about the award. He wants to win and he puts us in the best position to do so. Nikola has put out some of the most impressive numbers I have ever seen and we are a winning team, so I definitely think he is the MVP in this league.
From a player’s perspective and coming into the league being a part of a talented draft class, do you think that this is the most talented era the NBA has ever seen?
CB: I think that is tough to say obviously because the game has changed a lot through the years, but the talent in this league top-to-bottom is unmatched. The athleticism, the skill. Look at Nikola for example. A super skilled guy that is not super athletic as far as jumping ability, but very, very talented and can really score and pass. Then you have guys that are freak athletes like Ja Morant, so there truly is a little bit of everything in this league. The talent in this league right now is off the charts and guys in the league are doing things on a nightly basis that we have never seen before. On any given night, someone is setting some kind of record and Donovan Mitchell just went and had 70 points! The NBA is in a great spot as far as the guys that are established in this league and those that are on the rise. The league is in a great spot and every single night, there are a ton of fun games to watch.
Kansas fans know who Christian Braun is on the court and Nuggets fans are becoming accustomed to who you are on the court as well. But who is Christian Braun off the court? When you're not in the gym or on the court, what’s your life like off-the-court and what are some of the things you enjoy doing?
CB: There is not much that I do off the court simply because I try to be in the gym as much as I can. Getting better and just being in the arena is what my life is centered around. Obviously I love the game and I genuinely enjoy working out and getting better as a player. As far as being off the court goes, when I get home, I have two brothers that also play basketball. I really enjoy watching them and being able to watch my little brother in his senior year of high school is special to me. My older brother is currently at Santa Clara playing right now too, so I really enjoy supporting them. Overall, I am a pretty chill guy in terms of what I like to do. I like to hang out with my friends, I like to be with my family and even though I am far from them right now, I am constantly on the phone with them. It is a little too cold to golf right now, but I also enjoy going golfing as well.
What do you want people to remember about Christian Braun the basketball player and what do you want to accomplish in Denver?
CB: The same thing I want to accomplish in Denver is the same thing I wanted to do in college. People will love you for being a great player, but people remember you when you are a champion. That’s really my goal right now. I want to win a championship in the NBA and most importantly, I want to do so as a member of the Denver Nuggets. Over the next five years, we have a really good chance to achieve this and like you said, we are really excited to be at the top of the conference standings. However, we know this means nothing and we know that anything can change. We still have a lot of room to grow and I am just excited to get better each and every day. I am really excited to try and win a championship with this organization and every single day, we are going to continue to get better as a team and compete at the highest level possible. We are not content with where we are currently and we are not satisfied with only being the top team in the West. I want to look back on myself as a champion on every level and that is what is really important to me.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
