If Braun rediscovers the shooting he displayed as a freshman-44.4 percent on three-pointers-he'll be an effective two-way player for a long time. If Denver takes two more games from the Heat, Braun will join Bill. He played college basketball at the University of Kansas and was a starter on the team that won the 2022 NCAA Championship. The Nuggets drafted Braun 21st overall, and he has now played more playoff minutes than any other rookie in his class. While the 21-year-old likely isn't a budding All-Star in the making, he's a good defender with some versatility thanks to his size. Christian Nicholas Braun (pronounced born April 17, 2001) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In the Jayhawks' 72-69 victory over North Carolina in the national title game, the Burlington, Kansas, native dropped a double-double (12 points and 12 rebounds). He also shot 49.5 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. He averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds over 40 games. All rights reserved.Nuggets Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)Ĭhristian Braun, SG/SF: rookie-scale contractīraun took a big jump in his junior season. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information / Your California Privacy Rights are applicable to you. ^ Back to Top ^ © 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. In the NBA, Thompson struggled to catch on long term, serving as a reserve on back-to-back title-winning Lakers squads before moving to the expansion Miami Heat. Averaging just under 15 points, Thompson finished the season as Louisville's per-game leader in points and rebounds, and second in assists. The senior forward led the Cardinals on a 17-game win streak en route to the national championship, turning on the heat late after a solid, but unspectacular, 11-6 start to the season (including a 2-5 record against ranked opposition). Thompson did a bit of everything for Louisville in its title-winning year. Louisville Cardinals 1986, Los Angeles Lakers 1987 Wasting no time establishing himself as a crucial starter, Johnson averaged over nine assists in the postseason to help the Lakers overcome the 76ers in six games. Johnson's impact didn't slow in his first season in Los Angeles either. That final performance, combined with his triple-double in the semifinals against Penn, earned him 1979 Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors. Leading the way for the Spartans, Johnson's 24 points in the title game helped lead Michigan State over Larry Bird's Indiana State Sycamores. Widely regarded as one of the best point guards ever, Johnson's title streak was filled with impressive individual accolades. Michigan State Spartans 1979, Los Angeles Lakers 1980 The rookie guard averaged 4.4 points in his first campaign before eventually blossoming into a solid career role-player and later a three-year starter for the Philadelphia 76ers. Drafted in the fourth round by the Knicks, Bibby didn't have an outsized role on New York's 1973 championship team, but he did work his way onto the floor for spot minutes as a reserve. Helping lead a stacked Bruins squad, Bibby started the first 45 games of what would eventually become an 88-game win streak. Louis Hawks in seven games.īibby entered on the back of three consecutive titles with UCLA. Russell averaged a remarkable 24.4 rebounds for the Celtics in the 1957 postseason, as Boston dispatched the St. Drafted by the Celtics as part of a legendary 1956 draft class for Boston, Russell didn't take long establishing himself in the league. Russell was all but unstoppable, averaging over 20 points and 20 rebounds in his two championship seasons with the Dons. Russell entered the league on the back of a dominant run of back-to-back titles with San Francisco (including being named the NCAA tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1955 and UPI college basketball Player of the Year in 1956). San Francisco Dons 1956, Boston Celtics 1957 Here's a look at those four players and their resumes: Only four other players have won an NCAA and NBA title in back-to-back years, a feat Braun achieved after winning the 2022 NCAA tournament with the Kansas Jayhawks. With the win, Braun, joined an exclusive club. The rookie gained plaudits for his energetic play off the bench, including a 15-point outburst to help the Nuggets take home Game 4 on the road. Braun's role increased as the Finals went on - his 24 minutes logged in Denver's decisive Game 5 win were the most he played in any postseason game. One of the breakout stars of this season's NBA Finals has been Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun. Nuggets' Christian Braun joins short list of consecutive NCAA and NBA title winnersĭenver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Kansas Jayhawks You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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