Christian Braun returns home after helping Denver win World Championship

Christian Braun, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound guard from Burlington, Kan., can now add another ring to his already impressive collection. Picked No. 21 overall by the Denver Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Draft, Braun won three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School, a National Championship at Kansas, and, in his rookie season, helped Denver capture its first-ever NBA World Championship.

While running a youth basketball camp at Drive5 in Overland Park, Kan., Braun, on Tuesday afternoon, took a break from the action to talk with JayhawkSlant.com. Despite all of his success on the court, Braun, off the court, remains as kind, courteous, approachable, and down-to-earth as ever before.

“No, I don’t think it’s different,” said Christian Braun while standing inside Drive5 on Tuesday afternoon. “I think that I was born to do this. Like I’ve said, I’ve been very, very fortunate to play with the teams that I’ve played on and I’ve been put in very, very good positions for myself. It's not an individual thing.

“The people that I was around, it was amazing,” he added. “Those people really wanted it and they wanted it really bad. The guys on my team, DeAndre Jordan and Jeff Green, they’ve been in the league for 16 years, so you can imagine how bad they wanted to win one.

“And then when everybody wants to win one as bad as they do and we want to win for them, I think that's what made us click really well," he continued. "We had a really great group of guys and behind the scenes, we like to have a little fun. We enjoyed our run and obviously, we got to have the parade, and I think the city of Denver really deserves it.”

Before being picked No. 21 overall by Denver in the 2022 NBA Draft, Braun, in 101 games, averaged 10.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game for Kansas. Offensively, he shot 44.9 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from behind the arc, and 74.9 percent from the free-throw line.

During the 2021-22 season, his last in Lawrence, Braun averaged 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. He shot 49 percent from the field 39 percent from behind the arc, and 73 percent from the free-throw line.

In the final game of his college career, Kansas defeated North Carolina, 72-69 to capture the second National Championship under Bill Self. Braun, against the Tar Heels, scored 12 points, pulled down 12 rebounds, and dished out three assists.

While his father, Donald Braun, was hoping his son would return for one final year of college basketball in Lawrence, Christian decided well before the National Championship game that the 2021-22 season would be his last in Lawrence.

“No,” said Braun with a smile when asked if he considered returning. “I was gone. Honestly, I was gone, I want to say, a little past midseason. The tournament in Florida is when I kind of made my mind up. I knew coming in that I wanted it to be my last year, but that Florida tournament happened and I played really well there.

“I think that got my confidence going,” he added. “I was ready to go. My dad wanted me to come back and finish school, that’s really important to him, but I was ready to go. He’s a big Kansas guy and he loves being in the Fieldhouse, so I think he wanted another year of that. He gets it now (Parker Braun transferred to Kansas this summer). I was ready to go. I won my championship and did what I needed to do.

“Me leaving, honestly, was perfect for a lot of people,” he continued. “I think that me and Ochai (Agbaji) leaving, you saw Jalen’s (Wilson) success and Gradey’s (Dick) success, so I think me leaving, it was meant to happen.”

While in Orlando, Fla., Kansas posted a record of 2-1 at the ESPN Events Invitational. The Jayhawks opened up by defeating North Texas, 71-59. Braun, in 29 minutes, scored 16 points and pulled down five rebounds.

In a one-point loss to Dayton, 74-73, Braun tallied 17 points, pulled down eight rebounds, dished out five assists, and was credited with four steals.

In the third and final game of the ESPN Events Invitational, Kansas defeated Iona, 96-83. Braun, in 33 minutes of action, poured in 18 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out four assists, and was credited with two steals.

While Braun made his mark for the Denver Nuggets in his rookie season, Parker Braun, the 6-foot-10, 230-pound forward is hoping to make a name for himself in what will be his only season at Kansas.

After stops at Missouri and Santa Clara, Braun recently arrived in Lawrence for the first session of summer school.

Christian, not surprisingly, has high expectations for his older brother.

“I think he’s the perfect player for the team,” he said. “All he wants to do is win. He’s an older guy and he’s a guy that has a lot of knowledge of the game. I think he’s a perfect piece for them. I got to see him a little bit yesterday and I think the team is on a great track. Obviously, Coach Self will have them where they need to be when it's time.

“Just to see him playing in a KU jersey, I know that’s what he’s always wanted to do, so it means a lot to me to see,” he added.

When asked what he thinks his brother will bring to the court next season, it didn’t take long for Christian to respond. In fact, he initially responded with just two words.

“He’s good,” he said. “He’s really good. I think that people are going to be surprised by him. If you haven’t watched the highlights, go watch them. He’s athletic, he can shoot, he’s a smart player, and he does the right things. It’s all about winning.

“I think those players are the players that Coach Self really likes,” he added. “He’s tough and he plays the right way. When he’s on the court, the team always gets better. I’m excited to see what he does at that level, and I know that he can do it. I think he’s a really important piece for the team and that’s what’s important."