October 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, United States; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the net against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) and guard Christian Braun (0) in the second quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Former Kansas basketball star Christian Braun had a highlight reel with a huge block on one of the best players to ever do it.
After winning their first ever NBA championshipTHE Denver Nuggets have high hopes heading into the 2023-24 season. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and star point guard Jamal Murray lead the charge for head coach Mike Malone as they look to challenge for another title.
Even though he was a bench player last year, Christian Braun played a huge role in Denver’s success. The old Kansas The basketball star — who ironically won the NCAA championship at KU a year prior — appeared in 76 games as a freshman. He averaged 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists, but made most of his impact defensively.
On Tuesday, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers faced off in one of two NBA opening night games. This was a rematch of the Western Conference Finals a year prior, when the Nuggets swept them 4-0 en route to the NBA Finals.
Brown came off the bench in this one, playing 19 minutes total. He will have a more important role this season with the departure of Bruce Brown. His modest performance of 5 points and 3 rebounds was nothing to write home about, but that one play sent NBA social media into a frenzy.
At the start of the second quarter, the future Hall of Famer LeBron James tried to position himself in the post and drove to the rim for a layup. The rest is history. Watch it for yourself.
It was yet another reminder of what the Blue Valley Northwest graduate is capable of: making winning plays. Whether LeBron or Michael Jordan is your GOAT, most basketball fans can agree that Christian Braun has now blocked a shot attempted by one of the two greatest players of all time.
