Braun seeks NBA title a year after winning NCAA crown

DENVER Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun is showing that the National Basketball Association finals is not too big of a stage for him.

The 21st pick in the draft last summer, Braun has made the most of his minutes off the bench, sinking 10 of 12 shots, grabbing a half dozen rebounds and collecting four steals against the Miami Heat.

“That’s a rare rookie right here,” Aaron Gordon said. “From Day 1, he’s been on top of it. This is a real winner right here. I say that because he’s always in the right spot. He’s in the right place at the right time, and he’s been doing that all year.”

Braun has a chance to become just the fifth player in NBA history to win a title a year after winning the NCAA championship, joining Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.

Braun gave the Nuggets a lift in Denver’s Game 3 rout of the Heat. With Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history with the first dual triple-double in the NBA finals, Braun scored 15 points in 19 minutes on a night starters Michael Porter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-pope struggled again.

Braun’s resumé includes three state championships at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and a national title with the Jayhawks last year.

Most rookies who cap their college careers with championships have to bide their time in the pros until it’s, well, their time. Braun is two wins away from an incredible fifth championship in seven years.