Fresh off NBA title, Christian Braun returns for ‘Champ Camp 2023’ in Overland Park

NCAA and NBA champion Christian Braun attended several summer camps as a budding young basketball player during his grade school and high school days.

The Burlington, Kansas native/Blue Valley Northwest graduate worked various camps as a counselor in his three years as a member of the KU Jayhawks basketball team (2019-22).

He completed the full circle Tuesday, holding his own fundamentals camp for 200 or so youths — with his high school coach, Ed Fritz — at Drive 5 Sports Center in Overland Park.

“I think they (camp attendees) are very proud. You look around and there are a lot of my jerseys. It’s special to see that,” Braun, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound, 22-year-old guard, who played a pivotal role in KU defeating North Carolina in the NCAA title game in 2022 and followed that by contributing meaningful minutes for the world champion Denver Nuggets throughout the 2023 playoffs, told The Star Tuesday at his camp, entitled “Champ Camp 2023.”

Several of the youngsters in grades 2 to 8 on Tuesday wore KU and/or Nuggets jerseys with “Braun” on the back.

“Being around these kids … I’ve worked a lot of these camps. Obviously as I’ve grown you see more and more of my jerseys. I’m grateful for them coming. As much as they are having fun, I’m having a lot more fun being out here with them,” Braun said.

It’s been a whirlwind for Braun.

He scored seven points, grabbed three rebounds and dished an assist while playing 24 minutes in Denver’s 94-89 NBA Finals clinching victory over the Miami Heat on June 12 in Denver. Next came the victory parade three days later in downtown Denver.

“There were other people a lot bigger than me at the parade. I did have fun. I enjoyed the moment,” Braun said.

Of his role as a rotation player his rookie season in the NBA, the No. 21 pick of the Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Draft said: “I’m supposed to do that. I got put on the court and my teammates trusted me, my coach trusted me. I think that’s important. If I get put on the court I’ve got to do my job. That’s really my job now. People were shocked but that’s my job to deliver. It’s what I get paid to do.”

Following the celebration in Denver, Braun traveled to Brooklyn, New York on Thursday to support former KU NCAA title team teammate Jalen Wilson at the 2023 NBA Draft. Wilson was selected by the Brooklyn Nets with the No. 51 overall pick.

“With Jalen and the NBA, it’s amazing to see. We’ve talked about that moment a long time. For him to invite me to New York with his family means a lot to me. I’m very proud of him, excited for him. I think he’ll play in the NBA a long time,” Braun said of Wilson.

“With Gradey (Dick, one-and-done KU player this past season who was taken No 13 overall by Toronto in the draft), everybody has known what he can do. He’s from Kansas too (Wichita). I’m really excited for him. Obviously he’s going to do great things.”

Braun averaged 4.7 points on 49.5% shooting (35.4% from three) in 76 regular season games in year one with the Nuggets. He also contributed 2.4 rebounds in 15.5 minutes per game. In the playoffs, Braun averaged 3.2 points and 2.1 rebounds in 13.0 minutes a game over 19 games.

He spent time guarding stars LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jimmy Butler of the Heat.

“I’m not in this position because of myself. I’m in this position because of a lot of people,” Braun said Tuesday. “I’ve had a lot of great people in my life and I’m grateful, whether my family, coach Self (Bill, KU), coach Fritz (BV Northwest).

“I was taught when I was young that’s what you are supposed to do,” he added of crediting others. “It’s not an individual accomplishment. I wouldn’t be here without any of my teammates. I was put in a good position by really good people and I’m grateful for that.”

His brother, Parker Braun, recently decided to play his final season of college basketball at Kansas. Parker is a 6-10 transfer from Santa Clara who averaged 7.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game a year ago.

“I am very excited for Parker. I think it’s going to be a really good year for him,” Christian Braun said. “I think he’s a perfect piece at Kansas. He can play a role, do a lot of things. It will be great (for him) to work out with coach Self.

“He plays the right way, He’s a winning player. He’s athletic. He shoots it well. Winning players do really well under coach Self. He’s going to do the right things, has the right habits, will be a veteran voice in the locker room. You ask my mom (former Mizzou standout Lisa Sandbothe-Braun) … she’d say he’s better than I am, more talented than I am. That’s probably true. He’s a really good player, blessed with some skills I don’t have.”

Christian Braun’s camp, by the way, runs through Wednesday. Braun’s high school coach and camp partner, Fritz, led Blue Valley Northwest to three straight state titles to conclude Christian’s high school career. Fritz is now coach at North Kansas City High.