October 23rd 2024.
Christian Braun found himself in a tough spot during his early days as a basketball player. He was locked in what he called "basketball jail," where the family pickup truck served as his cell and the remainder of the game was his sentence. It was a humiliating experience, and he couldn't wait for it to be over. He sat in the lonely parking lot, waiting for his friends and mom to leave the gymnasium. At the time, it was a nightmare he wanted to forget, but over the years, he realized it was a formative memory that he could share with other coaches.
Braun's journey to becoming a professional basketball player has been marked by success. He won three state championships in high school and helped his college team win the NCAA championship. In his rookie year in the NBA, he was part of the team that won the championship. But with all this success, he also experienced rare moments of failure and disappointment, making them twice as memorable and educational. As he prepares for his third opening day in the NBA, he reflects on the balance between his small-town Kansas roots and the new challenges he faces.
In an interview, Braun shared his thoughts on the importance of being self-aware and finding a balance in the competitive world of basketball. He knows that he is still at the bottom, striving to reach the top, and there are things he needs to earn and prove before he can get there. But he also knows that he can't lose his sense of self, and he still makes little sarcastic comments to his teammates, a part of his personality that he values.
However, there was a time when Braun struggled to find this balance. It was the day he found himself sitting in his family's pickup truck, punished by his own mother, Lisa, who was also his rec league coach. Lisa was a former Division I player and could be tough on her son, but their close relationship never faltered. She described Braun as her "mouthiest and grittiest" child. The details of how he ended up in the truck are unclear, but it was likely due to a defensive breakdown or offensive errors. Lisa felt he needed to learn that it didn't matter whose fault it was, but Braun didn't want to hear it. He made a comment back to his mom, and that was the breaking point. Lisa threw her car keys to him, and he was kicked out of the gym.
The drive home was quiet as Braun processed the consequences of his actions. Lisa knew that punishing him by not allowing him to be part of the game was a big blow to his love for basketball. Braun's upbringing in Burlington, Kansas was centered around sports, and he was always outside, swimming or fishing in the nearby lake. His parents, both former college basketball players, often discussed the greats of the game, and Braun would often stir the pot by siding with the younger generation. Even when it snowed, he would shovel the bare minimum to make space for him to shoot hoops with his brother. As Lisa puts it, he wouldn't do it to help her get the car out of the garage.
Basketball was Braun's passion, and he excelled at it in his small town where competition was thin. He worked hard and realized that he could dominate if he put in the effort. But Lisa remembers that he had no interest in anything else as a career. He was "hellbent" on basketball and struggled with school. He was often in trouble for talking too much in class. In one instance, he and his friend tried to cheat on a reading test, causing the tests to become password-protected. They were getting 20-30%, and looking back, they can laugh about it.
Braun's basketball and football teams were unstoppable in middle school, but the memories that stand out are not the wins. There was the infamous game where he shot 4 for 22 from the field, ruining their undefeated season. He still considers it his worst game ever and was embarrassed by it. But the most significant moment was when he was ejected from the gym by his mom. It was a watershed moment, and he never rebelled during a game again that season. Soon after, the family moved to the suburbs of Kansas City, where there was a more competitive basketball scene. Braun fully committed himself to the sport, joining an AAU program and impressing his coaches with his maturity and coachability. His high school coach also noticed these qualities and was excited to have Braun on his team.
Christian Braun had found himself in a difficult situation. He was stuck in "basketball jail" - a term he had coined for the back of his family's pickup truck, where he was waiting for his friends and mom to leave the gym. He had just experienced a humiliating loss and couldn't wait for the memory to fade away. Little did he know, this moment would become a formative memory that he would share with other coaches in the future.
Braun's journey to his third opening day in the NBA was marked by a series of wins, from three state titles in high school to a national championship in college and contributing to his team's first NBA championship as a rookie. These successes made his rare failures and disappointments even more memorable and educational for him. As he prepared for another potential milestone in his career - replacing a veteran player as the starting two-guard for the Denver Nuggets - Braun knew that he had to find a balance between his small-town Kansas roots and his new status as an NBA player.
In an interview with The Denver Post, Braun shared his thoughts on this balance, saying, "You've gotta know who you are. You've gotta be self-aware of your situation...You've gotta have a balance. You've gotta understand that you're still at the bottom, but you're striving to reach the top. There are things you have to earn and prove before you can get there. But my teammates know - I still make little comments here and there. So I'm still me. I'm still who I am. I'm just a little more quiet with each level I go up."
But Braun hadn't always been able to maintain this balance. In fact, the incident in the back of his family's truck was evidence of his struggle to find it. Braun's mother Lisa, a former Division I player herself, was his coach at the time. She could be tough on him, and he often pushed the limits of impertinence with her. But they were also extremely close.
The details of how Braun ended up waiting in the truck were a bit unclear. According to Lisa, it may have been related to a defensive breakdown, while Christian remembers it being something to do with his offense. Regardless, Lisa had reached her breaking point with her mouthy and gritty son. She threw her car keys at him and told him to go sit on the end of the bench, which he did while still mouthing off. That was when Lisa made the decision to kick him out of the gym - a punishment that bruised Christian's love for the game more than anything else.
Braun's upbringing in Burlington, Kansas revolved around sports. He wasn't interested in video games like his friends were - only NBA 2K and Madden NFL caught his attention. He loved spending time outside, swimming and fishing in the nearby lake. Both of his parents had played college basketball, and dinner table conversations often involved debates about LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Even when it snowed, Braun would shovel just enough to make room for him to shoot hoops with his brother.
But despite his love for the sport, Braun never considered anything else as a career option. He admits to not being a good student and often getting in trouble for talking too much in class. In fact, he and his friend once tried to cheat on a reading test by guessing the answers, causing the tests to be password-protected. But sports, particularly basketball, consumed his life. Even when he and his friends were dominating the middle school basketball and football teams, the memories that stood out were not always the wins. There was the infamous game when Braun shot 4 for 22, ruining their undefeated season. And then there was the time when his mom ejected him from the gym, a moment that would prove to be a turning point for him.
Shortly after that incident, the Brauns moved to a suburb of Kansas City, where the youth basketball scene was more bustling. Braun joined an AAU program and caught the attention of his coach and high school coach for being coachable and mature. Despite his struggles to find a balance between cockiness and humility, old and new, Braun's talent and determination ultimately led him to the NBA. And as he prepares to start his third season in the league, he knows that the lessons he learned from his failures and the support of his family and coaches will continue to guide him along the way.
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