Christian Braun is perhaps best known for his two consecutive championship titles with the Kansas Jayhawks in 2022 as a junior in college and with the Denver Nuggets in 2023 as an NBA rookie. Not only did he get to experience both titles, but Braun was a key player for both teams.
While the 6-foot-2 winger wore No. 2 at the University of Kansas during his three seasons in Lawrence, when he was drafted by the Nuggets, there was no way he would be able to wear his college number in Denver. That’s because Nuggets legend and Hall of Famer Alex English wore No. 2 for the entirety of his 11 seasons in the Mile High City.
This led Braun to opt for the number 0 when he entered the NBA, which was his jersey number in high school. It obviously has even more sentimental value now that Braun was the 7th best player on an NBA championship team wearing the number 0, even take over in game 3 of the 2023 NBA Finals. Against the Miami Heat, CB had 15 points (7-8 FGs), 4 rebounds and a notable steal that led to an emphatic dunk and a wild shout from Rock Chalk to the crowd.
Until very recently, there was no doubt that Christian Braun would continue to wear No. 0 and would hopefully be the only Nugget to wear it for a very long time. That is, until rumors of Russell Westbrook being traded to Denver became a reality. After the 2017 NBA MVP was reportedly set to join the Nuggets, there was much talk about the possibility of the former Jayhawk would give up his #0 for Westbrook, who is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer.
Westbrook’s dilemma became even stranger when fans realized that not only was No. 0 chosen for the Nuggets, but also No. 4 (Hunter Tyson). Westbrook has worn one or the other since 2002, when he wore No. 4 in high school, before switching to No. 0 in college. The latest reports from Nuggets reporters indicate that Westbrook has inquired about Braun’s No. 0, but the Jayhawks legend has refused to budge.
More uniform news: Hunter Tyson will wear No. 5 this season after giving No. 4 to Russell Westbrook. Westbrook asked to wear No. 0, I’m told, but Christian Braun wouldn’t budge. Tyson gave No. 4 to Westbrook for free. pic.twitter.com/7WK6L6C0GD
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) August 26, 2024
Fortunately, Hunter Tyson was less attached to the No. 4 jersey and wasn’t fully established in the league as a CB yet, so he willingly gave up his number to Westbrook. Some fans have called for Braun to give up his No. 0 to the NBA legend, but no one should blame him for wanting to keep his high school number and the one he just won a championship with.
The former Jayhawk now has his sights set on the NBA season, which is just over a month away. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s departure in the offseason, Braun appears set to start at shooting guard. That being said, Westbrook hasn’t been completely ruled out of the starting five either. The Kansas native’s rejection of Westbrook’s offer for his No. 0 could make for an even more entertaining preseason storyline as the two vie for minutes at the back with the Nuggets.
