NBA FINALS: HEAT VS. NUGGETS

June 8, 2023

Christian Braun

Denver Nuggets

Practice Day

Q. How many text messages did you get last night?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: I got a couple, a little more than usual obviously. The same people that always text me texted me. The same people.

Q. What allows you to go to the rim without any fear whatsoever?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: Nikola. I think Nikola and Jamal put me in the right places. Obviously, our team is set up for everybody to succeed, everybody to be in the right spots. I've said it a million times, it's just my job to be in the right spot when my name is called.

Q. You gave a primal scream when you had the steal and dunk. That's your deal, that's what you do?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: Yeah, I think I've been doing it since high school. I don't even mean to, to be honest with you. It just kind of comes out. I can't really control it. Those are the plays I like to make. Jamal actually told me to run through a pass in the first half, be more aggressive. When I made the play, obviously that's just kind of my natural reaction.

Q. You said you weren't expecting to play in the NBA Finals, but it's come to you naturally. Can you describe what this feels like?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: I mean, I'm just grateful to be here obviously. This is something I wanted to do my whole life, something I wanted to do since I stepped foot in Denver. I'm grateful to be here. Just really enjoying the opportunity, enjoying the moment, enjoying the basketball games.

Q. You said Nikola allows you to do what you're doing. What advice have you gotten from him and Jamal? What have you learned from them?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: He's not big on advice. I mean, that's just not him.

Like I said, he puts me in the right spots, makes my life a lot easier. Same with Jamal. Me and Jamal talk a lot. Like I said, he was the one that told me in the first half, “Hey, could have run through the pass. Be more aggressive.” Like I said, put me in the right spot to make that play.

They help me and help everybody on the team, put everybody in the right spots, make everybody's life easier. So we appreciate those guys. Obviously, we're going to ride them to a championship for sure.

Q. You've said before that this team just lets you be you. With the players and the coach, how do these guys help you succeed?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: I mean, I think there's so much attention on Jamal, on Nikola, that guys like me, Mike, AG, Bruce, KCP all look better. They make it so much easier on us. When they do make those plays, it's our job to make their life easier, too.

We wouldn't be that open if there wasn't that much attention on them. They make the right play every time. Playing with guys that make the winning play and make the right play every single time on the court is really fun. I think that's what this team is built around. I think we're doing a really good job of it. We got two more games.

Q. They like to employ that zone especially late in the game. Last night you found Nikola for those easy pocket passes. Is that the way to beat it?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: I think he found me a little more than I found him obviously.

Yeah, I mean, we got to find a way to beat the zone. They're a really good team. They make really good adjustments, have a great coach. We got to find a way to beat the things that they throw at us. They've thrown different things. They've thrown the press, they've thrown the zone at us. Try to give you a lot of different looks, try to keep you on your heels.

They've doing a really good job of it. Our coaches are putting us in the right position, too, to counter them and beat them, too.

Q. Three state championships in high school, won the national championship in college. What is the biggest difference here playing in the NBA Finals?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: I think the biggest difference, I just think the adjustments. I mean, in the NCAA championship, it's one game, who's going to play harder, who makes shots. It's just one game.

This, every time after a game, you got to go back and make adjustments. You don't know what the team's going to throw at you. There's more opportunities to get it right in this, but you have to be consistent, you have to stay healthy. A lot of things got to go your way.

There's a lot of differences, but I think the NBA Finals is more fun, for sure.

Q. Can you describe the contribution of international players today, especially Nikola?

CHRISTIAN BRAUN: Yeah, I mean, obviously Nikola, especially for me, like I said, makes my life a lot easier, makes me look a lot better on the court. So I'm very grateful to play with a guy like him. Just the style that they, how skilled they are, is a great addition to our game.

Nikola, obviously I’m grateful for him. We're all grateful for what he's brought, the consistency he's brought to the organization.