It finally happened – the Denver Nuggets won NBA Championship after defeating the Miami Heat 94-89 in Game 5 on Monday night to conclude the series. Nikola Jokic was named Finals MVP after making a historic playoff run, but he’s not the only Nuggets player to make history en route to a Denver championship. Rookie guard Christian Brown joined an elite group of names after the final bell sounded and crowned the Nuggets champions, becoming the fifth player in league history to win the NBA title and the NBA championship in consecutive years.
Brown was a key player on the University of Kansas team that won a championship in 2022, overcoming the largest deficit in NCAA game history to help capture the Jayhawks’ fourth men’s basketball title. He was then drafted 21st overall by the Nuggets in 2022 NBA DraftAnd after a rookie season that saw him appear in 76 games, he joins a short list of players who have won at the college level and the NBA in consecutive years. Brown joins Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson as the only players to accomplish this feat.
Bill Russell |
1956-57 |
San Francisco |
Celtics |
Henry Baby |
1972-1973 |
University of California |
Nix |
Magic Johnson |
1979-80 |
Michigan State |
Lakers |
Billy Thompson |
1986-1987 |
Louisville |
Lakers |
Christian Brown |
2022-23 |
Kansas |
Nuggets |
While the Browns haven’t quite had the same level of impact as players like Russell and Johnson on title teams as the juniors, the former Kansas product had a moment during this Game 3 tournament of the NBA Finals. With 15 points on 7-of-8 from the field, Brown became just the fourth rookie in the last 20 years with a 15-point performance in the Finals. He was a key figure in breaking down Miami’s defense in that game, slashing a big ball off the rim, and attacking on close when the ball swung at him. He received high praise for this performance from Jokic, who said Brown, we won the game. After the guys were struggling to put points on the board.
The level of intensity and energy he brought on the defensive side of the ball was just as important. Throughout his Denver title run, the Browns proved to be a defensive blight when called upon, and in Game Two of the Finals, he made three steals. He began to gain the confidence of Michael Malone over the course of the regular season, and as a result became one of the rising stars of Denver’s title run.
With an NBA title now on his resume, there are very few people in the NBA who have had a more successful two years than Braun. Despite reaching the top of the mountain in terms of team success, there was still plenty of room for Brown to develop as a player. He’s shown he can be counted on in a secondary role, and now he’ll need to build on that and earn a permanent spot in Denver’s rotation next season.
Nuggets NBA Finals tournament gear released
The Nuggets won their first ever NBA title. Now you can shop Nuggets t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, sweatshirts, and more to celebrate the historic win. Get your Nuggets NBA Championship gear here now.
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