The NBA Finals matchup has now been set as the Denver Nuggets will face off against the Miami Heat for the 2023 NBA crown.
Kansas fans should have at least a small rooting interest in the series, if for no other reason than to see one of their own (potentially) win a championship in former Jayhawk Christian Braun.
Braun won a title with the Jayhawks in 2022 – something that is a rare feat in itself. But he has the chance to accomplish something even more rare when it comes to Jayhawks in the NBA.
The list of former Kansas basketball players who have won an NBA championship in the last 50 years is small (10). In fact, only eight former Jayhawks have won an NBA title since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976.
The list of former Jayhawks who have won both an NCAA championship and NBA championship is even smaller.
That’s what makes this year’s NBA Finals such an opportunistic one for Braun, who could join rare Kansas company if his Nuggets defeat the Heat.
Braun could become the first former Jayhawk since Sasha Kaun (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016) to win both an NCAA and NBA title – and would become just the fourth Jayhawk since the merger to accomplish that feat, joining Kaun’s NCAA championship teammates Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat, 2012-13) and Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors, 2015).
On top of the rare, Kansas-specific company he could join, Braun could also become just the fifth player in all of NBA history to win an NCAA championship and NBA championship in back-to-back years.
"I'm blessed to have two years in a row playing at the highest level."
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2023
Christian Braun on the possibility of becoming the 5th player to win the NCAA Tournament and NBA Finals in back-to-back years.#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV Game 1:
Thursday, 6/1 at 8:30 PM ET on ABC pic.twitter.com/TSpU2FcA7U
For all of the great former Kansas basketball players that have come through Allen Fieldhouse over the years and made their way to the pros, only a handful have been able to accomplish what Braun has a chance to in these next couple of weeks.
And although he may play sparingly, that is reason enough for Jayhawk nation to tune in to what should be an exciting NBA Finals matchup.
Fans can watch Braun chase his place in the history books starting this Thursday at 7:30 CT on ABC.