Watch former Kansas basketball standout Christian Braun emphatically block LeBron James’ shot

Former Kansas basketball star Christian Braun made highlight reels with a huge block over one of the best players to ever do it.

Coming off winning their first-ever NBA championship, the Denver Nuggets have high hopes heading into the 2023-24 season. Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and star point guard Jamal Murray are leading the charge for head coach Mike Malone as they look to contend for another title.

Although he was a bench player last year, Christian Braun played a considerable role in Denver’s success. The former Kansas basketball star — who ironically won the NCAA championship at KU a year prior — appeared in 76 games as a rookie. He averaged 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists but made most of his impact on the defensive end.

On Tuesday, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers squared off as one of the two games on NBA Opening Night. It was a Western Conference Finals rematch from a year prior when the Nuggets swept them 4-0 en route to the NBA Finals.

Braun came off the bench in this one, playing 19 minutes total. He will have a larger role this season with the departure of Bruce Brown. His modest 5-point, 3-rebound performance was nothing to bat an eye at, but this one play had the NBA’s social media going nuts.

In the early stages of the second quarter, future Hall of Famer LeBron James tried to get position in the post and drove to the rim for a layup. The rest is history. Watch it for yourself.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1716970908730966151

It was yet another reminder of what the Blue Valley Northwest graduate is capable of — making winning plays. Whether LeBron or Michael Jordan is your GOAT, most basketball fans can agree that Christian Braun has now blocked a shot attempted by one of the two greatest players to ever play the game.