Christian Braun – There’s Not been a Bad Day since he’s been a Nugget

Christian Braun – There’s Not been a Bad Day since he’s been a Nugget

All right we hear there was a a dodgeball game yeah what was what was your role in this game I mean I had to explain the rules um so that was that was my first job uh but after I got done with that it was just players versus

Coaches um man I’ve been wanting to do that for a while too so uh I actually didn’t hit anybody I’m not a very good you know thrower I’m not very good with my arm so um I was more just get the balls you know Dodge a little bit I

Caught a couple so I would say I was like a eight or nine out of 10 were there any hits that really stuck out to you m i mean my my trainer threw one at me and I caught it that felt pretty good so got him out um but no there was there

Was nothing crazy no head shot um and I actually allowed head shots too as the referee so there was no head shot that I saw who did you have to explain it to the whole team um that was just my job to intro what we were doing for

Stretching and um I don’t know why he picked me but um I explained it and we used to play a lot when I was a kid so it was pretty fun going back to LA will you think of anything from Conference Finals memories when you’re walking in the in the Arena

A little bit I know it’s a special moment after getting four but yeah I mean obviously um that was a big you know part of uh you know our Championship run so um no no real memories that that’ll come back up obviously you just want to take care of

Business and um you know we haven’t played them in a long time so um you know want to make sure we’re you know locked in on what we need to be locked in on and get the win it’s going to be emotional night for them too and um so

It should be you know a fun game but um got to lock in and win the game let speak on Kobe the night that you think you know that’ll be with the Statue yeah I mean I like I said just the energy I think it’s going to be in the building

Is going to be amazing um obviously there’s two really good teams um um and just to be able to play on that night um it’s obviously an honor you know and so it’s going to be a very emotional night and it’s just something very cool to be

A part of and you know to be able to tell people you were a part of do you have a memory did you meet them did you ever no I never I never met him um I don’t I don’t have any you know real specific memories uh just watching the

Last game I think was you know cool and then just seeing stories obviously um it’s very special but I never got to meet him uh but I mean I think watching you know his final game was was amazing Christian what’s been the the biggest challenge for you to improve in your

Role coming off the bench from a year ago when you were so vital yeah I mean I think that um I’m fortunate enough every night you know to get an opportunity to go out there and play you know for the number one team defending champs so I’m try to go out

There you know affect the game the same way I affected the game you know last year during our Championship run and you know we’ve had a lot of different lineups we’ve had a lot of different you know people in that second unit and I’ve been playing a lot with the second unit

This year so um you know there was times ear in the year where I was called to score on a lot more and had the ball in my hands a lot more um and then recently you know I’ve just been called to play defense um you know make the hustle

Plays and um you know there’s a lot of you know there was Parts earlier in the year I could have done better there’s Parts I could do better now um but you know just like I said I’m I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity um you know and they’re give me the opportunity

To go out there and play for the best team in the NBA you know every night so um just trying to improve every single day keep working um focus on winning and you know that’s what we’ve been doing so as you’ve gone through the highs and

Lows of the season is there has there been a moment where you’ve tried to change your approach or thought about approaching anything differently no we haven’t had many lows I mean we’ve been winning we’re the number one team uh or tied I guess but uh you know we’ve been

Winning a lot and that’s what matters and um you know when you win I think that everybody gets rewarded um and that’s how I’ve always been my whole career so I’ll never changeed my Approach ever so um I don’t think we’ve had a low since I’ve been in Denver

Nugget so um I’m not even going to act like there’s a low coach has talked about the meeting that you two had kind of the last couple days what did that mean to you what did you take away from kind of that one-on-one time yeah I mean

Just getting to talk to him um I think we’re always locked in on the same page I don’t think we’re ever on a different page like I said I’m going out um you know focus on winning and there is an individual part to it um you know just

You know talking about you know different roles and we talked about you know what my role might have been at the beginning of the year um what it is now and you know my role is very similar to last year um you know if you really look

At it I play the same you know type of minutes um the same spurts um so my job is still the same my job is to go out there and affect the game defensively you know have energy um so it’s good to just connect with him and talk about

That and you know we looked at back at uh you know film from the finals and you know just ways he you know wants me to make more plays and and do more things and um you obviously want a coach that always wants more from you so um it was

Cool to connect with him just talk to him um like I said I’ll never change my Approach and as long as we’re winning me and Coach Malone you know go hand in hand with um as long as we’re winning we’re both happy can you tell if guys

Are trying to just like get to the all-star break get some rest a little tired no I think I think this is a time where you want to steal games I think that um you know last night um those teams lost and I think there’s a four-way Tire or whatever it is for

First um so you know this is a time where you can’t relax you know you don’t want to relax um you let other teams relax then you try to you know create a little separation um and if we could you know create a little separation going in

Allstar break you know that’d be ideal so you don’t want to relax um you want to make sure you stay healthy um you know approach things the right way but I think this is a great time for you know teams especially good teams uh we put a

Lot of emphasis last year on you know taking advantage of this time and um you know these last four games you want to make sure you you know you close it the right way what do you think you’ve improved defensively from last year this

Year oh I think that um you know my role is similar I think that um in flashes I’ve done things you know better and in flashes I haven’t done things as well um I think that you also have to adjust um to playing every night um this is this

Is a season where I’ve played every single game um you know haven’t missed anything um so that’s another adjustment you know just coming out make sure I have that energy every single night um and uh you know that’s what that’s what got me here and that’s what’s going to

Keep me here um and I know that so you know coming out and having energy every night is was something that you know I try to do every game but I think I I could approve on that um but there’s always going to be something you have to

Work through um and I think that uh I think that uh I don’t really worry about defense it was that stretch where Jamal was out and you were kind of operating as a backup one at times how do you think that will benefit you in the long

Enough yeah uh I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t do that very often um I did a couple games I think like I said early in the year I think that um different lineups for me call for different things um and I think that you know being able

To adapt that’s something that has you know kept me here and got me to this point so um early on in the year when Reggie was starting Jamal was out you know I was asked to score more I was you know have more opportunities in transition more opportunities um you

Know with the ball in my hands and I think that you know you know I scored some points um had some games where I scored a lot um and that was early on in the season and now you know um especially with Julian out more we’ve

Had you know Reggie and Jamal in the second unit you know which calls for me to more be you know fill the corner fill my spots um get those guys open so um just different you know different lineups call for different things and um obviously you know each one of those

Lineup is going to teach me something different I’m going to have to you know adapt to something different um but I’m going to have to learn you know my whole career through different things so um I think that everything that that’s has been thrown at me um has been a good

Learning experience um you know just making sure that I’m doing the right things and what what got me here um is what’s going to keep me on the court but the challenge of being an everyday player this season when are you feeling that most is that is it in games you’re

Trying to battle through any heavy legs or is it on off days in terms of treatment that kind of stuff what what what is sort of the biggest challenge with that yeah I mean I would say that um like I said I’m just fortunate to go out there and play every game like

That’s you know that’s what I want to do I want to contribute to winning um I want to do it every night I want to be on the floor every night so um I’m very happy to be in that role you know it’s not something that um you know I don’t

Want so you know you have to be better um in the training room you have to be better you know with ice bass and things like that um but you know like I said that’s that’s routine things that you figure out you know as your career goes

On um so you know I’ve learned that you know I need to be in the training room more I need to you know do all the recovery stuff more um but like I said man I’m just excited to be you know out there and contributing every night and um that’s

What I want um and I you know I’m a guy that wants to play every single game you that’s one of my goals is I don’t ever want to miss a game don’t ever want to miss a practice um and I haven’t done that you know um so I’ve been very

Fortunate with that too um but I want to be out there for 82 games every single year um you know just be available I think that’s you know sometimes that’s really important just be AA you know available for your team you cut your own shirts uh yeah it’s pretty it’s pretty

Straight I don’t actually know if I cut this one or not but uh yeah I’m not very good at it clearly Super Bowl pick oh man you guys get me on this every year man um I’ve learned you don’t you don’t never bet against Pat I’ve

Learned that um I’m on you know I’ve already said on camera that I’m not a Chiefs fan um I don’t know how you bet against Pat but I wouldn’t be mad to see the 409 was W to be honest that’s the best answer I can give that’s actually a great answer

Christian Braun spoke to media ahead of the Nugget’s upcoming road trip. He explains why he was responsible for teaching the team dodgeball today and reflects on his time as a Nugget. Him, Peyton Watson, and Reggie Jackson were singled out by Michael Malone at Denver Nuggets practice as guys that are trusted to play playoff minutes. Do you agree?

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