The Denver Nuggets punched their ticket to the franchise’s second Western Conference finals appearance in four seasons. Behind the play of former two-time MVP Nikola Jokic and his partner in crime, a healthy Jamal Murray, the Nuggets are the top seed in the West and have played the best basketball of any team in the conference all season. With Joker and Murray as the catalysts for seven seasons now, the cornerstones are in place along with sniper Michael Porter Jr.
But the one thing this Nuggets team under head coach Michael Malone lacked was quality depth and a quality supporting cast. They added the likes of Aaron Gordon prior to the 2021 NBA trade deadline. They then went out and added Bruce Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this past offseason via free agency.
Fined $15K For Illegally Parking In Owner’s Spots
Braun recently joined the “Rock Chalk Unplugged” Podcast to talk about his first season in the NBA and how it differs from the college life in Lawrence, Kansas.
During the segment of the podcast Braun elaborated on the time he received a $15K fine for parking in team owner Stan Kroenke’s spots at Ball Arena. It was a complete shock, and based on Braun’s comments it’s something he’s for sure never gonna do again.
“I’m about to get dressed and there’s a piece of paper in my chair and it was a $15,000 fine. I’m like, $15,000? I haven’t even gotten a paycheck. What do you mean $15,000?
‘I call our person and I’m like, ‘Fifteen thousand? That’s not going to work. We’re not going to do this. You’re not getting my money. She’s like, ‘What do you mean we’re not getting your money? It comes straight out. You don’t even see the money.’
“The three spots I parked in are Mr. Kroenke’s. Not only did I park in his spot, I parked in all three of them, so it’s $5,000 for each one of those executive spots. So I get a $15,000 fine on my chair.
“There was not a single person at the arena. My car’s still on. I was there for two and a half minutes, and they just caught me and they looked up whose car it was and it was mine.
“She ended up getting it down to $2,500.”
For future reference, Bruan now knows not to park in the billionaire owner’s spot under any circumstances.
Nuggets Drafted Braun In 2022
Looking for more wing athleticism, the Nuggets took the former Kansas star with the 21st overall pick of the 2022 NBA draft. Braun, fresh off winning a national championship, has paid dividends all season with the hustle and grit he’s provided.
Braun Has Earned Quality Minutes With His Play
Known for his toughness, tenacity, and grit, but also more than capable of knocking in shots from range and getting to the rim, Braun has made a real impression on the Nuggets this season.
His welcome-to-the-playoffs moment seemed to happen in the first-round series when he got into it with Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kyle Anderson for not letting him take a free shot after a foul, sort of like what you saw Kevin Garnett do often during his playing career. That seemed to bother Anderson, who then wanted to fight or at least fake fight, as all NBA players do.
When all was said and done, the aforementioned Malone said that’s the stuff he loves about his prize rookie, and it’s something the Nuggets have lacked for years. Now that they have multiple bulldogs like Braun the belief is this team can win it all.
