Magic Johnson surprised to learn about $13,769,157 guard being in exclusive club with him as NBA and NCAA champ

Magic Johnson watched the Denver Nuggets play against the New York Knicks on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Denver kept in touch with the home team throughout the game but eventually lost 122-112. Nuggets guard Christian Braun came off the bench to contribute 13 points, five rebounds and one assist.

LA Lakers legend Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

“I’m watching the Knicks vs Nuggets game and learned that Christian Braun has joined me in elite company as one of five basketball players to win a NCAA title and NBA title in back to back years! Congratulations to him.”

The Denver Nuggets made Christian Braun the No. 22 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and gave him a four-year, $13.7 million rookie contract.

Braun turned pro after helping the Kansas Jayhawks win the championship in his junior and last season with the team. The combo guard gave the Nuggets a much-needed boost off the bench in their 2023 championship run.

Braun became the fifth member of an exclusive club of players winning back-to-back NCAA and NBA championships. Besides Magic Johnson, the other players on the list are Bill Russell, Henry Bibby and Billy Thompson.

Magic Johnson’s Michigan State beat Larry Bird and Indiana State in the famous showdown between the two rivals in 1979. In June 1980, the brash point guard carried the LA Lakers to the championship and won the NBA Finals MVP award.

Coincidentally, Thompson won his first Larry O’Brien Trophy in 1987 after helping Louisville to the 1986 NCAA crown. The backup forward earned his NBA championship as a part of the star-studded star-studded “Showtime” Lakers led by Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

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Magic Johnson is way ahead of Christian Braun in championship count

Magic Johnson ended a legendary NBA career following the 1995-96 season. He won five championships, three NBA Finals MVP awards and three regular season MVP trophies. Many consider him the best point guard in basketball history.

Christian Braun, meanwhile, has got off to a good start in his NBA career. Playing for a team with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic has its benefits, having already won a championship.

Braun joined Magic Johnson in an exclusive group but is way behind Junior in the championship haul. The Nuggets will remain contenders as long as Jokic is healthy and is surrounded by a solid supporting cast, but Braun has some catching up to do.

The Denver Nuggets guard is only 23 and has a long career ahead of him. He might eventually close the gap on Johnson, but for now, he can savor the iconic point guard saluting his achievement.