Russell Westbrook was Christian Braun’s kind of player.
“Downhill,” he says now. “Athletic. Tough. Mean. In-your-face.”
Westbrook was a young star in Oklahoma City, leading the Thunder to the NBA Finals. Braun was an aspiring hooper in the Kansas City suburbs, less than five hours away. How aspiring, exactly?
“Uh, I would’ve been young,” he said in July, as if calculating his exact age would cause him to blush.
Eleven. Braun was 11 years old.
But he was already becoming the basketball junkie is he today. And Russ was becoming a basketball A-lister whom all the kids in Braun’s generation adored. His intensity was infectious, his up-tempo expertise exhilarating. His fan base was as rabid as his on-court persona.
“Those are the type of guys I loved,” Braun said, “and I learned from.”
Braun is more than twice as old now as he was then, and in a bonkers twist of fate, Westbrook is referring to him as “our young star” in social media posts. About nine hours from Overland Park, Kansas, and 10 hours from Oklahoma City, they are NBA teammates in Denver.
By the time Westbrook officially signed with the Nuggets in late July, there had been ample time for his new teammates to soak in the pending news, which required a prolonged order of operations. Acquiring the former MVP winner at this stage of his career was an outside-the-box maneuver, and with it will come questions about Westbrook’s role, expectations and age.
But there’s another component to all of this as well, a human element: Having Russell Westbrook as a teammate is just plain awesome for the many young players on Denver’s roster who grew up watching him.
“He was just a huge inspiration for me from the passion he plays with,” Peyton Watson told The Denver Post, “being himself unapologetically, and just being somebody who I feel like always leaves it out there on the floor.”
Watson and Westbrook share the same hometown: Long Beach, California. They share the same college: UCLA. Russ played there for two years and Watson one. Westbrook has been a mentor to Watson for years, texting regularly and offering advice.
“As far back as I can remember watching basketball, really, I’ve been watching the energy and the passion that he played with, knowing that he came from damn near down the street from where I’m from,” Watson said in July. “I played against Leuzinger High in high school, and that’s exactly where he went.”
Watson was 9 years old when Westbrook and the Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012. When Westbrook averaged 27 points and 6.6 assists, including a 43-point game. When OKC fell short in the end against a loaded Miami team. Westbrook hasn’t made it back. He’s still searching for his first career championship, for the icing on his Hall of Fame career.
Denver was an obvious draw, especially with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic giving the relationship his blessing behind the scenes. He wasn’t the only player eager to pursue this, though. Veteran backup center DeAndre Jordan was recently Westbrook’s teammate with the Lakers, making him a helpful familiar face. And as for Watson: “I’m very close with Russ,” he told The Post. “I’ve had some discussions with him prior to seeing if this move was going to be made or not.”
Westbrook, who has worn No. 0 on his jersey for most of his career, will switch to No. 4 in Denver. He took to Instagram recently to clarify that he’s content with Braun keeping No. 0, imploring fans to “leave our young star alone.” Braun is poised to move into the Nuggets’ starting lineup this season after the loss of shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency.
“I love his game. I loved his game when I was young. I love his game now,” Braun said of Westbrook. “I think his energy, his tenacity, those are all things that every team needs. He loves the game. He plays it with the right intensity. … The way he plays, downhill, so aggressive, so tough.”
Russell Westbrook (0) of the LA Clippers during the first half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on April 09, 2024 in Phoenix. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Related Articles
Nuggets and Avs president Josh Kroenke buys Cherry Hills mansion for $16M
Nuggets, Jamal Murray agree to 4-year max contract extension, source says
Nuggets Mailbag: What happens if Denver doesn’t meet expectations again in 2024-25 season?
Nuggets Journal: With KCP out, Russell Westbrook in, is Denver’s 3-point arsenal as dire as it seems?
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic’s “NBA 2K25” rating revealed
It’s no wonder Braun feels that way. Westbrook is almost like a stylistic blueprint for him. Braun has established himself in the NBA by attacking the rim with reckless abandon, thriving on transition opportunities, dunking with authority and diving after loose balls.
Energy players are drawn to each other.
“I know (Westbrook) will bring positive things to our team,” Braun said. “I think he’s somebody who’ll bring a hunger and excitement for the game.”
Want more Nuggets news? Sign up for the Nuggets Insider to get all our NBA analysis.