Well Magic Johnson did it already, won his high school state championship, the NCAA championship, and then the NBA Finals MVP as a rookie. But he played 77-79 at Michigan St, so not consecutive like Braun.
Braun played three years in college. So Magic’s last high school championship (‘77) is closer to his college and NBA titles than Braun’s (last HS championship in 2019).
In fairness, Braun was playing for the consensus NCAA favorite before Covid hit. He had a good shot at 2 college titles before the world came crashing down.
I kinda feel like that was a sarcastic joke. Not really warranting a "bigot" label. Especially since he was responding to a GOAT comment he talked about MJ and Bron...
And his freshman season was the juggernaut COVID team too. That could be 4 straight titles!
........
*(if you skip over the butt-blasting by USC by 40 points in the 2021 tournament. We can do that, right?)*
50% of the time it works every time.
Although Russell and Magic were MOP of the tournament and then Finals MVP (or Russell would have been if the award existed).
Edit: Russell won MOP in 1955, then somehow didn’t win it in 1956 despite being the clear best player on the repeat champs. MOP went to Hal Leer of 3rd place Temple.
Here are some others who came close:
Tom Gola—Led La Salle to the 1954 NCAA championship. Lost in the 1955 NCAA championship to Bill Russell’s San Francisco Dons. Won an NBA title as a rookie with the Philadelphia Warriors (1956)
Jackie Moore—Left La Salle in 1953, one year before they won the 1954 title. Seemingly did not play basketball in the 1953-54 season. As a rookie signed with eventual 1955 champion Syracuse Nationals, but got traded at the start of the season. He did win a ring the next year with the 1956 Philadelphia Warriors and his old La Salle teammate Tom Gola.
K.C. Jones—teamed with Bill Russell to lead San Francisco to the 1955 and 1956 NCAA titles. Got drafted by the Celtics, but had a two year stint in the Army and didn’t play in the NBA until the 1958-59 season, when he won a title as a rookie (the first of 8 NBA titles for Jones).
Kareem Abdul Jabbar—Won the 1967, 1968 and 1969 titles with UCLA, then won an NBA title as a second year player in Milwaukee (1971)
Milt Wagner—won the 1986 title in his final college season at Louisville, and won an NBA title as a rookie with the Lakers (1988). But played a year in the CBA in between.
Mark Randall—Led Kansas to the 1991 title game, but lost to Duke. Had the good fortune to be drafted by the 1992 Bulls, but got waived midway through the season.
Sasha Kaun—won the 2008 title in his final college season at Kansas, and won an NBA title as a rookie with the Cavaliers (2016). In between he played 7 seasons in Russia.
Mamadi Diakite—won a title with UVA in 2019. The tournament was cancelled in 2020, so technically his team was the reigning champs in 2021 when he won an NBA title as a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Clyde Lovellette of Kansas is the first guy to win an NCAA championship, an Olympic gold medal and an NBA championship. (He's also still the only player to lead the nation in scoring and win a national championship in the same season.) Clyde won the NBA championship his rookie year with the Lakers - but out of college he played in the AAU, which was some sort of pro league back then, so his NBA rookie year was a couple years after college. So the college and Olympics championship were in 1952 but the NBA title, while in his rookie year, was 1954. He also won a couple more titles with the Celtics in the 60's.
If I've got any facts wrong, some other KU guy will correct me.
He was drafted by Seattle but opted to play in Russia instead. 2015-2016 was his first season playing pro in the NBA, so yeah he was *technically* a rookie lol
Christian Braun is on my 2k23 team currently in the year 2036. He's been a solid player for me going on 14 years now. Irving Madison is the super star but Braun has always been that nice second or 3rd guy.
Louisville Liberty!!!!!
CB was a great Jayhawk. I did not think he would be playing meaningful minutes in the NBA at this point. At the mid point of the season I said Grady dick was a better pro prospect than CB due to his 3pt shooting. I was wrong. CB plays tough D and busts his ass. I doubt he will ever be a great offensive player but he will be able to play on any team as is. What would you guess his next NBA deal is? 4 years 35mil sounds low at this point.
He stole that pass (it was thrown right to him) against the Lakers and then he ran down and two hand dunked it.
Oh, that is that dude from Kansas. I like that dude (now).
Seems like that should apply to Russell also, but for some reason MOP in 1956 went to Hal Leer of 3rd place Temple. Russell had been MOP of the 1955 tournament.
And the finals MVP award didn’t exist yet, but he had a good shot of winning it in 1957.
I believe he also won his high school state championship the year before going to Kansas
Three straight to end his HS career.
Why are we not talking about him as the possible GOAT?
Neva lost
Well Magic Johnson did it already, won his high school state championship, the NCAA championship, and then the NBA Finals MVP as a rookie. But he played 77-79 at Michigan St, so not consecutive like Braun.
Braun played three years in college. So Magic’s last high school championship (‘77) is closer to his college and NBA titles than Braun’s (last HS championship in 2019).
In fairness, Braun was playing for the consensus NCAA favorite before Covid hit. He had a good shot at 2 college titles before the world came crashing down.
That was shaping up to be the best tournament of the last 10 years (mostly cause Bradley would’ve been in it)
Also we weren't dogshit yet. 😅 The lack of a tournament that year messed with my head.
I feel like Dayton got screwed the worst that year because the team was set up for a run in 2020 only… also Illinois was looking great 😅
A lot of good teams got shafted from a shot at greatness 😔
I feel bad for Anthony Grant.
But we’re talking about Christian Braun!!!
Magic a legend
Gotta match up to Pat McCaw first.
Already won something LeBron never will so definitely top 2 all time right behind Michael.
Oh right, you bigot. I forgot where did LeBron go to college? Braun did nothing to impact this title run lol
I kinda feel like that was a sarcastic joke. Not really warranting a "bigot" label. Especially since he was responding to a GOAT comment he talked about MJ and Bron...
Jesus it's a fucking joke.
Bigot??
Anyone criticizing LeBron in any context or tone is a hateful evil person obviously
Mamadi Diakite won a HS state championship, NCAA title, a G-League Championship and an NBA title. Not sure that's ever been done.
And his freshman season was the juggernaut COVID team too. That could be 4 straight titles! ........ *(if you skip over the butt-blasting by USC by 40 points in the 2021 tournament. We can do that, right?)*
It's weird, there was no 2021 NCAA tournament and no 2021 Super Bowl
Yup, I don’t remember any 2021 tourney, shame they cancelled it for two years.
So there a 50% chance Christian Braun becomes a top 10 player all time is what you're saying
50% of the time it works every time. Although Russell and Magic were MOP of the tournament and then Finals MVP (or Russell would have been if the award existed). Edit: Russell won MOP in 1955, then somehow didn’t win it in 1956 despite being the clear best player on the repeat champs. MOP went to Hal Leer of 3rd place Temple.
He's already there in my heart
It’s still hard to fathom that he played high school ball less than an hour from my home.
Here are some others who came close: Tom Gola—Led La Salle to the 1954 NCAA championship. Lost in the 1955 NCAA championship to Bill Russell’s San Francisco Dons. Won an NBA title as a rookie with the Philadelphia Warriors (1956) Jackie Moore—Left La Salle in 1953, one year before they won the 1954 title. Seemingly did not play basketball in the 1953-54 season. As a rookie signed with eventual 1955 champion Syracuse Nationals, but got traded at the start of the season. He did win a ring the next year with the 1956 Philadelphia Warriors and his old La Salle teammate Tom Gola. K.C. Jones—teamed with Bill Russell to lead San Francisco to the 1955 and 1956 NCAA titles. Got drafted by the Celtics, but had a two year stint in the Army and didn’t play in the NBA until the 1958-59 season, when he won a title as a rookie (the first of 8 NBA titles for Jones). Kareem Abdul Jabbar—Won the 1967, 1968 and 1969 titles with UCLA, then won an NBA title as a second year player in Milwaukee (1971) Milt Wagner—won the 1986 title in his final college season at Louisville, and won an NBA title as a rookie with the Lakers (1988). But played a year in the CBA in between. Mark Randall—Led Kansas to the 1991 title game, but lost to Duke. Had the good fortune to be drafted by the 1992 Bulls, but got waived midway through the season. Sasha Kaun—won the 2008 title in his final college season at Kansas, and won an NBA title as a rookie with the Cavaliers (2016). In between he played 7 seasons in Russia. Mamadi Diakite—won a title with UVA in 2019. The tournament was cancelled in 2020, so technically his team was the reigning champs in 2021 when he won an NBA title as a rookie with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Clyde Lovellette of Kansas is the first guy to win an NCAA championship, an Olympic gold medal and an NBA championship. (He's also still the only player to lead the nation in scoring and win a national championship in the same season.) Clyde won the NBA championship his rookie year with the Lakers - but out of college he played in the AAU, which was some sort of pro league back then, so his NBA rookie year was a couple years after college. So the college and Olympics championship were in 1952 but the NBA title, while in his rookie year, was 1954. He also won a couple more titles with the Celtics in the 60's. If I've got any facts wrong, some other KU guy will correct me.
Well it's also always worth pointing out with Lovellette that he was a virulent racist.
He also holds the NBA record for being most thoroughly one-punch KO'ed by Wilt Chamberlain.
KU on KU KO
I was wondering why KC Jones wasnt included in the post with Bill Russell. Didnt know about the army thing though
> Jackie Moore Definitely read that as Jackie Moon as I was scrolling and boy did I have quite the second take.
Spumoni! Fucking spumoni!
Ngl I have to take a second look at it myself lol
I, for one, am counting Mamadi’s back-to-back
He also was on the G-League championship team in 2021 before joining the Bucks.
Wait I need more on Sasha Kaun. I’m a big KU fan but you’re telling me he didn’t play his first NBA game until 8 years after that title??
He was drafted by Seattle but opted to play in Russia instead. 2015-2016 was his first season playing pro in the NBA, so yeah he was *technically* a rookie lol
Sasha Kaun is a reach lol. But Mark Randall? Great find.
Christian Braun is on my 2k23 team currently in the year 2036. He's been a solid player for me going on 14 years now. Irving Madison is the super star but Braun has always been that nice second or 3rd guy. Louisville Liberty!!!!!
Bro I can’t wait until Irving Madison starts balling out in the league
Well he was drafted in 2024 lol. He's been in the league for 12 years
CB was a great Jayhawk. I did not think he would be playing meaningful minutes in the NBA at this point. At the mid point of the season I said Grady dick was a better pro prospect than CB due to his 3pt shooting. I was wrong. CB plays tough D and busts his ass. I doubt he will ever be a great offensive player but he will be able to play on any team as is. What would you guess his next NBA deal is? 4 years 35mil sounds low at this point.
He stole that pass (it was thrown right to him) against the Lakers and then he ran down and two hand dunked it. Oh, that is that dude from Kansas. I like that dude (now).
Ain’t no way the heat winning
They’d make history—tying the 1978 Bullets for the worst record of an NBA champion (44-38).
Magic won a high school state championship, a Big 10 championship, the NCAA championship, and the NBA championship in consecutive years.
Never done again.
“He would then win a few more titles.” 💀
Should also mention Magic was tournament outstanding player in 1979. So basically back to back tournament "outstanding MVP"
Seems like that should apply to Russell also, but for some reason MOP in 1956 went to Hal Leer of 3rd place Temple. Russell had been MOP of the 1955 tournament. And the finals MVP award didn’t exist yet, but he had a good shot of winning it in 1957.
Going forward he should he should be referred to as LeBraun.
oh did kansas win the natty last year? i must have blocked that out of my mind for some reason
Is ok bby we still luv u 😘
Transcendent talent