Christian Braun Shares Reality of Playing With Russell Westbrook

Westbrook fueled Braun to play every night

Not only was Braun inspired by Westbrook's work ethic, especially after growing up watching him play, but it was also a sense of fear of losing his spot to the legendary guard.

"I didn't want to miss games, because if you miss a game and Russ slides in, there's a really good chance he has a triple-double and you don't get your spot back," Braun said. "I'm out there like, 'I need to play tonight.' I definitely thank Russ for—even just having Russ behind you, it pushes you. You've got to be your best because you know no matter what, every single night, Russ is going to. That's what I love about Russ."

Through his first few years in the league, Braun rarely missed games, but he only sat three times when Westbrook was his teammate. The young guard was truly doing what he could to prevent Westbrook from stealing his spot, but at the same time, the numbers show how much that helped him out.

Braun has a career year with Westbrook as his teammate, averaging 15.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 58% from the field and just under 40% from three-point range. It is unfortunate that the Nuggets and Westbrook split up last offseason, but Braun is still feeling the impact of his former teammate.

"He's obviously another big part of my career, indirectly, and I don't even know if he knows that," Braun said. "Indirectly, Russ helped me out a lot last year."

Westbrook's departure from the Nuggets

Westbrook was a game-changer for the Nuggets, especially in the first round of last year's playoffs, but he even admitted that it was the Denver side that did not want him to accept his player option for the 2025-26 season.

"The truth is that they didn't want me back," Westbrook said about the Nuggets in November. "... They told me not to [pick up the player option]."

After hearing Braun's strong praise for his former teammate and how the Nuggets could use a backup ball-handler and physical guard of Westbrook's caliber, it is easy to wish he were still on the team.