Nikola Jokić may be trailing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the MVP race, but he beats teammate Christian Braun in a sprint down the court before every game.
"He's not faster than me, but he's definitely faster than you'd expect," said Braun in a social media post by the NBA on Friday.
According to the third-year starter, he and Jokić have made racing to the far side of the court after breaking out of their pre-game huddle a tradition for over a year.
So how is it that the lumbering 280-pound centre manages to beat his more nimble and athletic counterpart?
"He starts a couple people ahead of me, so typically he wins," said Braun.
However, Braun added that they "actually race in practice too" and that he "normally wins" those contests.
The Nuggets are currently third in the Western Conference at 46-28. With only eight regular-season games remaining until the playoffs, anything a contending team can do to stay together, and loose, is sure to be encouraged.
Braun, 23, has also enjoyed a breakout season since the pre-game ritual started, including averaging career-highs with 15.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. So it's safe to say the races are here to stay.
"It's just kind of our way to get us warmed up and get our bodies going," said Braun. "It just became a thing, it's something we both enjoy. Running out, getting our wind back, getting us started, getting our bodies moving. It's just a fun way for us to kind of get into the game."
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