Former Gonzaga standout Julian Strawther wins jersey bet with Nuggets teammate, ex-Kansas star Christian Braun

Nobody was more delighted than Julian Strawther to see Gonzaga cruise past Kansas on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.

That’s because the former Gonzaga wing and NBA rookie had a friendly wager on the game with second-year pro and Denver Nuggets teammate Christian Braun, a former Kansas standout.

Photos and videos from the Nuggets social media accounts showed Braun walking into Ball Arena on Monday wearing a white Gonzaga jersey with Strawther’s No. 0 on the front and last name on the back.

“Someone lost a bet…” the Nuggets posted on X.

Had things gone differently on Saturday in Salt Lake City, Strawther would’ve been wearing a Jayhawks jersey with Braun’s name and number to the Nuggets’ 128-103 win over Memphis.

Braun, who won a national championship with Kansas in 2022, was selected No. 21 overall by Denver and played a key role off the Nuggets’ bench during a run to the 2023 NBA title. Strawther was Denver’s first-round selection a year later, going No. 29 overall a few months after hitting the game-winning shot that sent Gonzaga past UCLA in the Sweet 16.

During Gonzaga’s 89-68 win over Kansas on Saturday, Braun’s older brother, Parker, a Santa Clara transfer, scored five points and grabbed two rebounds in 11 minutes off the Jayhawks’ bench.

On Monday, Strawther had 14 points off the bench, making 5 of 11 from the field and 2 of 7 from the 3-point line, while Braun scored 17 points to go with five rebounds during the win for the top team in the Western Conference.