Joshua Braun

Joshua David Braun (born July 7, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Geraldton Buccaneers of the NBL1 West. He played four years of college basketball for the Grand Canyon Antelopes, where he finished as the school's second all-time leading scorer and set the record for most career 3-pointers made. He was also a two-time first-team All-WAC honoree. He made his professional debut in 2019 in Australia with the Kalamunda Eastern Suns of the State Basketball League (SBL), where he was named the SBL Most Valuable Player. He then played two seasons in Germany with Eisbären Bremerhaven of the ProA between 2019 and 2021.

High school career Born and raised in Anthem, Arizona, Braun attended Boulder Creek High School and played three seasons for the school's basketball team. As a freshman in 2009–10, he helped the school win its first state championship while averaging 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. As a sophomore in 2010–11, he averaged 20.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game en route to being named player of the year in the Northwest Region. However, during the summer in an AAU game, he tore the ACL in his right knee.

College career Redshirt season (2013–14) Coming off two knee injuries to finish his high school career, Braun was left with just two college offers, one of them from Drake University. However, before he could take the offer from Drake, the school fired the entire coaching staff. However, Braun spent his first year at GCU as a redshirt after suffering a torn meniscus in one of his surgically repaired knees while practicing with the team in the lead-up to the 2013–14 season. Throughout the two-year ordeal, Braun ended up having four knee surgeries. He posted a season-high 25 points against Texas Pan-American on January 24 and had a season-high 10 rebounds against Kansas City on January 29. He scored 30 or more points three times,

Junior year (2016–17) Braun came into his junior year having undergone knee and ankle surgery during the off-season. He subsequently missed nine games and the entire month of December after undergoing further knee surgery. In his first game back on January 7, 2017, Braun scored a season-high 31 points (including a career-high 21 points in the first half) and made a career-high seven 3-pointers in an 82–72 win over Utah Valley. He earned WAC Player of the Week for the week of February 20–26 after averaging 28.5 points in wins over Chicago State and Kansas City. However, a slip in his shooting led to a drop from a career-high 17.5 points per game as a junior to a career-low 11.4 points per game in the 2017–18 season. With GCU eligible for postseason play for the first time following their four-year Division I transition, the Antelopes entered the 2018 WAC tournament as the third seed and reached the championship game, where they lost 72–58 to New Mexico State. Braun made just one 3-pointer and shot 6-of-20 overall over the three tournament games, including going scoreless in the quarterfinal against Kansas City.

For his career, Braun scored the second-most points (1,716) in the 69-season history of Grand Canyon basketball, ranking him behind only Bayard Forrest (2,195). He also finished with the record for most career 3-pointers made (257).

Braun, a graduate student, was considered a standout athletically and academically as he was a three-time Academic All-American (first team in 2016 and 2017; third team in 2018). He finished with a 3.60 GPA and earned the MBA degree.

College statistics

Professional career In August 2018, Braun was on the verge of joining German club Karlsruhe Lions when just days before he was set to leave Arizona, an equipment failure in the gym saw weights land on his foot and break some toes. He was consequently unable to join the team for the 2018–19 season.

In February 2019, Braun joined the Kalamunda Eastern Suns of the State Basketball League (SBL) in Australia. Braun scored 30 or more points ten times, including a season-high 37 points on June 22 in a 122–112 win over the East Perth Eagles. On July 19, he recorded 34 points and 13 rebounds in an 82–80 loss to the Lakeside Lightning. With a 13–13 record, and was named SBL Player of the Week twice. He led the league in 3-point percentage and free throw percentage and was named the SBL Most Valuable Player while earning All-SBL First Team honors. In 25 games, he averaged 26.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game. The coach who wanted him at Karlsruhe in 2018, Michael Mai, was now the coach at Bremerhaven. the season was cancelled in March 2020 with Bremerhaven in second place with a 20–7 record. In 24 games, Braun averaged 9.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. On October 24, 2020, he scored a season-high 23 points against Ehingen Urspring. In 17 games during the 2020–21 season, he averaged 8.3 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. On May 4, 2024, he had 28 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a 96–87 win over the Warwick Senators. The following day, he suffered a hamstring injury against the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. He helped the Buccaneers reach the preliminary final, where he had 10 points in a 98–89 loss to the Willetton Tigers. In 16 games, he averaged 12.19 points, 3.75 rebounds and 3.06 assists per game.

Off the court In July 2022, Braun was hired as head of club basketball operations by Grand Canyon University.

Personal life Braun is of German roots. His grandfather was born in Worms while his grandmother comes from Yugoslavia, but is also of German descent. Both emigrated to Chicago because of World War II.

In July 2018, Braun married former GCU volleyball player Leigh Stonerook.