Nuggets Rookie Fined $15,000 For Parking In Owner's Spot

Denver Nuggets rookie Christian Braun nearly lost a shocking amount of money for parking in the wrong spot.

Braun was a first round pick for the Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Draft, but before he saw his first check, he nearly lost a shocking amount of money.

The problem? He parked in owner Stan Kroenke's spots for just a couple minutes.

Christian Braun was fined $15,000 for parking in Stan Kroenke's spots. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

"I’m about to get dressed and there’s a piece of paper on my chair and it was a $15,000 fine. I’m like, ‘$15,000? I haven’t even gotten a paycheck. What do you mean $15,000?’ ... The three spots I parked in are Mr. Kroenke’s, which is our owner. He has three spots. Not only did I park in his spot, I parked in all three of them simultaneously. So it’s $5,000 for each of those executive spots, or owner's spots. So I get a $15,000 fine on my chair," Braun explained on the "Rock Chalk Unplugged," according to Bleacher Report.

Eventually, the fine was reduced to $2,500, which still seems absurd. For comparison, Stan Kroenke, who also owns the Rams and Avalanche, is worth just under $13 billion.

Christian Braun shouldn't have paid a dime.

This has to be one of the pettiest things we've heard in a very long time. Context matters for every story you hear. It's incredibly important.

It'd be one thing if Braun was just being a moron and taking Kroenke's spot on purpose. A small punishment in that case might be warranted, but that's not what allegedly happened.

Christian Braun paid a $2,500 fine for parking in the wrong spot. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The former Kansas standout claims the entire place was empty, he left his car running and was back in under three minutes.

That's worth a $15,000 fine? Imagine being a billionaire worth nearly $13 billion and fining a young man because he was in your spot for less than 180 seconds. There's no spin you can put on this situation that doesn't make the Nuggets look terrible.

Christian Braun should have refused to pay parking fine. (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

At some point in your life, a man has to take a stand. Not one penny should have been paid, and if Braun had to walk from the organization over it, so be it. You simply can't be losing thousands of dollars over a simple misunderstanding involving an empty parking spot. You just can't let it happen.