‘That blow was big’: Denver’s GM still regrets losing Bruce Brown to the Indiana Pacers

Bruce Brown was something special for the Nuggets, as he averaged 11.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per match during his time in Denver. However, it was mostly during their playoff run all the way to the franchise’s first-ever title where the player truly shined, as he upped his scoring numbers and became a key bench contributor. 

The 27-year-old’s biggest moment probably came during his former team’s Game 4 road win against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, where he dropped 21 points, won 4 rebounds and distributed 2 assists.

The small forward returned to confront his old teammates this weekend for the first time since he became a Pacer, and Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth still hurts for losing Brown in free agency. “That blow was big,” he said this weekend.

earned it 💍

Bruce Brown received his 2023 championship ring before today's game in Denver. pic.twitter.com/eYO1wGkTG7

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 14, 2024

His current coach Rick Carlisle believes one of his biggest strengths is his adaptability. “I think Bruce prides himself on being a guy who is resourceful and can adjust to virtually any NBA situation,” he said last week. “He never complains, he just finds a way to get the job done. That has meant a lot to our team this year.”

Brown, who is averaging 11.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game for Indiana, wasn’t present for Denver’s title ceremony on October 24 when they gave out championship rings and raised their new banner.

The NBA champion finally received his ring on Sunday, but back in October he joked about it. “I get my own little ceremony,” he said at the start of the campaign. “I’m going to be watching, I’m going to be cheering them on. Those are my guys.”

As he was days away from the game, he anticipated the reunion as a “fun night” in Denver. “I haven’t really thought about it. I think when it’s the night before I’ll think about it, when we head to Denver after Atlanta,” Brown assured. “I haven’t thought much about it. It’ll be a fun night.”

After beating the Pacers this weekend, the Nuggets roster celebrated Brown and called him a “brother for life”

As Bruce was awarded his championship ring in a ceremony before the match, his former teammates greeted him with hugs and praise. “He won a championship with us so he’s our brother for life,” Michael Porter Jr. said. “So it was good to see him.”

The 25-year-old forward shined last night after dropping 25 points, winning 8 rebounds and handing out 5 assists in Denver’s 117 to 109 victory. After the match, he praised his squad for find him on the court. “We knew they wanted to push the pace. It was easy looks,” Porter said. “My teammates were finding me so I didn’t have to work too hard for my shots.”

Even though Nuggets coach Michael Malone felt disappointed by his squad’s season-worst 21 turnovers, he was mostly impressed by Porter’s “complete basketball game,” especially after drilling in 7 three-pointers.

“I thought that Michael just had a complete basketball game tonight,” Malone shared postgame. “Scored, rebounded, playmaked, had two blocks and a steal. So, there really wasn’t one area where Michael wasn’t really efficient tonight.”