Bruce Brown might not have the Mr. Nugget tag that Aaron Gordon has, but it’s no question that the people of Denver love themselves some Brucey-B. When the Nuggets made the move to bring him back in free agency this summer, everyone in Nuggets Nation, along with Brown, was happy to hear the news.

For Brown, he was already flying to Denver to play in a golf tournament at Cherry Creek Country Club when his agent let him know that the Nuggets were one of the teams interested in him. Even though there might’ve been a team that had a better offer for him in terms of money, the decision to sign with the Nuggets was a quick one for the 2023 champion.

Bruce Brown says he received the news of the Nuggets interest of his return while on his way to Denver to play golf at Cherry Creek.

“I was like, ‘I don’t care how much I get somewhere, if it’s more. I’m gonna go there.’ I think it’s a perfect fit for me, I want to win again.”

— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) September 29, 2025

DENVER IS PERFECT FOR BROWN — OFF THE COURT

“I was like, ‘I don’t care how much if I get somewhere more, I don’t care. I’m just going to go back to Denver because I just think it’s a perfect fit for me [in terms of] playing style.’ And I mean, I want to win again, right? So I think it was a pretty quick answer for me, once I found out they wanted me back,” Brown said at Nuggets Media Day on Monday.

It was clear that Brown was still in love with the city after he left in the 2023 offseason. He was seen back at Nuggets games, he was in town playing golf, wearing his cowboy gear, and always had a smile on his face when he was a mile above sea level. He emphasized on Monday that Denver never left him even though he left Denver.

“The city, I could just be myself, like I can wear my West and wear my cowboy hats and just be myself. I authentic self here, and I felt like everywhere else. It just felt a little weird or indifferent. So I’m just happy to be back there,” Brown said.

Life is bigger than basketball. It’s important for the players that they live in an environment that they can enjoy themselves in off the court, and it’s clear that Brown likes it in Denver much more than he did in Toronto or Indianapolis. He was on the podium alongside Tim Hardaway Jr. on Monday — another one of the four key additions to the roster this offseason — who joked about how he’s going to need some help from Brown with his cowboy attire when he’s not rocking a Nuggets jersey.

“Yeah, [Brown] needs to help me out big time,” Hardaway joked.” I don’t really have that much [Western wear], but I know I’m in some great hands right here.

BROWN IS PERFECT FOR DENVER — ON THE COURT

It’s an awesome story that Brown loves Denver and Denver loves him, but this organization brought him back because he fits so well with the team and is an instrumental piece in them winning a second championship. He addressed the elephant in the room by saying how there’s a certain someone on the Nuggets who makes life easier for everyone on his side.

“[Nikola Jokic] just instills confidence in everyone out on the floor. It was super tough leaving, just not playing with him and having… the opposing team was always locked into him on the floor, so the easy buckets that I was getting when I was here, they definitely weren’t the same everywhere else. So I definitely miss playing with him,” Brown said.

During his one season in Denver, the 6-foot-4 Swiss Army knife had one of his best seasons on the court — offensively, defensively and in terms of health. He averaged 11.5 points per game, the second-highest mark of his career, and shot 48.3% from the field, the third-best mark of his career. Where his value truly shined in Denver was on the defensive end of the court, as he was one of the most flexible defenders on the roster.

“I think the way I’ve played throughout my NBA career, I could play one through five, and obviously I’m not playing the five here,” he joked. “But I mean, whatever [David Adelman] needs me to do, I’m willing to do, and I’ve done it before.”

He was the perfect plug-and-play guy for this organization two years ago. He played in 80 games, starting 31 of them, and took on a wide range of responsibilities on the court. If the Nuggets need someone to step up for an injured or a slumping player, it’s likely that he’ll be one of the first guys getting the call.

Brown, the city of Denver, and the Nuggets are a perfect fit for one another. There’s a lot of hope and optimism that the Nuggets can make it back to the mountaintop this year, and Brown will be important in making that happen.