Indiana Pacers guard Bruce Brown discusses new contract and winning NBA Title with Theo Pinson on Tidal League's 'Run Your Race' podcast
Bruce Brown has had quite the year. The NBA guard ascended with the Denver Nuggets throughout the season, and that led to a playoff run. The Mile High squad ultimately ended up winning the NBA Championship, and Brown was a key piece in the postseason.
Just a few weeks later, the 26-year old signed a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers. The second year of the deal contains a team option, but it's still $22 million in guaranteed money for Brown, whose career earnings so far are just over $15 million. He has had a life changing 2023.
"It feels great," Brown said of being an NBA Champion on the Run Your Race podcast, hosted by NBA Guard Theo Pinson on Tidal League. He averaged 11.5 points per game in the playoffs, including several stellar performances in the Finals.
"Different mindset. I was locked," Brown told Pinson of the final series against the Miami Heat. The Miami Hurricane product had 21 points in a pivotal Game 4 win, which gave Denver a significant leg up in the series.
For Brown, the lead up to the title was a great summation of his basketball journey. He actually got offers to play college football before getting basketball offers, he told Pinson, and then after becoming a significant recruit, he wanted to go to North Carolina. But he couldn't, so he went to Miami instead.
That ended up being the right place for Brown, and he developed into an NBA prospect with the Hurricane. But during the draft, he fell out of what he believed to be his range and ended up with the Detroit Pistons. He told Pinson that he wasn't sure he was going to get selected at one point on draft night.
But it all worked out, and he started often as a rookie for the playoff-bound Pistons. It was going great until a late 2020 trade sent Brown to the Brooklyn Nets, where he had to play a totally different role alongside superstars.
"For me, first getting there, I was like 'why am I here?' I wasn't on ball anymore. They were deep," he said of his trade to the Nets. Brown was teammates with James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant in Brooklyn.
But like past situations, Brown made the most of it. He played the five and was often guarded by weaker defenders, so he became a better passer and developed a floater. That grew his game and made him an attractive free agent in the summer of 2022.
Few offers came in for Brown, but he told Pinson that calls from Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth helped seal the deal. He was headed to the Mile High City.
Like his past basketball stops, it may not have felt right at first, but it was the perfect place for Brown. He had a career year and won a championship, making it the perfect choice.
This offseason, he was a free agent again, and the Pacers were motivated to scoop up the talented defender. They came in with a big offer and agreed to terms with Brown quickly.
"It really came out of nowhere," Brown said of the contract with Indiana. He thought that he would get the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception from a team, so he was surprised to hear that the Pacers were offering $45 million over two years.
"Two years, $45 million is on the table. What do you want to do?" Brown remembered being asked by his agent. "Sign it right away! Tell them right away! I'm coming." he told Pinson of his reply.
Now, Brown is with the ascending Pacers, and he can fill many important roles for the blue and gold. The team is excited about what he can bring in transition and on defense, and All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton played a part in recruiting Brown.
His positional versatility will be key for the Pacers, who have many other guard/wing types. Brown is going to be a leader among that group, and he will make the Pacers better.
In turn, the team gave him his biggest-ever contract. It capped off a great year for Brown, who still has a long way to go on his basketball journey. Pinson and Brown get into many more topics about Brown's career and life during the podcast episode, which can be found here.
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