There was no need for a formal introduction when it was No. 11’s turn.

After introducing David Adelman’s coaching staff, Kyle Speller, the Nuggets’ public address announcer, began working his way through the reserves minutes before tipoff of Saturday’s home opener against the Suns. It started with No. 1 Curtis Jones, a rookie, and continued with No. 3 Julian Strawther, No. 5 Hunter Tyson, No. 7 Tamar Bates, No. 8 Peyton Watson and No. 10 Tim Hardaway Jr. before the tone changed.

“YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Speller screeched, in lieu of introducing old friend Bruce Brown by his name or number.

If a “Haw” or a proper introduction followed, it was drowned out by the 20,000-plus Nuggets fans welcoming their favorite basketball-playing cowboy back to the Front Range.

“That was crazy. I’ve been talking about that the last 20 minutes,” Brown said after his first game back at Ball Arena. “They were loud as (expletive), but it felt great.”

***

The two years away from Denver were a lot quieter, outside of the pay.

After being a key reserve on the Nuggets’ 2023 championship squad, Brown had a decision to make. Denver wanted him back but couldn’t offer him more than $7.8 million for the following season after he far outplayed his $6.5 million contract in the championship run. Prior to that, Brown made roughly $15 million across his first five NBA seasons. Then came the offer Brown was too smart to refuse.

A few weeks after the championship parade, Brown signed a two-year contract worth $45 million with the Pacers. Money provided a new level of security, but it wasn’t enough to buy happiness. At least the NBA schedule makers did Brown a solid. When he made his first trip back to Denver with Indiana, it coincided with the National Western Stock Show.

“I don’t know (how, but) it lined up,” Brown said.

A few days after his first trip back to Denver, the Pacers used Brown’s salary and some draft picks to acquire Pascal Siakam from Toronto. The Raptors finished 12th in the Eastern Conference, and Brown was back to watching the postseason from afar.

“Indy was great for me when I was there, but it was only three months that I was there,” Brown said. “Once I got to Toronto, I think we were on two different roads, right? They were rebuilding and trying to build their team up. I think I was past that time.”

Denver was never far from his mind. While the Nuggets were battling the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2024 postseason, Brown posted a photo of a tattoo featuring the Larry O’Brien trophy and the Nuggets’ logo in front of a mountain backdrop.

The second post-Nuggets season got off to a painful start. He had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee prior to last season, and he didn’t play until Dec. 29. Eighteen games later, the Raptors shipped him, Kelly Olynyk and a couple of draft picks to New Orleans for Brandon Ingram.

“Mostly, it was the health issues for sure. (I’m) just getting back,” Brown said of the most frustrating part of the last couple of seasons. “When I was playing last year, my knee was the size of a bowling ball. … Also, coming from the top of the top and then not making the playoffs the next year was really tough.”

After the Pelicans finished 14th in the Western Conference with another missed postseason, Brown had a new decision to make. He was once again a free agent after playing in 52 games for the Raptors, 33 for the Pacers and 23 for the Pelicans over the last two seasons.

***

The decision to return to Denver was more of a directive.

Brown told his agent he wanted to get back to the Nuggets even if it meant leaving some money on the table. He lived up to his word when he accepted a veteran minimum contract over other offers. It didn’t take long for Brown to warm up to the old cow town at the base of the Rockies in his first stint.

“Probably like month two. I lived right down the street on Wewatta at The Pullman (luxury apartments),” Brown told The Denver Gazette.

“It was just like an easy fit for me — super slow but on the weekends, there’s stuff to do. I’m a homebody, so during the week I don’t do (expletive).”

Beyond the stock show, dinners at STK steakhouse and nights watching games with “beverages” at Happy Camper, Brown found an even better fit on the basketball court. The versatile roles Brown occupied in Detroit and Brooklyn to start his career paid off when he began playing alongside Nikola Jokic. Brown missed the easy buckets that came from understanding how to play with Denver’s unique talent the last two seasons, and the Nuggets missed his all-cattle, no-hat game.

“Bruce is such a good cutter off the ball, offensive rebounder. He affects the game defensively, crawls into people,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said prior to the Nuggets’ home opener.

“I love Bruce’s energy.”

***

Things are a little bit different the second time around.

Offensively, the main difference is a change in how the team refers to actions in Adelman’s first season as head coach. But the philosophy remains the Jokic-centric style in which Brown thrived. He scored a career-high 11.5 points per game the first time around.

“It’s been great,” Brown said.

“Obviously, get the ball to Nikola, split (actions), so really it’s the same offense, just different terminology. It’s super easy for me to come back into the system, but DA’s been great.  He was great when I was here, super straight to the point. He ain’t going to sugarcoat anything. He’s going to say what he needs to say, and you love that in a coach.”

The bigger change comes on the other end. First-year Nuggets assistant Jared Dudley is coordinating the defense, and one of the early changes has featured higher pick-up points for players like Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Brown. The last time Brown played for the Nuggets, Michael Malone was stressing his squad to get stops, rebound and run. Brown thinks that approach still works even if the scheme is different than what former assistant Ryan Saunders and Malone were running.

“It’s a work in progress,” Brown said of the difference. “It’s new for everyone.”

For all the tweaks, Brown sees himself working into the versatile, high-energy role he starred in a few years ago. He said his knee is finally feeling well enough to where he can play the brand of ball that endeared him to Nuggets nation the first time around.

“My role is probably going to evolve as it did when I first was here. When I first came, I wasn’t on-ball much. I was doing kind of what I’m doing now,” Brown told The Denver Gazette. “As the year progresses, different opportunities present itself. You just kind of take advantage of it.”

***

The 29-year-old’s second rodeo with the Nuggets began with a four-point, five-rebound, three-assist effort in an overtime loss to the Warriors.

Fitting, his best game so far came in Denver’s lone game at Ball Arena. He had 11 points, three rebounds and three assists and played a season-high 22 minutes in Saturday’s win over Phoenix. A couple of nights later he played just 13 minutes in Denver’s win at Minnesota, finishing with two points and five rebounds.

“I think he’s going to get even better,” Jokic said Saturday.

“He’s figuring out what we need from him. He’s being aggressive. When you make shots, it’s a little bit better. I think he understands his defense is something, (so is) his transition and spot-up shooting.”

When the Nuggets return to Ball Arena for Wednesday’s game against the Pelicans, the final winless team in the Western Conference, the reserves won’t be introduced in the same way they were Saturday. Brown is far past the point of needing an introduction around here anyway.

“I’m back at home,” Brown said. “I love being in a Nuggets uniform and being in Denver.”