Ever since his time at Miami, Bruce Brown left no doubt that he lived for big-time moments.
Years later, he'll get a chance to play in the 2023 NBA Finals, as the Denver Nuggets square off against the Miami Heat.
Brown, who played two seasons under Jim Larrañaga (2016-18) credits his time at Miami for helping him compete at the highest level.
"My time at Miami was great," he said at the NBA Finals press conference. "Coach L was one of the greatest coaches I've had. His practices were set up for me to get to the league. It was just like the league... I loved my time in Miami with him."
Brown is one of the better players to come out of UM in recent years. His time at Miami featured memorable moments, from beating Duke at home to scoring 30 at North Carolina as a freshman.
Brown wasted no time making his presence felt, starting 29 of 33 games in his first season at UM. He even notched the program’s second triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists against South Carolina State.
Entering his sophomore campaign with lots of NBA buzz, Brown dealt with a left foot injury that kept him from playing in the ACC and NCAA Tournament. He played and started in just 19 games, averaging 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Miami would lose to Loyola Chicago in the Round of 64 that year.
Just imagine if Brown was available, alongside Lonnie Walker IV, Dewan Hernandez, and others in what was a loaded team.
Although he did not have much tournament success during his time at Miami, Brown has remained loyal to "The U" and cheered them on as they reached the Final Four this past season.
"I was screaming at the TV, I watched every game," he said. "Super excited for those guys. I worked out there all last summer so I was around them a little bit."
Game one of the NBA Finals start Thursday night at 8 PM EST.
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