NBA fans have often urged the Denver Nuggets to retire Carmelo Anthony’s #15 jersey, especially after his retirement from basketball earlier this year. Anthony couldn’t bring the NBA Championship to Denver. However, the 10-time All-Star helped put the Nuggets on the map after the Colorado franchise drafted him third overall in 2003. While it’s very common for franchises to retire jerseys of legends who didn’t bring home a chip, Anthony’s jersey retirement faces one major obstacle.
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Serbian superstar Nikola Jokic, who created history with the Denver Nuggets last season by leading the franchise to its first-ever NBA title, also happens to wear #15. Retiring Melo’s jersey will not only require a number change from Jokic but will also prevent Denver from retiring the Joker’s #15 jersey that won them the title earlier this year. However, former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl provided a suitable solution to the dilemma.
“Do it @nuggets [thumbs up] Honor your history! [flexing muscles emoji]” Karl wrote on X(formerly Twitter), attaching a picture of both Jokic and Anthony with their #15 jerseys hanging from the rafters. The veteran coach was in charge of the Nuggets from 2005 to 2013. As a result, he saw Melo slowly develop into the perennial All-Star that everyone respected. So it’s certainly not surprising that he will ask his former team to retire the 39-year-old star’s jersey, along with that of Jokic.
However, many fans believe that Carmelo Anthony’s resume in Denver doesn’t qualify him for a jersey retirement. During Anthony’s stint, the Nuggets only made it to the Western Conference Finals once in 2009, only to lose 2-4 to the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers. However, Melo did average 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists in the 564 games he played for Denver, per StatMuse. Those numbers are definitely worth consideration for a franchise star’s jersey retirement, especially for a small market franchise like the Nuggets, who went to the NBA Finals for the first time this year.
Should the Nuggets retire both Nikola Jokic and Carmelo Anthony’s jerseys?
While Karl’s suggestion is certainly a thoughtful proposition, fans shouldn’t be surprised if the Nuggets decide to not walk in that direction. In fact, Anthony himself had talked about getting his jersey retired during an interview in 2019. The veteran forward told Nuggets beat reporter Jenna Garcia that, “This [Denver] is where it should be retired to be honest with you. It’s my opinion.”
However, Melo also pointed out that it will be tricky to retire his number because Jokic wears it now. The Nuggets are off to a flying start this season, with the Joker leading the squad from the front. The Denver side just started the In-Season tournament with a dominant win over the Dallas Mavericks, taking their record for the season to 6-1.
It is uncertain whether the 2023 NBA Champions would want to jinx their title defense with a jersey change for their centerpiece. So Melo’s jersey retirement will have to wait at least a year despite Karl’s demands.
