Carmelo Anthony Believes Denver Nuggets Gave Nikola Jokic No. 15 To Erase His Legacy

Neither the Nuggets nor Jokic himself have acknowledged the controversy, but as the Joker accomplishes more and more with the franchise, it's getting harder to deny the impact it's having on Carmelo's legacy. Then again, Carmelo isn't blameless for what happened with the Nuggets and had he decided to stick around instead of running to New York, things might have turned out better for everyone.

What Happened In Denver?

Carmelo Anthony was drafted by the Nuggets in 2003, and he played his first eight seasons with the team. It was in Denver that Melo became a star and it was with them that he achieved the height of his playoff success, making the Conference Finals in 2009 for a matchup against Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers. It was just two seasons later that Anthony would force his way out, demanding a trade to New York even though he was up for free agency in a few months.

Essentially, Carmelo turned his back on the Nuggets and forced them to cash in on his talents before seeing things through. Unfortunately, Carmelo didn't win anything with the Knicks and essentially sabotaged his own chance of winning a title. To this day, Carmelo's unceremonious exit leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Nuggets fans. Whatever the case, the front office clearly doesn't see Anything as one of their own and now Nikola Jokic is making history of his own with Anthony's old number.

Who Gets No. 15?

Carmelo Anthony is undoubtedly one of the Top 75 greatest players ever, and his Nuggets tenure deserves to be respected by everyone. In eight seasons with the franchise, Anthony averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game on 45.9% shooting. By the time he retired in 2022 (several years and multiple teams later), Melo had earned his place as one of the greatest scorers in modern basketball history.

Even so, when it comes to the Denver Nuggets, most fans can agree that Nikola Jokic is already leagues ahead of Anthony and any other player who has worn the jersey. As a 5x All-Star, 5x All-NBA player, and 2x MVP, he's already got the resume of a generational great, and winning the championship in 2022 only solidified his case. By the time Jokic retires, whenever that is, it's his name that will be associated with No. 15. Like it or not, that is Jokic's number now and Carmelo will have no choice but to accept it.