Oct 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony (r) sits with his son Kiyan Anthony (l) at the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

'That Should’ve Been the First Order of Business' – Former Denver Nuggets Guard Urges Team to Retire Carmelo Anthony’s No. 15 Jersey

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Jordan Samar | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 11:54 PM ET

Former NBA star Chauncey Billups feels that Carmelo Anthony’s No. 15 jersey with the Denver Nuggets should have already been retired because of how much he meant to the franchise.

“They should have retired Melo’s jersey the year after he retired,” Billups told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “Once he retired, I said, ‘All right, cool. He’s done now. He won’t play another game. It is time.’ And so, to me, it is already too late. That should have been the first order of business in terms of retiring Melo’s jersey just because I know exactly what he meant to the organization.”

“Obviously, there are so many guys that came before us that were great players. And obviously, there was Joker (Jokic) that came after all of us. But Melo is one of the best players in the history of the franchise,” he added.

“A Tear Coming Down” - Carmelo Anthony Teased NBA Fans on Upcoming HOF Induction 3 Feb. 18, 2010; Cleveland, OH, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony (15) talks with coach George Karl during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

It was recently confirmed that Anthony is to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame . The former Denver Nuggets forward is considered one of the greatest scorers in modern NBA history, having averaged 22.5 points per game in his professional career.

Denver Nuggets blasted for “wasting” Nikola Jokic’s prime years

Meanwhile, former NBA star Charles Barkley recently blasted the Denver Nuggets for not maximizing Nikola Jokic’s supporting cast despite retooling their roster this offseason.

May 18, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) watches Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shoot free throws in the second half of game seven of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

“The problem they have now is that they’re playing catch-up,” Barkley said on the Bill Simmons podcast. “And I always tell people this: You never catch up. It might be too late because they’re not head and shoulders, the best starting five. They got rid of their two best players off the bench when they won the championship.”

“Man, if you got a chance to win, you better go for it. And they really wasted the Joker over the last couple of years. The problem they got now is they’re not better than Oklahoma City. And I’m sure they’re not better than the Rockets,” he continued.