Former Denver Nuggets player Carmelo Anthony recently accused his former team of attempting to erase his legacy by using their current superstar Nikola Jokic. Melo was a great player for the Nuggets and contributed significantly to the franchise.
However, their relationship did not end well due to animosity arising from a trade request by Melo. Now that the Nuggets have made a move, Melo has some words to say about it.
Carmelo Anthony blasts Nuggets for giving Jokic his jersey number 15
Carmelo Anthony recently appeared on the “7 pm in Brooklyn” podcast where the former Denver Nuggets star expressed his views on a recent decision made by his former team. The Denver Nuggets recently gave their superstar Nikola Jokic a new number for his jersey. Jokic was handed the number 15, which Melo used to wear during his stint with the Nuggets.
This decision did not sit right with the former NBA player, who accused the franchise of trying to erase his legacy by using Jokic. He expressed the reasoning behind his accusation and said, “It was a petty maneuver, It was not like ‘we got numbers to choose from.’ It was like, ‘Here, you got 15. You all put Jokic in the middle of it. He doesn’t know what the f**k is going on… He could have worn it as he wanted to pay homage, but I think they gave him 15 to try to erase what I did.”
Carmelo also stated how the newer generation instantly associates the number 15 of the Nuggets with Jokic, whereas a few decades ago, things would have been different. Number 15 was represented by Melo in the 2010s, and considering his contributions to the Nuggets, the franchise should have retired his number; however, they decided to do otherwise.
Carmelo Anthony’s Nuggets career highlights
Before the arrival of the hero Nikola Jokic, Carmelo Anthony was the main man at the Denver camp. He started his journey after being drafted in as the number 3 overall pick by the Nuggets in 2003. He stayed with the franchise for almost eight seasons and in those eight seasons, he led the Denver team to the playoffs every single time.
However, things did not go well after making the playoffs, and the Nuggets were eliminated every single time, with the highest achievement being their run to the Western Conference finals in 2009. Melo soon requested a trade in the middle of his eighth season and was traded to the New York Knicks. He failed to achieve what Nikola Jokic did for the franchise, which was to win the NBA championship and an MVP award.
However, it can’t be denied that Melo did wonders for the franchise and brought excitement and enthusiasm to the fans and the community after a long time as the franchise was not even able to make it to the playoffs consistently before his arrival. He was a great rival to LeBron James who recently hyped Melo’s son on starting his basketball career.
What do you think of Carmelo Anthony’s accusation on the Nuggets? Do you the Nuggets are trying to erase his legacy? We are eager to know your thoughts, so drop down in the comments and let us know.
