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In the past, Carmelo Anthony illuminated the Denver Nuggets as their standout player. Now, three years after retiring, he has embraced a new role as an analyst while the team has welcomed a new superstar in Nikola Jokic, who is arguably the best player ever to don a Nuggets jersey.
Jokic was assigned the No. 15 jersey, a decision that many interpreted as undermining Carmelo Anthony’s legacy, especially since the forward’s exit from Denver wasn’t particularly harmonious. On his podcast, “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo,” Anthony shared his thoughts about this matter.
“It’s all good. My contributions to Denver are unassailable—this is a fresh chapter. It’s like harboring resentment towards Alex English before I came onto the scene. No, I admired Alex English. I feel the same way about Jokic. He’s among the greatest of all time, but I worry that the narrative could be misinterpreted,” Melo expressed.
Co-host Kazeem Famuyide noted, “From a fan’s perspective, it’s easy to see how a phenomenal Nuggets player arrives, wears No. 15, and naturally, Melo might not appreciate it.”
However, Anthony responded, “I never said that… You’re referencing something that happened 16 years ago, so I harbor no grievances towards Jokic. I was thrilled to interview him. I thought, ‘Wow, I get to represent Denver in a sense and converse with someone playing for Denver, someone wearing No. 15.’ It was all positive vibes. I’m pleased to be where I am now, able to share mutual respect and dismiss any unnecessary drama. We can honor each other as two individuals because now he acknowledges what I represent—my journey and career—rather than any extraneous narratives. It felt great to be up there,” Carmelo Anthony elaborated.
