Longtime NBA forward Carmelo Anthony was informed this week that he's been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. A 10-time All-Star and the league's ninth all-time leading scorer, Anthony was a fan-favorite across the NBA—and more specifically in Denver, where he played from 2003 to '11.
His No. 15 Nuggets jersey flew off the shelves in the early 2000s and was synonymous with his run in the Mile High City. Four years after his departure, however, the team re-issued the digits to Nikola Jokic who has put together quite the legacy of his own, including three MVP awards and an NBA Finals win in 2023.
So when it's all said and done, which No. 15 jersey should go in the rafters at Ball Arena? ESPN asked the question on Instagram on Thursday:
"F--- it, put both up lol," he wrote.
"Two different type of players. No comparisons only respect," Anthony continued. "Put his number up there. It should never be a comparison. We don't even have the same play style. I had my time and era, he had his."
A very measured response for the soon-to-be first ballot Hall of Famer.
With Jokic only 30 years old and seemingly plenty of runway ahead of him, it may be a while before the Nuggets have to make a decision on the jersey retirement. We'll wait and see how it plays out.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Carmelo Anthony Had Perfect Answer on Nuggets Retiring No. 15 for Him or Nikola Jokic.
