Nuggets legend Carmelo Anthony didn’t mince phrases this week when speaking on his podcast about present Denver celebrity Nikola Jokic carrying the identical jersey quantity – No. 15 – as Anthony did throughout his time in Denver, calling it a “petty maneuver” by the group.
The Nuggets, Anthony claimed, gave Jokic the quantity to slight the previous face of the franchise.
“[Jokic] may’ve worn it as a result of he needed to pay homage [to me], however what I imagine is that they gave him [number] 15 to try to erase what I did over there,” he mentioned.
Anthony made the remarks on the most recent episode of his podcast “7PM in Brooklyn,” which is co-hosted by The Child Mero.
Anthony helped carry the Nuggets again to prominence throughout his eight seasons with the crew, main them to the playoffs every season in that stretch after what had been an eight-year playoff drought previous to his being drafted in 2003. He ranks third in crew historical past in factors scored and made 4 All-Star appearances as a Nugget.
There had been experiences that Melo was sad in Denver earlier than he was traded to the New York Knicks in February of 2011. A Denver Put up article revealed a month earlier than the deal referred to as it a “messy, protracted divorce,” in keeping with the paper’s archives.
“That is the narrative that they needed to place on the market, that [I] needed to go away,” Anthony mentioned.
Anthony, whose time within the No. 15 jersey made the Nuggets’ powder blue match one of the crucial iconic in Denver sports activities historical past, mentioned it was a “slap within the face” to offer the quantity to Jokic, who was a second-round choose in 2014, three years post-Anthony.
“[Expletive] you,” he mentioned of the Nuggets’ entrance workplace. “You’re saying [expletive] me lifeless smack to the remainder of the world.”
Earlier within the present, ‘Melo and Mero mentioned groups retiring jersey numbers within the wake of the Orlando Magic’s resolution to retire Shaquille O’Neal’s No. 32 subsequent month. Anthony mentioned the Nuggets ought to retire his No. 15.
“As a result of we created one thing,” he mentioned of his time in Denver.
Jokic has worn No. 15 since his days taking part in in Serbia earlier than coming to the NBA. He says the quantity got here all the way down to his 7-foot body.
“I used to be chubby, I used to be huge, and 15 was the most important jersey,” he mentioned in a video shared on social media final summer time. “I simply caught with it.”
It also needs to be famous that Jokic just isn’t the primary Nugget to put on No. 15 since Carmelo. Anthony Randolph, a reserve energy ahead, wore No. 15 within the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons, his closing two within the NBA.
