NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has not yet received the honor of a jersey retirement ceremony, but former Nuggets star Chauncey Billups says he’s long overdue for the recognition. In a chat with Andscape’s Marc Spears, Billups said Melo deserved to have his No. 15 in the rafters years ago based on how much he meant to the franchise.
“They should have retired Melo’s jersey the year after he retired,” Billups told Andscape. “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.”
So far, only Syracuse has retired Melo’s No. 15 jersey, but a case can be made that he should be afforded the same gesture by the Knicks and Nuggets. At the very least, Billups feels the Nuggets should owe it to Carmelo to recognize his place as one of the franchise’s all-time greatest players.
“Melo is one of the greatest players in the history of the franchise,” Billups said. “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. I’m still in Denver, and all the fans and the people I know still appreciate him. They love him.”
Besides being a Hall of Famer and ten-time All-Star, Anthony is considered one of the greatest scorers in modern NBA history. In 1,260 career games, he averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists on 44.7% shooting.
While he was never able to win the championship, Anthony did take the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2009, where he took Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to six games. During his tenure, he led them to the Northwest Division title twice, made seven consecutive playoff appearances, and earned four All-NBA selections.
What helps Melo’s case is that the Nuggets were in a dark place before his arrival. The team had only won 17 games the season before his debut, and they were considered an afterthought in the Western playoff picture.
Ultimately, Carmelo’s stay was relatively short-lived. After just eight years, right in his prime, he requested a trade that sent him to the New York Knicks, and he never returned to Denver.
Today, the Nuggets have a different superstar donning No. 15: Nikola Jokic. As a three-time MVP, seven-time All-Star, and NBA champion, he’s done more for the Nuggets than Melo ever did, and most fans can agree that his legacy is set as the greatest player in franchise history.
Unfortunately for Anthony, Jokic’s greatness may be what’s holding back the Nuggets from retiring his jersey. If they do that, it’ll force Jokic to a different number despite him being much more deserving. According to Carmelo, Jokic wearing 15 was part of an active effort to erase his legacy, but nobody could foresee how good the Joker would become.
Carmelo’s only hope of a jersey retirement is likely with the Knicks, but his lack of playoff success makes the chances slim that they’ll actually grant him the honor. At this point, he may never receive the honor, but his career will be celebrated nonetheless.
