In the history of the NBA, no team has retired the same number for two distinct players. 

However, George Karl believes that the Nuggets should make an extra concession for No. 15. The former coach of the Nuggets believes the team should think about honoring both players by putting their names in the rafters, since it is the iconic number for both Carmelo Anthony and, more recently, Nikola Jokic.

“I wouldn’t be bothered by two number 15 up there,” Karl remarked, according to Brandon “Scop B” Robinson. “I believe that at some point, they will both retire. He ought to be retired, in my opinion. With the selection of Carmelo Anthony, he turned a squad that was at the bottom into the best in the NBA.”

Although there has always been debate over who the Nuggets should retire their No. 15 jersey, Nikola Jokic’s dominance is making it more and more difficult to argue against him. He only spent eight years with the team, but in that time he averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, and 58.3% shooting to help lead them to their first-ever NBA championship.

Jokic is quickly rising to the top of the Nuggets player record books as a six-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and five-time All-NBA player. He is an obvious candidate for the Hall of Fame. Naturally, Carmelo Anthony never accomplished nearly what Jokic did, and he has advanced the Nuggets more than any other player in history.

However, Melo was the one who built the Nuggets’ success and produced some of the team’s greatest seasons during his time there. George Karl, who coached Anthony on the Nuggets, would know more than anybody the kind of impact he had on the team. Despite the fact that Anthony was never able to win a championship with the Nuggets, he did ultimately leave behind a legacy that should be honored.

Carmelo Says The Nuggets Gave Away His Number Out Of “Spite”

While it’s nearly a given that Jokic’s jersey will be retired, things are more complicated with Carmelo. After Jokic was drafted in 2014, many were taken aback when the Nuggets allowed him to wear number 15, but Melo claims it was merely an act of vengeance.

The former swingman for the Nuggets claimed that they intended to completely overshadow his career in order to obliterate his legacy. Jokic’s play has definitely diminished Anthony’s legacy, but it’s difficult to think this was always intended.

When Jokic was selected in the second round that year, nobody could have predicted his future brilliance. Josh Kroenke, the governor and owner of the Nuggets franchise, subsequently stated that he never considered giving Jokic a 15, and that even Jokic could not have imagined his own rise to become one of the best players of all time.

Carmelo might have had an opportunity to leave the Nuggets with a comparable reputation if he hadn’t forced his way out and asked for a trade in 2009. However, he never allowed himself that chance, and now he will have to deal with the fallout.