Melo thinks Nuggets gave Jokic No. 15 'to try to erase' what he did
Carmelo Anthony believes the Denver Nuggets made a calculated move by giving Nikola Jokic his old jersey number.
Anthony, who wore No. 15 in Denver, said on the latest episode of his "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast that he thinks the Nuggets gave Jokic that number to "erase" his accomplishments after he requested a trade.
"It was a petty maneuver," Anthony told co-host The Kid Mero. "It wasn't like, 'Oh, we got numbers to choose from.' It was like, 'Here, you got 15.'"
He added: "Y'all put Jokic in the middle of that. He don't know what the f--- going on. He could've been like, 'I wanna wear 15.' He could've been like, ... 'Oh, that's Melo's number.' You know what I mean? ... I don't know. He could've worn it because he wanted to pay homage. But what I believe is that they gave him 15 to try to erase what I did.
"Now, it's like they want you to play that game: When you think of 15 in Denver now, to this generation, you thinking Joker."
Anthony was drafted third overall by the Nuggets and spent eight seasons in Denver before being traded to the New York Knicks in 2011. He switched to No. 7 after the trade, as the Knicks had retired No. 15 twice for Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire.
Jokic has spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Nuggets and helped lead the franchise to its first-ever championship in 2023.