No franchise in NBA history has retired the same number for two distinct players, but George Karl believes the Nuggets should make an exception for No. 15. As the iconic number for Carmelo Anthony and now Nikola Jokic, the former Nuggets coach believes the team should consider honouring both players by putting their names in the rafters.
“Two number 15s up there wouldn’t bother me one bit,” Karl told Brandon ‘Scop B’ Robinson. “I believe they will both retire eventually. I believe he deserves to be retired. He took a club that was at the bottom and elevated them to the top, and it all began with the draft of Carmelo Anthony.”
The debate over who should have their No. 15 jersey retired by the Nuggets is not new, but Nikola Jokic’s continuous domination makes it increasingly difficult to make an argument against him. In just eight years with the team, he helped them win their first NBA title, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game on 58.3% shooting.
Jokic, a six-time All-Star, two-time MVP, and five-time All-NBA player, is a lock for the Hall of Fame, and he’s already emerging as one of the best Nuggets players of all time. Of course, Carmelo Anthony has never achieved the same heights as Jokic, and he has led the Nuggets further than anyone else.
However, it was Melo who built the groundwork for the Nuggets’ success, and it was during his time that the organisation had some of its best seasons. While he was never able to win a championship with the Nuggets, he did eventually leave behind a legacy that should be cherished, and George Karl, who coached Anthony on the Nuggets, would know better than anybody the sort of compact he had.
