The Denver Nuggets have had numerous NBA legends come and play for their franchise over the years. From old-school legends like Spencer Haywood and Alex English to Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, Denver had never gotten over the hump and won an NBA title until Nikola Jokic joined, when they defeated the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals.

For the Nuggets, they have seven jerseys retired in their franchise, all of them being players who played with Denver before the 2000s. One number that hasn't been retired yet is number 15, which Carmelo Anthony wore and Nikola Jokic now wears. There's been speculation that there could be bad blood between the two, but Anthony shut that down in a recent podcast appearance.

Anthony Addresses Jokic Situation

“You can’t take away what I did in Denver. This is a whole new thing,” Anthony said, referencing Jokic's stardom. “That’s like me being upset at Alex English before I came in. It’s like, no, I wanted to embrace Alex English. It’s similar to Joker; he’s one of the greatest players of all time. But I think the narrative can be misconstrued.”

Anthony was a legend in Denver, making a handful of All-Star and All-NBA teams, and is fourth in points in Nuggets history. However, Jokic, without much debate, is the clear best player in franchise history, and Anthony went as far as recognizing him as one of the greatest players of all time.

“I don’t have no qualms or issues with Joker. Like, I was excited to interview him, like I get to represent Denver in a sense, too.” Anthony had the chance to interview Jokic on NBC earlier this season, and it was clear Jokic was excited to hear from him on the headset.

Nikola Jokic's Start To The 2025-26 Season

Jokic had a historic 2024-25 season, becoming the third player ever and first non-point guard to average a triple-double for an entire season. An unlikely feat, it seems as though he could very well do it again this season.

Through six games, Jokic is averaging 22.7 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 11.3 assists per game, shooting 60.2% from the field, but is struggling from beyond the arc so far. Even if he's taking fewer shot attempts, he's still impacting the game at a high level, especially if Jamal Murray continues to produce at the 24.2 points per game rate he's at now.

Jokic will look to continue his hot play on Wednesday when the Nuggets welcome the Miami Heat to Ball Arena for a 9:00 p.m. EST tip-off.