Carmelo Anthony was one of the most prolific players the NBA had seen from the 2000s to the 2010s, and with him making the Hall of Fame in 2025, he will be forever recognized in history. 

However, Anthony has yet to have his jersey numbered retired by any of the franchises he played for, due to him lacking longevity with one specific team. The longest tenure he had with a team was the Denver Nuggets, who he spent his first eight seasons in the league with. 

While he was a great player for them, the number 15 will likely not be retired under his name, but of Nikola Jokic's. Jokic is a three-time MVP and a former Finals MVP, and Carmelo Anthony never won any individual accolades as a member of the Nuggets. 

Now with legends like Kevin Garnett and Derrick Rose getting their jersey numbers retired by the franchises they played for, it leaves the question for when it will be Carmelo's turn to have his name stamped on a franchise forever. 

In Denver, Carmelo Anthony averaged 24.8 points per game to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He did not win Rookie of the Year during his time there, but he did perform well enough to lead the team to the playoffs, and they made a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2009. 

Anthony was also a very influential player early in his career, and became one of the most popular players in the NBA. The downside of his time with Denver was his departure. 

The Denver Nuggets decided to trade Anthony in 2011 after the team couldn't get over the hump, and they decided it was time for a full rebuild. 

Anthony went on to New York, where he spent seven seasons with the Knicks. While he got paid more money to be with the Knicks, he did not have much playoff success. 

The Nuggets eventually got over their rebuilding phase, and the team turned the corner when Nikola Jokic emerged as a top player in the rotation. From there, the Nuggets built the team around their star, and eventually won an NBA Championship. 

Since Jokic also wears 15 it almost makes fans forget about the legacy Anthony laid out with the franchise. While they got far, they didn't get far enough and now the Nuggets have seen winning under a new regime. 

Anthony's relationship with Denver remains unclear because of the departure, but he left his mark during his tenure.