Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony’s Nikola Jokic accusation draws intriguing George Karl take

Nikola Jokic is quickly etching his name into Denver Nuggets history. The Serbian forward is a two-time MVP and helped bring a championship to the city in 2023. Carmelo Anthony took issue with the Nuggets giving Jokic No. 15 after the forward’s tenure in Denver, but George Karl gave a fresh take on the matter.

George Karl believes the Carmelo Anthony-Nikola Jokic Nuggets issue is not black and white

Anthony believes the Nuggets should have retired his jersey after his stellar offensive career. The former All-Star averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 584 games in Denver. Here is what Anthony said regarding the franchise passing his number to Jokic:

“Yeah, it was a petty maneuver. It wasn’t like, ‘oh, we got numbers to choose from.’ It was like, ‘here, you got 15,” Anthony asserted. “But what I believe is that they gave him 15 to try to erase what I did…When you think of 15 in Denver now, to this generation, you [think of] Joker.”

George Karl offered a perspective that both agrees with Anthony and introduces another intriguing take.

“Melo saved pro hoops in Denver. And he shouldn’t have demanded a trade…But the Nuggets can be petty. And multiple number 15s can hang in the Denver rafters. Happens all the time,” Karl said, per his X account.

The legendary coach ended with this: “And all of those things can be true at once! Life isn’t black and white.”

Karl believes Anthony made an undeniable impact on the Nuggets organization. It would have been fitting if they retired Anthony’s jersey. At the same time, that does not mean Jokic cannot get credit for his greatness.

The Joker is on a quest to further bring success to the Mile High City in 2024.

All in all, Nuggets fans can enjoy the greatness of the modern-day team while also cherishing the legends of before. At the end of the day, a jersey hanging in the rafters will not change the impact players have on organizations.