Guard R.J. Hampton of the Miami Heat chimed in on the debate over which No. 15 the Denver Nuggets should retire, appearing to concur with former coach George Karl that the team ought to honor Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Jokic by hoisting their respective jerseys in the rafters at some point.
Hampton and Jokic used to play together. He was traded to Denver following his first-round draft selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. He played in 25 games for Denver during the 2020–21 season before being traded to the Orlando Magic midway through the season.
Therefore, the 22-year-old may have some insight into what the two-time MVP would think if the Nuggets honored both his and Anthony’s No. 15 jerseys.
Due to the retired superstar’s contributions to the team, some team supporters have taken a pro-Anthony stance in the dispute.
Denver had gone through an eight-season playoff drought before finally making it back to the postseason in 2004, thanks in large part to a rookie Anthony’s strong play. In every season the likely Hall of Famer played for the Nuggets, the squad went to the playoffs, even reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2009.
However, the way his tenure with the organization ended doesn’t sit well with many fans.
As for Jokic, the Serbian superstar seems to be the more beloved figure in Denver nowadays. After all, he is the first Nuggets player to take home the MVP trophy since the franchise moved to the NBA. In addition, “Joker” led the organization to its first-ever championship last season.
Incidentally, the Nuggets’ title came against the Heat in the 2023 Finals. Jokic and company had their way against Miami, ending the series with a 4-1 victory. The Heat had few answers for the five-time All-Star, who averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest.
This season, Denver appears on its way to another successful campaign, as it currently leads the Western Conference with a 6-1 standing.
On the other hand, the Heat’s chances don’t look bright at the moment, as they have won just two of their first six games. Fortunately, the team still has plenty of time to turn things around.
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