Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony got an earful from ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. Anthony became the No. 3 all-time points leader of the franchise and led the team to the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Despite that, his one expectation toward the franchise was criticized by Smith. Furthermore, he was also called out for leaving LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in 2010.

Recently, Melo revealed that he wasn’t happy with the Nuggets’ decision to give his jersey number 15 to Nikola Jokic. But clearly, Smith has a different opinion.

Stephen A. Smith doesn’t agree with Carmelo Anthony’s latest claims

Smith argued why the franchise doesn’t need to retire Anthony’s jersey, given his departure from the team. Back in 2011 when Anthony was seeking a chance to win a championship, he demanded a trade that saw him concluding a tumultuous chapter with the Denver Nuggets to join the New York Knicks. “Carmelo, my only retort to that is: what does a team owe you, if you forced your way off of their franchise?” Smith said. 

Following that, there were also rumors of him teaming up with Wade and James in the Miami Heat to form a ‘Big Three.’ However, the anticipated Big Three never materialized. Later, Melo revealed that the deal would have led to substantial pay cuts for the trio and prevented the dream Big Three. “DWade, Bosch and LeBron bet on themselves… Carmelo rather locked himself into a 5-year deal.” Smith added, “Respectfully, why should they want to retire your number?”

Smith criticized Anthony for leaving the Nuggets and missing out on the Big 3 opportunity. Smith claimed that the ex-Nuggets shouldn’t argue with the franchise’s decision not to retire his jersey. But what made Melo angry with the franchise in the first place?

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Carmelo Anthony was upset at Denver Nuggets for giving his jersey number to Nikola Jokic

Previously, Anthony has expressed his discontent with the Denver Nuggets for assigning his old No. 15 jersey to another player. The former Nuggets star felt slighted, painting the move as an attempt to “erase” his significant contributions to the franchise. Characterizing the team’s action as a “petty maneuver,” Anthony pointed out what he saw as an effort to minimize his impact on the Nuggets’ history. 

In the latest episode of Kid Mero’s 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Anthony revealed his frustration on the matter. He shared, “It wasn’t like we got numbers to choose from, it was like here, you got No. 15. But what I believe is they gave him No. 15 to try to erase what I did.”

Do you agree with Smith or Anthony? Let us know in the comments section below.

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