It’s finally happening. When the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame dropped its list of first-time nominees for the Class of 2025, Carmelo Anthony didn’t hold back. “It’s about time,” he said. Honestly, who could argue? And as per ESPN, ‘Melo’ is already informed that he’s in. From an NCAA champ with Syracuse to climbing the NBA ladder and finishing as the league’s 10th all-time leading scorer, this moment feels more like a celebration than an announcement.

Naturally, as soon as the news hit, love poured in—especially from those who know him best. LeBron James, his 2003 draft classmate, wasted no time in giving props: “CONGRATULATIONS MY BROTHER!” That 2003 class was no joke, but ‘Melo’ always had his own flair. Interestingly, former 76ers star Lou Williams joined in the celebration, not with a typical congrats, but a throwback that left fans shook. 19 years ago, Lou admitted that ‘Melo’, in that iconic Nuggets jersey, had him feeling something he didn’t expect—fear.

“From my personal experience, the only game that I can really reference being physically worried and scared to play in was the first time that I played against Carmelo Anthony when they traded for Allen Iverson,” he said. “I was like, I don’t know how we’re going to go about this game.”

And looking back, who could blame him? That 2006-07 season was wild. ‘Melo’ dropped 28.9 PPG and Iverson added 24.8 PPG. Together, they were chaos in that powder blue and gold. “It was a scary sight to see,” Lou admitted. “Those were two guys that really put fear in my heart in my third year.”

But here’s the twist—Lou wasn’t just scared; he was a fanboy too. “There was no bigger fan of Carmelo Anthony than Lou Will,” he confessed. From the throwback Syracuse jersey to ‘Melo’s first Jordans, he had it all. And now, with fans in Denver rallying for his jersey retirement, the story’s come full circle. Melo even chimed in on the possible honor.

Carmelo Anthony’s take on $3.9 billion franchise’s jersey honor

Carmelo Anthony’s legacy in Denver is tough to ignore. From 2003 to 2011, he was the face of the Nuggets. His No. 15 jersey wasn’t just a number—it was a movement. Fans rocked it everywhere, and ‘Melo’s high-scoring nights made it iconic in the Mile High City.

But things took a twist when he left, and four years later, that same No. 15 found its way to Nikola Jokic. And to be fair, Jokic didn’t just wear it—he’s built an MVP-filled legacy with it, capped off by an NBA title in 2023.

So naturally, the big question now is—who gets the honor? ESPN stirred the pot a bit by posting that very debate on Instagram. Surprisingly, though, ‘Melo’ didn’t take it the wrong way. He jumped right into the convo with a classic response: “F— it, put both up lol.”

And it didn’t stop there. ‘Melo’ followed it up with a mature take that honestly shut down any drama. “Two different type of players. No comparisons only respect,” he said. “Put his number up there… I had my time and era, he had his.”

Still, the final call might take some time. With Jokic only 30 and nowhere near done, the Nuggets won’t be rushing into any jersey retirement decisions soon. For now, it’s all love and legacy.