Americans Include Jokic Among NBA Legends Whose Jerseys Will Be Retired, But There's One Big Problem!

Pulse Sports Team 11:25 - 19 September 2026

Nikola Jokic is among the active NBA players whose jersey will, without a doubt, one day be retired and hoisted to the rafters of the Denver Nuggets' arena. American media are convinced of this, though they see a small issue concerning the Serbian center's number.

As the player who led the Nuggets to their first-ever NBA championship and a three-time MVP of the world's strongest league, Nikola Jokic has already earned the status of arguably the greatest legend in the Colorado franchise's history. There's no doubt that, in line with this, he will receive an honor reserved for only the very best upon his retirement: having his jersey number retired.

This scenario is also predicted by the American publication "The Athletic," which, in its analysis, notes that a potential issue in Nikola's case could be that Carmelo Anthony wore the number 15 before him in Denver.

This is somewhat complicated because Carmelo Anthony also wore the same number. The Hall of Famer didn't win a title or multiple MVP awards, but he was an extremely important player for Denver before being traded to New York. Perhaps Anthony's desire to leave Denver made the decision to give number 15 to Jokic easier, but it would be nice for the Nuggets to honor both – states The Athletic's analysis.

Alongside Jokic, the list includes almost all of today's biggest NBA stars. Among them are LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Klay Thompson, as well as Jokic's Denver teammate and a member of the championship generation – Jamal Murray.

Regarding the younger generation, the author highlights Victor Wembanyama, Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Cooper Flagg, and Donovan Mitchell.