Even among the boos from Denver Nuggets fans, Carmelo Anthony commanded loyalty from his own admirers. If you followed the 10x All-Star back during his NBA days, you’d know he faced severe backlash from the Denver fans when he was no longer a part of the franchise. However, a prolific scorer like Melo himself was bound to have a following of his own. So much so that now when Melo is a Hall of Fame finalist, even some Nuggets fans seem to be upset in 10x All-Star’s favor.

The fans’ responses came in a post shared by the Denver Nuggets’ official X account congratulating Carmelo Anthony on being named a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalist. Anthony gave the Nuggets seven full seasons, racking up four All-NBA selections. He even led them to 7 playoff appearances before being traded to the New York Knicks midway through his eighth season.

Yet for years after that, he was met with boos every time he stepped back onto Denver’s court. But was the hate really about Melo? Or was it about how things ended?

It turns out, Carmelo Anthony himself never had a problem with the city or the organization. “There’s no b——- with me when it comes to Denver… My only b——- came with George… That was the only issue I had,” he said in a recent Boardroom Cover Story, taking a direct shot at his former coach, George Karl.

And it seems after all these years and with Anthony heading into the Hall of Fame, even the Nuggets fans have let go of their past issues with the 10x All-Star.

In fact, a certain section of fans have reflected upon their issues with the franchise itself over Anthony’s jersey number being given away to Nikola Jokic.

Fans’ backlash against Nuggets willingly making a blunder against Carmelo Anthony

Melo’s legacy in Denver is undeniable, but the way the Nuggets have handled it? That’s a whole different story—one that still doesn’t sit right with a lot of fans. When the team recently gave a nod to Melo’s selection as a Hall of Fame finalist, some supporters were quick to call out the hypocrisy.

“Yall have his number away when it deserves to be retired lol don’t post him,” one fan vented. Even Anthony himself spoke on it once. On his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, he didn’t hold back. He called the move petty on the Nuggets’ part. Though he made sure to clarify he didn’t blame Jokić. “What I believe is that they gave him 15 to try to erase what I did [in Denver],” he said.

He further acknowledged Jokic as the new face of the franchise. And admitted that modern-day Nuggets fans now related number 15 to Jokic. And that’s exactly why one fan questioned, “Why is he [Melo] wearing Jokic’s jersey,” in response to the Nuggets’ post celebrating Anthony’s HOF selection.

But some weren’t just annoyed—they were flat-out furious. “Nah don’t post him now that he’s getting his flowers… Y’all ain’t even care to post him as an all-time Nugget… Didn’t even have the decency to retire his number either… F*ck yall,” one fan wrote, making it clear that Denver’s lack of recognition for Anthony over the years hasn’t gone unnoticed.

To be fair, the Nuggets could have retired his number, but it’s complicated. Melo did request a trade, and fans held onto that grudge for years. Even booing him long after he left the Knicks too. Still, when you look at his numbers—24.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game over eight seasons, leading Denver to the playoffs seven times—was it really too much to ask for a little more respect? One fan certainly agreed, writing, “Hall of fame and yall gave his number to Jokic,” with a string of clown emojis aimed at the Nuggets’ front office.

However, now that the damage is done, some fans have come up with a solution: “… DOUBLE RETIRE #15 with Jokic when his career is over! Melo deserves it…” It’s not unheard of—the Knicks did it for both Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire. But for some, that’s still not enough.

Then there are some fans who seemingly believe Carmelo Anthony anyway has the highest claim for jersey retirement. “I didn’t even know of Denver before Melo. One of the most offensively gifted players ever,” wrote one such fan. Amid the severe backlash, it would be interesting to witness if the Nuggets go for Carmelo Anthony’s jersey retirement. Even interesting would the their announcement on how they plan to handle it along with future Hall of Famer Nikola Jokic’s number.