“It’s f— y’all. You saying f— me dead smack to the rest of the world. I ain’t never said anything bad about y’all, y’all boo me.” That’s how Carmelo Anthony previously felt about the Denver Nuggets and the front office for painting him as the villain. His #15, which brought success to the Mile-High City, was later passed on to two players, with Nikola Jokic donning it since his draft, causing more cracks. But during the Hall of Fame ceremony, the stance of the 10x All-Star proved that the cracks may be healing.

Carmelo paid a major tribute to Denver during his HOF speech, claiming that it was the Nuggets that “believed in me” first. He also claimed that the Pepsi Center was always going to be a part of “his foundation,” which can mean a lot of things. However, one thing that it does is that Carmelo is open to reconciliation with the Nuggets. That is what Adam Wares believes as well, although he suggests it may need another push from the former Denver man.

On the DNVR Nuggets podcast, Wares made a plea, “And I’ll tell you right now, I anticipate it. I’m going to make a bold prediction right now. Carmelo Anthony is going to attend a Nuggets game this year. He will be honored whether you like it or not.” The host was sure that after the HOF enshrinement, Melo and the Nuggets would not be sour anymore. To make this reunion even more memorable, Wares suggested a plan. “We just kind of get this like wound to be patched over and moved on. And I think it would be a cool moment. And if he went the extra mile and threw on a little Jokic jersey, a number 15.”

However, the issue for Carmelo Anthony was always the #15 being handed over to another player, in this case, first Anthony Randolph and then Nikola Jokic. “But what I believe is that they gave him 15 to try to erase what I did.” So, Wares’ suggestion of Melo wearing #15 with Jokic on the back will not be possible. His co-host, Harrison Wind, said, “Here’s what’s going to happen. He’s going to reveal the jersey, and everybody’s going to be like, oh, is it Jokic? And it’s just going to say Melo.”

Regardless of whether Carmelo Anthony will wear #15 with his name or Jokic’s, Wares believes now is the time to actually make peace with the past. He even made a bold proclamation. “I’m telling you right now, bold prediction. It will happen and it will be a great moment. And the Nuggets will win.”

From 2004 to 2010, Carmelo Anthony always led the Denver Nuggets to the playoff stage. Even though the success in the postseason was minimal, his effort was never an issue.

From rookie to superstar, Melo not only carved a name for himself but kept the team as a priority. It was his decision not to join the Big3 of the Miami Heat, instead helping Denver to reach their true potential. Across 564 games with the franchise, Anthony averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. He also logged four All-Star appearances and made All-NBA four times as well.

Carmelo Anthony has sweet words for the franchise despite the bitter end

For long, Melo’s HOF status was in question, since his resume lacked a championship or MVP status. But now the only question remains: when will the franchise retire his jersey? With the Knicks, that is not in question, since nobody else has worn it since Melo’s departure. But for the Nuggets, it’s tricky. Nikola Jokic has made the number his own since he arrived in Denver. Although he was a second-round pick during the draft, which raised the question for the franchise of handing the Joker the #15.

But those talks didn’t occur during Carmelo Anthony’s enshrinement ceremony. One could have expected the 41-year-old to bring some receipts, but instead, he brought good memories. “To the Denver Nuggets and the city of Denver. You believed in me first, you gave me a keys as a 19-year-old kid. You let me grow, fall, fly, and become the man standing here today.” The emotional thank you for the franchise began and even ended with a lot of gratitude.

“Denver was where I learned the weight of the league. When I learned the value of sacrifice and the beauty of team. To every fan who filled the Pepsi Center, thank you. To the Mile High City, you’ll always be a part of my foundation.” That foundation may have certain cracks since his exit, but now is the best time to patch them up.