Carmelo Anthony has never been one to dwell on the past, but in a recent conversation with D.J. Siddiqi, the Nuggets legend opened up in a way that struck a chord with longtime Denver fans. While the discussion touched on the current playoffs, it was Melo’s fond reflections on his late mid-to-late 2000s Nuggets teams that stole the spotlight.
“Yeah, because it was fun,” Melo said when asked if he still carries a soft spot for that era. “It was fun basketball, and that’s the only way that I knew how to get together and have fun and bring everybody together.”
That simple revelation carries more weight than it might first appear. For a stretch in the 2000s, the Nuggets transformed from perennial strugglers into a must-watch squad, anchored by a young superstar in Anthony and surrounded by a cast of characters who played with visible joy and edge. Those teams didn’t always reach the ultimate destination, but they left an indelible mark on the franchise and its supporters.
The Vibe That Defined an Era
What made those Nuggets squads special wasn’t just talent — it was the unmistakable energy they brought to the floor. The “Can” (before it became Ball Arena) pulsed with that same excitement, as fans fed off the players’ chemistry and vice versa. Melo singled out several teammates who embodied that spirit, with J.R. Smith and Kenyon Martin standing out as particular favorites.
Both players brought something the 2024-25 Nuggets visibly lacked during their first-round playoff exit against the Minnesota Timberwolves: elite athleticism, physicality, and fearlessness.
Kenyon Martin arrived as an enforcer, and his impact was immediate. In just his second game as a Nugget during the 2004-05 season, K-Mart got physical with Kevin Garnett in a rivalry matchup that went to uber-late overtime. After watching the Wolves push Denver around in the previous year’s playoffs, seeing Martin stand his ground was a turning point in the franchise’s mentality. Nuggets fans have long argued this year’s team could have used a similar presence in the paint.
J.R. Smith, meanwhile, was a walking highlight reel — streaky, but devastating when locked in. His career-high 45-point explosion against the Sacramento Kings in the 2008-09 season, where he drilled 11 threes on 18 attempts, remains one of the most electric individual performances in Nuggets history. Smith’s ability to attack the rim with acrobatic finishes and thunderous dunks added another dimension to Denver’s attack.
The Allen Iverson Factor
Among all his former teammates, Melo reserved special praise for Allen Iverson. Though Iverson’s time in Denver was relatively brief, his arrival injected attitude and urgency into a franchise that had suffered five straight first-round exits. The Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals the very next season, their deepest playoff run in years at that point.
AI didn’t deliver a championship, but he helped change the culture. That momentum eventually gave way to another stretch of first-round disappointments, paving the way for the rebuild that brought Nikola Jokić to Denver. Still, the Iverson era remains a cherished chapter for fans who remember the electricity he brought to the Mile High City.
Why It Still Hits Different
Melo’s comments serve as a reminder that basketball at its best is more than wins and losses — it’s about connection, personality, and the pure enjoyment of the game. Those Nuggets teams had that intangible quality in abundance. They played with flair, toughness, and a genuine sense of camaraderie that resonated deeply with the fanbase.
In today’s NBA, where superteams and load management often dominate the narrative, Melo’s nostalgia for “fun basketball” feels refreshing. It explains why so many in the building still look back on that era with particular affection.
The good times in the NBA rarely last forever, as Melo and generations of Nuggets fans know all too well. But the memories — from K-Mart’s physical battles to J.R.’s shooting barrages to Iverson’s fearless leadership — continue to endure. And as Melo made clear in his conversation with Siddiqi, sometimes the real legacy isn’t measured in titles, but in how much fun it was along the way.