Carmelo Anthony was the first Jordan Brand athlete in 2003 – He pioneered the movement that brought in many more.
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Right after Michael Jordan retired, the Jordan Brand needed someone to be the torch bearer of the sneaker line going forward. Kobe Bryant was in a sad marriage with Adidas, Tim Duncan did not care about shoes, and Shaquille O’Neal was busy with his Brand and Reebok.
So who better to fight the power than Carmelo Anthony, the 3rd pick of the 2003 draft, going head-to-head with LeBron James! Jordan could not have chosen someone better, because that one signing opened up a new world for players like Jayson Tatum, Zion Williamson and Luka Doncic of today. All of this started with one shoe – from Quentin Richardson of the Clippers.
Carmelo got a game-worn pair from the Clippers guard. It was a Jordan 9, which to this day is one of his favourite models. Over the years, he’s had many famous collaborations with MJ’s brand, but the top hits still are the Denver 2s, the White and Yellow 12s, and that “Win like 96” all-red Jordan 11.
Sneaker Shopping with Complex was a great platform for him to share stories about his favourite models, and he was glad he could speak about them. An athlete like Melo does deserve a signature line, and he has that with Jordan Brand.
Also Read: How Carmelo Anthony’s teammate became the CEO of a $100 million company backed by Allen Iverson
Carmelo Anthony went out of the box and bought a bunch of kids their shoes of choice
Usually, when people come on the show, they flex for the cameras. Carmelo was nothing but down-to-earth, and decided he would buy sneakers for a couple of kids he knew. He knew the struggles of kids wanting the freshest sneakers but couldn’t afford them. So, he blessed them with a couple of pairs each.
Melo has been astute with his investments, courtesy of friendship with active Billionaire LeBron and Super Agent friend Rich Paul. The Iso-king of the mid-2000s has quietly amassed a solid bank balance while making room for new investments. A thousand dollars wouldn’t even cause a tiny scratch on his multi-million dollar fortune.
He also has a podcast where he and his guests speak about wines, fancy alcohol and everything in life. If you are a connoisseur of fermented grapes, hit up his podcast “What’s in your glass”.
Also Read: $160 million man Carmelo Anthony might be heading back to the Denver Nuggets 11 years on
