Choosing which sneaker brand to sign with is usually a personal decision for most players. While some of them already have their mind made up on which brand to go with, some players start out unsure about which company would serve them best. Denver Nuggets legend, Carmelo Anthony fell under the latter until he went on to meet the face of the ‘Jordan Brand’, and Chicago Bulls legend, Michael Jordan.
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Carmelo Anthony recently revealed what made him choose the Jordan brand over Adidas on his podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn. While talking to his co-host, Melo narrated the story of how he got to meet MJ and how that influenced his decision in a big way.
During his high school days, Carmelo Anthony played for different schools in different districts that were affiliated with different brands. So, whenever Melo switched schools, he had to switch the brand of sneakers he would wear.
Carmelo Anthony had made his way to Oak Hill which was a school affiliated with the Jordan Brand. Due to this, during his time in Oak Hill, he went on to play at an Adidas Camp while rocking Jordans on his feet.
Later on, he went back and started traveling with the school for various tournaments while only wearing Jordan brand sneakers wherever he went. Finally, Melo got the chance to play in his first Jordan brand classic(JBC) game.
While playing the Jordan brand classic game, Melo got the opportunity to meet Michael Jordan himself, and that was all it took for Melo to decide which brand to go with.
“I played in the first Jordan brand classic game, right? It was a capital classic in DC. So, I played in the first-ever Jordan brand classic game. So, at that point, I’m locked into Jordan. I met MJ for the first time… So at that point, I’m locked in to Jordan. I met MJ for the first time!”
Melo went on to describe how the meeting with Michael Jordan swayed him to sign with the brand. He revealed how other brands like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok were all in play at the time, however, Anthony was leaning towards signing with Nike at the time.
But after meeting Jordan and seeing how he tried to swoop Melo from Nike, Melo was left being very sure about which brand he wanted to sign with. Given someone with Michael Jordan’s aura and resume wanted him specifically to be a part of his team left a massive impact on a young Carmelo Anthony. And from that point on, it was decided that the then-youngster would sign with Jordan Brand.
Melo had initially signed a six-year/$40 million deal with Nike. He eventually signed with the Jordan brand where he’d receive $3.5 million per year for six years at the age of 19 back in 2003. And since then, Melo went on to serve a 20-year partnership with the brand. So, suffice it to say, he made the right decision.
How did Michael Jordan influence Carmelo Anthony?
Carmelo Anthony not only got to meet Michael Jordan but also had the privilege to have a one-on-one session with him. The two spoke about various aspects of the game, both on and off the court. He even got the chance to learn a few things from the Chicago Bulls legend during his one-on-one session with the man.
“I told you, he taught me how to…The psychological aspect of how to score, how to break down scoring…He knew how to depict games and like, pick games apart and see. So, when I got with him, it was more individualized and catered to my game.”
Meeting Michael Jordan would’ve been enough for any high school kid to sign with the brand who had been aiming to go into the league. But not only did Melo have the chance to meet him but he also got special insight into the game from arguably the greatest player to ever play the game.
Moreover, he got specific insight that was cartered to his game instead of some general tips and tricks. No wonder why Carmelo Anthony went on to sign with the Jordan brand over all others.
