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It was 1997 when Jordan Brand first became an official sub-brand of Nike after 12 years of selling extremely successful sneakers and accompanying sportswear. And just like that, Team Jordan was born, bringing together a group of athletes that included Ray Allen, Vin Baker, Derek Anderson, and Michael Finley who repped the Jumpman to the fullest and were rewarded with player exclusive Air Jordans and sometimes even their own models. Years later, the brand took a risk in signing its first rookie, a young, hungry kid from Syracuse University named Carmelo Anthony who was calling Denver his home.
Some 15 years later and two teams removed from the Denver Nuggets, Melo is getting a fresh start with the Oklahoma City Thunder. But according to an ESPN report, his shoe series is coming to an end after 13 models. The outlet reports that the 33-year-old star’s partnership with Jordan Brand will continue under new terms, so getting laced with player exclusives shouldn’t be an issue.
But Anthony refuted the report:
“It’s false. False. Let’s not even discuss that,” he said after a preseason game against his first team, the Nuggets.
He’s been rocking his 13th signature sneaker—he has the fifth most models in NBA history—during the preseason. We’ve already seen the latest iterations of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and even Damian Lillard’s sneakers in the last few weeks as we gear up for the NBA season. Now the big questions is: Where is Melo’s line is headed?
