“It’s a full circle,” Carmelo Anthony told Architectural Digest about his experience with the Jordan Brand. Melo’s first connection with the brand was forged when he was playing for Oak Hill. He went from there to creating history for the brand as the first signature athlete. Now, his son, who is just 18, is carving a similar path but that in his own style. As Melo recalls his past contributions to the team, his son Kiyan looks toward a new future.
The 18-year-old recently put up a jaw-dropping performance of 26 points at the Jordan Brand Classic tournament. It is the same place where Melo dazzled, hitting 27 points. Looking back, the 10x NBA All-Star recounted the feelings of being the first signature athlete to represent Jordan Brand.
“At that point in time, [I was] just happy to have a shoe there. I grew up drawing sneakers on the board and the desk… so to be able to represent [Jordan Brand], that was a no-brainer for me,” Melo told Sole Retriever. of Jordan Brand which brought in $7 billion in June, 2024 (as per Sportico).
There were other players who represented Jordan Brand before, but he was the first official member. It was with time that he began to understand the true meaning and significance of it. Melo was a part of it but also lent his style to it. “It’s not until I got older and started to understand — like, damn, you were groundbreaking when it came to that culture and that industry,” the New York Knicks legend added.
Now, back to the present, Melo’s 18-year-old is yet to secure a shoe deal. However, the passion to create something impactful is evident in Kiyan. At just 16, he had started his own clothing brand in partnership with his friend Jadyn. He had transferred to his new school and wanted to do something and that led to One Way Clothing. Based in Harlem, Kiyan and Jaydn’s brand mostly operates online and pop up events.
Aug 5, 2024; Paris, FRANCE; Carmelo Anthony poses for a photograph during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Team USA House. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images
“We was always into fashion. So we was like, ‘Why don’t we just try a clothing brand and we just did it?’ We went all out, put everything into it and yeah it’s where it’s at now six-figure brand,” he said in The Evolution. Kiyan and his friend had a good reason behind starting their own label. The teens’ efforts toward their brand will only expand their presence. That said, his father had an even more interesting inspiration behind starting his own wine label.
Why did Carmelo Anthony start his wine label?
Melo’s passion for wine is well known. And he is quite knowledgeable when it comes to wines as well as sneakers. It’s not surprising that he admitted to having spent a lot on it. What he didn’t know was the business part. “I was looking at the bills so I was spending a lot of bread on wines and it became a crazy passion like but I also wanted to figure out like how can I enter this industry and make an impact in a crowded industry,” Melo told Wine & Spirits Festival Preview.
Moreover, he also had a clear vision of why he should start one. It was evident back during Melo’s playing days, wine wasn’t very popular among his peers. Well, he even used to get laughed at for his love and interest for wine. He knew that he was on the right path.
“People was laughing at me, and it was just like, ‘Why are you drinking wine? You’re 21 years old,’ From that point on, I knew I was onto something because people were teasing me about it,” Anthony told Robb Report. Cut to the present, things have changed a lot. And it all finally made sense.
All of this motivated Melo, who joined hands with Asani Swann to start VII(N) The Seventh Estate. Not just his sharp sense as an enthusiast, Melo also uses his knowledge gained from having traveled to Spain and other countries for the purpose of the brand. That makes the former NBA legend’s brand stand out. This is what we call a full circle!
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