Sometimes the real talent slips through the smallest of cracks. You chase the sparkle, not the real substance. That’s exactly what happened when Nike overlooked a young Carmelo Anthony. Reason for upset? Even before being drafted in 2003, Carmelo Anthony was already a full-blown national sensation. He led Syracuse to a national championship as a freshman and snagged the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. Sure, one reason why Nike made up for it later, turning him into the face of the Jordan Brand. But turns out, there’s more to that story. Carmelo just dropped a never-heard-before nugget about his freshman days and his early run-ins with Nike. But who came to fill the gap missed by Nike?
To put a cherry on top, he finished with the third-highest single-season points total in Syracuse history, trailing only legends Dave Bing and John Wallace. So yeah, it made total sense when Nike came calling after him with a $3.5 million per year deal for six years. But surprisingly, the same Nike that would later back up the Brinks’ truck once passed on Melo during his high school days. Fascinating, right?
According to Melo, “I wasn’t good enough.” Crazy, right? Back then, major brands like Nike EYBL and Adidas ABCD ran these big-time youth basketball camps. They’d hand out gear, invite college and NBA scouts, and now, these camps even shape young prospects’ NIL value. But when it came to Carmelo? He didn’t make the cut. “I was on the waiting list,” Melo revealed about the Nike camp. Turns out, he was only regionally ranked at the time. “I wasn’t nationally ranked, so I didn’t get the invite to go to Nike.” And just like that, the future face of the Jordan Brand didn’t even get a serious look back then. But there is a twist.
To be fair, it wasn’t exactly a slip-up by Nike. Back then, it was more about how the system worked. Carmelo spent his freshman through junior years at Towson Catholic High School in Baltimore. And this school locked into an Adidas deal. A company that currently has a brand value is approximately $15.66 billion USD. So, Nike couldn’t really infiltrate the fort while Adidas ran the show. Melo broke it down perfectly: “It was like you had your Nike circuit and you had your Adidas circuit. I went to play for Baltimore Select, which was Adidas. That’s how I was able to go to ABCD camp, but I couldn’t go to (Nike) camp. Nike had me on the waiting list.”
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament First Round – Villanova vs Georgetown Mar 8, 2023 New York, NY, USA New York Knicks former player Carmelo Anthony sits courtside during the second half between the Villanova Wildcats and the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden. New York Madison Square Garden NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20230308_bjp_ae5_087
But you know how it goes: fate’s got its way of circling back. Maybe not right away, but it eventually evens things out. The same happened with Nike and Carmelo. They made sure to lock him in with a deal even before the draft. A little late to the party, but they got their guy.
Carmelo Anthony and his history with Nike
Just days before the NBA Draft, Carmelo Anthony officially teamed up with Nike. And honestly, that was only the start of a loaded offseason for Nike Basketball. That same summer, they landed LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant, too. Yes, it was one of a haul.
Inside Nike HQ, things started shifting fast. The brand had to figure out how to balance all this superstar talent. And when they finally bagged LeBron, Michael Jordan stepped in with a bold move. He told Nike that they can have LeBron, but MJ wants Melo for the Jordan Brand. Because MJ was retiring after the 2002-03 season and he wanted to pass the torch to someone he believed in.
Calvin Andrews, Carmelo’s agent back then, reflected on that moment with Boardroom in 2023: “I didn’t even need to consult with Melo. It was a beautiful match and they put a lot of energy behind Melo.” So at just 19, Carmelo signed a $3.5 million per year deal for six years. A year later, his first signature sneaker, the Jordan Melo 1.5, hit the shelves. And thus it marked the start of something truly special.
Carmelo’s signature shoe line ran strong until early 2017. It unfortunately wrapped up with the Jordan Melo M13, his 13th edition. So the kid from Baltimore, once overlooked at Nike camps, ended up carrying the legacy of Jordan Brand on his back. And man, he delivered.
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