Even among the celebrity sneakerheads, there are “collectors,” and then there are those with a direct line to the God of the Sneaker Revolution. Besties, Jordan Brand signature athletes, and quiet sneakerheads, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony reunited on a special All-Star live show of 7PM in Brooklyn this week. And not everything was about CP3’s retirement. Some of it was about the perks of being under the Jumpman umbrella.

While most workplace benefits include dental or vacation time, the elite employees of the Jordan Brand get to build a collection of kicks like no other. Underscoring that retirement rollercoaster, CP3’s farewell press tour has been showing off the very collection courtesy of Michael Jordan himself. Melo called him the most “underrated sneakerhead” ever, too.

While most enthusiasts battle resale apps and long lines, CP3 revealed that for him and Melo, getting these rare collectibles require a direct, somewhat “mythical” phone call to His Airness himself.

“We got [the] connection, so that’s different,” Paul explained when asked if he splurges on his massive collection. Melo also confirmed, “So we saving.” However, that “saving” comes with a unique hurdle. “You know what the hardest part [is] when you want like some crazy exclusive Js?” Melo would finish that sentence, “Calling MJ.”

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Despite the intimidation factor of calling “Two-Three” to ask for favors, Paul noted that Jordan’s generosity matches his legendary stature. He gifted him one of his prized possessions which aren’t the Air Jordan 3s signed by Kobe Bryant that he showed off to Tylil a day ago. 

“That was one of my, probably, most prized Js I have… But [for] my 30th birthday, I got… the birthstone for May for Taurus is emerald. So, I got some Emerald 11s. But MJ a real one, you know what I mean? Like, depending on the occasion and all that stuff like that, he’ll always look out.”

There’s a reason why MJ’s gesture means a lot to him. Where the Air Jordan 11 is considered the crown jewel in a footwear community, the “Emerald 11s” Paul referenced are nothing short of sneaker folklore.

Why it’s not easy to build a collection like Chris Paul’s

Chris Paul’s specific “Emerald” PE features a distinct forest-green patent leather mudguard, designed specifically to honor his May birthstone. It was released in 2015 to commemorate his 30th birthday, followed by similar Jordan 11 Low in 2018.

The legendary nature of asking MJ for these shoes has been a recurring theme in NBA circles. Jordan is notoriously selective about which athletes receive Air Jordans as gifts, often using these gestures to reward loyalty within the brand.

He refused to give them to a Wizards teammate who asked but recently gifted the 23XI staff several pairs after Tyler Redick’s win at the Daytona 500. Just so you know, even Scottie Pippen owns a 1-of-1 pair of Jordans from the Dream Team era signed by his ex teammate.

CP3 is also famously scarred by seeing Jordan torch a bunch of pre-tweens at his 2016 camp, a year after the emerald 11s released, so he didn’t have to give free sneakers to the kids. Yet that same year, MJ reportedly gifted the complete collection of Air Jordan 1 to 30 to a retiring Kobe Bryant.

Despite how difficult it is to get them from the originator himself, word in the sneaker community is that Chris Paul’s collection of limited edition AJs is collectively valued at six figures at least. And he didn’t have to “splurge” for any of it. Thanks to the boss who looks out for his most loyal employees.

The Clippers could learn from that.