Even before he became one of basketball’s most lethal scorers the world has ever witnessed, Carmelo Anthony had already drawn a line in the sand. It was not for any team or a contract on the hardwood; it was on a sneaker deal. Melo conducted himself differently in a time when lucrative contracts and brand hype frequently swept up high school rising stars. To him, basketball wasn’t just about stats and rankings; for him, it was about principles, identity, and allegiance, especially when it came to the sneakers he wore on the court.

Anthony was still a teenager in 2002, going to summer school and elite basketball camps at the same time. He got an invitation to the famous ABCD Camp, which has been home to stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. But there was one problem: Adidas, the brand valued at $43 billion, sponsored the camp.

As a high school senior, Carmelo Anthony was gracing the courts of Oak Hill Academy. That was a school sponsored by Jordan, and it was where the Knicks star had gotten to wear his first-ever pair of Jordans. So when the invite came for the matchup against Lenny Cooke– the no.1 ranked high school basketball player — Melo was adamant about his endorsement.

“That was the matchup,” Anthony recalled on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. “And I said… I’m not wearing Adidas because I’m at Oak Hill now. I’m in a Jordan school. So I’m like, I’m wearing them if I come, but I have to wear them. I’m wearing my Jordans.”

MJ’s brand then saw in Anthony not only talent, but also conviction. Anthony refused to compromise, even when the stakes were great. Melo listened to his heart and went on to become a key contributor to the Jordan brand.

That small but defiant gesture of loyalty set the stage for a huge direction in life. After being picked third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, Anthony became the first player ever to sign a signature shoe deal with Jordan Brand the next year. The arrangement, which was reportedly worth $3.5 million a year for six years, came out of an initial $40 million offer from Nike. Michael Jordan got involved himself because he thought Melo could help him connect with a new generation.

The Melo 1.5 came out in 2004, starting a 13-model sneaker legacy that is considered iconic to this day. And when the Knicks star received the highest honor an athlete can think of, the brand was right there, celebrating right from where it started.

Jordan Brand remembers Carmelo Anthony’s roots in honoring him

Carmelo Anthony’s partnership with Jordan Brand was more than just a business deal. Anthony’s signature sneakers were prominent for more than a decade. This made him a key part of Jordan’s basketball portfolio. Each shoe, from the Melo M3 to the M13, showed how his game changed over time, from being an aggressive scorer in Denver to a seasoned veteran in New York and beyond.

He was one of the most successful athletes the brand ever signed, not just on court, but as a Jordan athlete, too. So when he was admitted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, they made sure to recognize the feat. “From the Hill to the Hall,” the poster read, taking us all back to the teenage Melo. “Let’s talk facts. 10x NBA All-Star. Top 10 all-time scorer. 3x Olympic gold medalist. NCAA champion. And now, first ballot Hall of Famer. Debate that,” the caption further read.

Melo’s legacy lives on in terms of scoring and societal impact, even though he never won an NBA title. He scored 28,289 points in his career, which put him 10th on the NBA’s all-time list of scorers. Now he is focused on his son Kiyan Anthony’s journey to the top and has been very vocal recently on how he is going to contribute to his son’s dream.

He is a prime example of that legacy isn’t always measured in rings; it is also built in moments of quiet resistance; when standing firm for something as simple as a pair of shoes lands you in making for an entire brand’s identity.