It has been a ridiculously long day and right now I’m sipping on a pretty solid recommendation from Jay Larkin. But I digress, it hasn’t been the easiest year for Carmelo Anthony. In the early half of the year he dealt with front office issues with the Knicks that went along with a lackluster win percentage from the team. Unfortunately his home life has also been tumultuous with his wife Lala Anthony. I mean this when I say it I am rooting for them to settle things and continue on as a couple, but nevertheless it’s what has happened. All of this rolled into a summer of uncertainty, as the soap opera of where Melo would be suiting up played out. Then the news this week hit, and I can honestly say I was far from expecting this. Jordan Brand and Carmelo Anthony have opted to halt his signature line. Now to the naked eye this seems and screams a bit more than what it is, but we are definitely going to clear it up for you now.
To be clear, this is far from the end of Jordan Brand and Melo’s relationship. At the moment the two are going to no longer produce a Melo signature shoe. For those not realizing what that means, this may be a plus for Anthony. Melo may have the greatest Jordan PE season since Q Rich and Mike Bibby. We may see “Shattered Backboards”, “Cavs” IVs, “Ice Blue” and “Peapod” VIIIs, “Stealth” Vs, “Blue White” XVIIs and XVIIIs, and Melo bringing back the “Allstar” IX as well; just to say the least. And, when we think about all the other potential possibilities, this may do more for Jordan Brand and Melo than any signature shoe could. The opportunity this provides for Jordan Brand from a retro’s standpoint is exponential. This will also open up an immense amount of hype around PE’s which has truly dropped in recent years. So, think about that The Thunder will be highly televised due to their big three, as well as having the reigning league MVP. Could you imagine that paired with a buzz and hype of wonder what shoe will Melo be wearing tonight? I mean for me with variety of options he has in the vault, I can easily see this as being a must see for Jordan and Melo nightly.
I mean the way things work and the fact that Melo’s signature line has lasted so long means this is far from the last time we will be seeing his models being released. The best models will be retroed, and we may see options like what went on with Pippen and Penny meaning at some point down the line Jordan may decide to continue the signature and release brand new models.
Listen guys, Melo has gotten a tough rap for a lot when he honestly has not done nearly enough to deserve it. There has been a lot of scrutiny from fans, media, and organizations towards a guy that could really be handling things worse. He isn’t a dirty player, isn’t leading the league in technical fouls, and he isn’t ripping reporters to shreds, He just spent a lot of time in a city with a fan base that probably has the greatest delusions of grandeur in the entire sports world. A city that is completely unforgiving and eats their superstars alive when they are unable to bring home eight straight championships. I say let that man live, let’s recognize his greatness, and long live Hoodie Melo. In memory of the halted signature line we give you our five favorite Melo shoes in order of least to favorite.
5. The Melo M10
4. The Melo M11
3. The Melo 5.5
2. The Melo 1.5
1. The Melo M13
