Carmelo Anthony’s shoe with Jordan Brand will be discontinued, per report

It’s rare that you see a sneaker brand discontinue an athlete’s shoe without cutting ties with them altogether, but that’s what we have here with Jordan Brand deciding to discontinue Carmelo Anthony’s signature shoe line.

After 13 years of having his own sneaker, Anthony’s line with Jordan Brand is coming to a close with the Melo M13, according to a report from ESPN’s Nick DePaula.

Anthony came out and denied the report to the Oklahoma City media last night, calling it “false news.” Jordan Brand told SB Nation in a statement “no decisions” have been finalized about future models for Anthony’s signature shoe.

“Melo is a long-time and respected member of the Jordan family. As is the case with all Jordan family athletes, we work together with Melo on a footwear plan each year, and no decisions have been finalized about future models. Any decision made will be a collaborative one between Melo and Jordan Brand,” a spokesperson for the brand said.

If the report is true, the end of the line for Anthony’s sneaker marks the end of a tradition he’s seen since he came into the league at 19 years old.

The M13 just launched at the tail end of last season after Anthony signed another extension with Jordan Brand. He was one of three athletes at Jordan Brand with their own signature shoe. The other two are Michael Jordan himself and Chris Paul.

Even if there isn’t another signature shoe in Anthony’s future, he’ll still remain with Jordan Brand. Instead of wearing his own sneaker, he’ll likely wear the newest iteration of the original Jordan line or another Jordan basketball sneaker unrelated to the originals.

The newest original season, the Jordan 32, has been worn by most Jordan athletes so far this preseason including Russell Westbrook, Jimmy Butler, and Otto Porter. Anthony could choose to continue to wear his own shoe for the time being seeing as though it just hit stores in the spring and will continue to be sold through the brand and its partners. But eventually, he’ll have to wear something else.

This has happened in the past to different athletes. Scottie Pippen, Penny Hardaway, Gary Payton, and Dennis Rodman all had signature lines that were swept by the wayside in the midst of their careers. But Pippen and Hardaway, particularly, continue to work with Nike as their shoes continue to be retroed in the present day.

Anthony will continue to work with Jordan Brand and continues to be a popular name amongst NBA fans and players alike. Ties won’t be cut between the two sides that easily.

Developing and maintaining signature shoe lines isn’t an easy thing to do. Anthony is still a household name at this point in his career, but it’s not strong enough to keep the bottom line for Jordan Brand solid. Last month, the brand was surpassed by Adidas as the second biggest sports footwear retailer in the United States.

Brands selling basketball sneakers have to be smarter than they’ve ever been about what athletes they’re signing, what type of deals they’re signing them to and who their top priorities in terms of marketing will be. Jordan Brand is in a space where Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler are their best three athletes but none of them have signature shoe deals.

If the brand does discontinue Anthony’s line, that makes room for them to further market their biggest stars and clears way for Westbrook’s future signature lines with the brand.

Athletes who sign on with Jordan Brand are always going to have an uphill battle when it comes to popularity and marketing. Jordan Brand is a subsidiary of Nike, which immediately sets its athletes a few steps back. Plus, it’s biggest marketing tool is an untouchable legend in most people’s eyes.

The specter of Michael Jordan and his accomplishments will always be the most attractive thing about the brand. Despite having his own signature line with the brand, Anthony and others have had to fight that throughout his career.

Anthony came into the league in 2003 when fans were still in a post-Jordan haze. That only got worse once he returned to the league with the Wizards. Jordan’s legend continued to grow and his signature models still continue to pile up. The brand could never market Anthony the way Nike has done with Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant because of that.

Jordan Brand is different now — the regality of Jordan doesn’t stick with children the way it did a decade ago. Had Anthony just hit his prime and had a career season last year, the conversation might be a bit different.