Bright lights, big city accurately describes NYC. Though it is also the mecca of basketball as far as hoopers go, it is also one of the fashion capitals and epicenter of the financial world. New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has embraced all the different parts of New York City and combined them to produce the Melo you see today as outlined in his latest cover story in the Wall Street Journal. Read more after the jump.
When Carmelo was traded from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks he knew he wasn’t signing with just any basketball franchise, he would have to become the leader of the City and everything it entails; which means a sharp image, smart financial endeavors all while producing megastar numbers on the court. Check out some of his quotes from the WSJ piece.
On the Knicks breakout run earlier in the season & his MVP consideration:
“This is what I envisioned, coming to New York,” he says. “This was on my vision board. I’d sit back and be like, damn, I am going to run out there and be hitting game winners in the Garden in front of fans, getting them riled up. When they’re stomping on the floors, yelling ‘New York Knicks’—that’s a great feeling.”
Anthony’s current financial relationships include Nike’s Jordan Brand, PowerCoco sports drink and the supplement Isotonix Champion Blend Plus. He also just agreed to terms on a deal with Degree deodorant, and he recently became a stakeholder in Haute Time, a luxury publishing company covering timepieces.
Anthony says he is no longer interested in strict endorsement deals; he prefers partnerships that offer a percentage of ownership.
“I’ve got to have a connection with that company,” he says. “An endorsement deal—I just feel like it’s a one-off thing. ‘Oh pay him to go out there and do a commercial.’ After that contract is up, you have no ties with that product. So I go into a deal and say, ‘OK, forget the money. Let’s be partners.’ “
On his relationship with LaLa:
Anthony says that he and Vasquez keep their individual businesses separate (“we have our own entities”), but adds that Vasquez encourages him to look beyond the traditional borders of sports. “She doesn’t look at me as an athlete at all,” Anthony says. “She’s always been the person I can bring something to—that’s a no-brainer.”
On his fashion sense & taking in New York:
“Athletes have become more in tune to the fashion world,” he says. “A lot of athletes are just known for being athletes,” Anthony says. “You can come to a place like New York and diversify yourself.” he says that last summer was the first time he actually got a chance “to sit back and reflect on the whole experience” of being traded and what it means to play in New York, it sounds like a delayed reaction, but it also appears to be true.
Read more on the Wall Street Journal and check out Melo’s fashion pics in the gallery above.
