Coming out of a single collegiate season at Syracuse and winning the national championship in the NCAA tournament, NBA star forward Carmelo Anthony was essentially the second most-talked-about prospect in the 2003 draft after high school phenom LeBron James. Before eventually forging a friendship with James, Anthony, 35, had bragging rights over the former first-overall pick in the draft when he was hand-picked by the “GOAT,” Michael Jordan, to join his signature Jordan Brand.

Owned by Nike, Air Jordans were the signature basketball sneaker for the six-time NBA champion Jordan, who later saw contemporary stars like Anthony, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and now Luka Doncic join the brand. James, however, joined Nike, and since released 17 models of the “LeBron” shoe, producing one of the most popular shoe in which to hoop.

Still, Anthony can boast that Jordan chose him over friend and foe James (via Uninterrupted).

“People don't know my first year I was signed to Nike. Right? I didn't have a signature shoe because the brand at that point in time I was the first signature athlete.

“I remember there wasn't a plan at that point in time. But LeBron was at Nike, and MJ stepped up and said, ‘Look, I'll pay half, Nike pay half. Look, I'll take Melo, y'all got LeBron, Converse got D-Wade and Bosh.'

“My first sneaker I ever played in with Jordan was a 16.5 or some sh– like that. And I remember 
 in preseason, the sneaker came off 
 I'm not playing in another retro again.”

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A 10-time All-Star, Anthony spent the first seven-plus seasons in a Denver Nuggets uniform before requesting a trade to the New York Knicks, where he played for six and half years, later traded again to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

After a rough, 10-game tenure with the Houston Rockets, Anthony was let go and essentially away from basketball for a year before inking a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.