Carmelo Anthony Risked Dwyane Wade Rivalry in $441 Billion Worth Industry Due to This Reason

Wine and sneakers have long kept retired sports stars like Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and others hooked. While many athletes have leveraged their passion for sneakers from the early years of their careers, these sports stars have only recently begun to step into the wine industry. Just two years ago, Melo launched his own wine brand, setting it up as a rival to his friend Wade’s brand. However, it wasn’t just his passion for business that drove Melo to launch the brand.

In most of his interviews, Melo has consistently expressed his love for the best wines and sneakers. Unsurprisingly, the amount spent on these luxuries also surged over time. When Melo realized he was spending a fortune on wines, he decided to invest that money into production instead.

Speaking of the real reason in a conversation during the Wine & Spirits Festival Preview, Melo said, “I was looking at the bills so I was spending a lot of bread on wines and it became a crazy passion like but I also wanted to figure out like how can I enter this industry and make an impact in a crowded industry.”

That’s when he tapped into his competitive self. Initially, it started like that, but it slowly turned into a true passion. Melo became increasingly interested in growing his business. “Once you realize like this industry is so big and there so many people and it’s so hard to step into and tap into that industry so how can I really get in there and make the impact that I want but where it makes sense and then it’s authentic to who I am and who we are as a brand.”

Even as a rookie brand in the industry, it stands as a competitor to Wade’s brand, Wade Cellars, which was launched in 2014, and in partnership with Napa winemaker Pahlmeyer. While Wade is gradually taking over the industry, Melo’s brand has also put the pedal to the metal.

This is how he began to invest the money and passion in the $441 billion worth wine industry. 

Carmelo Anthony collaborated with Robert Mondavi for a new edition

In collaboration with Asani Swann, Carmelo Anthony launched his own brand, VII(N) The Seventh Estate in 2022, a nod to the number 7 jersey Melo wore for most of his NBA career. The 10x NBA All-Star also recently collaborated with Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi Winery to create its second edition, the ‘Ode to Soul’ label. 

In a conversation with Bon Appétit, the former New York Knicks star discussed his goals for the new collaboration. Melo discussed how it was also difficult for him but eventually got the knack for it.

He said, “Ode to Soul is unique because it was crafted in a way where we wanted followers of the Robert Mondavi brand to recognize and relate, but also consumers who wanted to try new things, to bring people new to wine.” This charming and rugged blend honors both Mondavi’s brand and Anthony’s legacy. Each bottle is priced at $275. As a beginner in the winemaking world, the40-year-old  is taking longer strides.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.