Just because it worked for Michael Jordan’s Air Jordan 1 “Banned” sneakers doesn’t mean it was the recipe to success. As most sneakerheads would know, Nike turned its setback of receiving a notice for Nike Air Ship into one of the biggest marketing campaigns for AJ 1 “Banned”. The sports equipment and apparel company claimed to pay fines so that Michael Jordan could wear the said “banned” sneakers. The narrative created a different level of popularity among the sneakerheads. Surprisingly, Carmelo Anthony was once in a similar scenario over a pair of shoes from his own sneaker line for Jordan. But things turned out completely different for the 10x NBA All-Star.

The sneakers in discussion? Jordan Melo M10. The NBA particularly had issues with the sneakers’ chrome-plated segment. Because of the chrome-plated feature, the sneaker had the tendency to reflect the stadium’s lights, which distracted players and blinded courtside viewers. But if anyone felt the sting the most, it wasn’t just Melo or Nike—it was Tinker Hatfield, the man who put his creative soul into every inch of that shoe. From design to development, he obsessed over the details. And how do we know? Straight from Melo himself.

In a recent episode of his 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Melo pulled the curtain back. “Tinker. Every step of the way. From the shoestrings to the eyelets to the sole to the cushion… to the stitching…” he said, highlighting just how hands-on Hatfield was. Then came the kicker: “People don’t know that that [Melo M10] shoe got banned.”

Anthony went on to explain that the same reflective issues were at the core of the NBA’s complaint. “That was the first time that Tinker… We went totally left and we put the chrome back… You know how much money [fines] I had to pay for… Cause they said it was reflecting the cameras on the On the shots…”

Carmelo Anthony even tried to fix the issue by covering the chrome with tape. But that didn’t quite cut it. As Melo put it, “It was a disaster… I went through hell with that sneaker… I’m working with Tinker Hatfield… I’m working with the greatest… I can’t wear this. You know how much time we put into this.”

So, while Jordan’s “banned” shoe went down in history as a cultural phenomenon, Anthony’s M10 sneakers couldn’t achieve a similar level of commercial success as the resale values remained modest, typically ranging between $150 and $300, indicating limited demand in the secondary market. Despite this, this wasn’t the last sneaker that Melo had released with the Jordan brand.

A quick recap of Carmelo Anthony’s association with the Jordan brand and the end of it

Anthony’s journey with the Jordan Brand goes way back—before the NBA lights, before Olympic gold. Think high school. Back then, he was already turning heads as one of the nation’s top prep stars while suiting up for Oak Hill Academy, a school backed by none other than Jordan Brand itself. That early exposure was no small thing—it was the first sign of a partnership that would stretch across two decades.

And when Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to a national championship in 2003? He did it in the Air Jordan XVIII, staying loyal to the brand even then. Right after that magical college run, Anthony entered the NBA as the No. 3 overall pick and hit another milestone—he became the first rookie signed to Jordan Brand with a signature shoe in development.

And thirteen models later, in 2017, word started getting around: Jordan Brand was pressing pause on the Melo line. Still, Melo didn’t step away from the brand. He kept repping it—sporting models like the Air Jordan XXXII, throwback customs, and fresh remixes of his first signature shoe.

And here’s a fun fact: only four NBA legends—Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Allen Iverson—can say they had longer-running signature lines than Melo. That’s rare air. So even though he claims he “went through hell” with M10, his overall run with the Jordan was quite something in itself.