Stephen Curry stepped into his sneaker free agency and immediately turned the NBA into a nightly footwear watch. He has already rotated Nike’s Kobe 6s, Reebok’s Shaqnosis, and Li-Ning’s Stingray Way of Wades. If he keeps moving the way he has, fans might see him in Ja Morant’s kicks the next time they play Memphis. The energy around him feels like someone who walked out of a long relationship and now wants to enjoy the open market without any pressure to settle.
Carmelo Anthony saw all of this and used the newest episode of “7PM in Brooklyn” to deliver a message straight to Curry, per Sportico. Melo has always moved with an independent streak, so his reaction came with the tone of someone who knows the landscape from the inside.
“I don’t wanna see that,” he said when asked about Curry wearing shoes from other companies. His voice carried more frustration than surprise. Melo does not want Curry to go from one corporate giant to another. He wants Curry to think bigger.
Melo Tells Curry to Avoid the Big Brands and Build Something
Anthony believes Curry can use this moment to expand Curry Brand into a standalone force. He laid out the numbers with confidence. “You could take that brand from Under Armour and go get four hundred, five hundred million, you could go do that. Nike, Adidas, Reebok, somebody, and they would all be willing to do that because the business makes sense,” he said.
Then he shifted into the real point. “But now, you own this, this is yours. I don’t need the Nikes, I don’t need the Adidas, I don’t need that.”
Melo pushed Curry to chase full independence instead of another partnership. He told him to find an investor, build ownership, and turn Curry Brand into a company that stands alone. Anthony believes most players never take that route because they already sit inside bigger empires. He cited his own experience under the Jordan umbrella, which sits under Nike. LeBron James sits under Nike. Anthony Edwards sits under Adidas. Nobody has stepped out with full control.
Curry can break that pattern. Anthony argued that Curry built Under Armour’s reputation, not the other way around. He said that Curry created that entire basketball lane for them, and without him, the brand looks different. That gives Curry leverage most athletes never touch.
Curry’s Free Agency Mindset Has Melo Pushing for More
Curry seems to enjoy the open space. He has never entered real free agency in his basketball life, and this sneaker window acts as the closest thing he has experienced. New companies want him. Every night becomes a new showcase. Fans study every tunnel walk and warmup. Sneaker accounts watch every angle. Curry knows it, and he enjoys it.
Melo respects that excitement, yet he wants Curry to slow down and see the opportunity. This moment gives him the chance to build something that nobody else in the league has. Curry can turn the separation from Under Armour into the start of a fully independent path.
To Anthony, the message feels simple. Curry has the creativity, the influence, and the built-in customer base. He does not need to become part of anyone else’s system again. He can create his own.
Curry now has the attention of every fanbase and every sneaker company. Melo wants him to use that power to build a legacy that lasts far longer than a signature line inside another corporation.
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