Carmelo Anthony rocks unreleased Air Jordan 1s on Christmas Day game at NY while posing with Vini Jr

Carmelo Anthony crossed paths with another sports icon on Christmas Day as Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior attended the San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks matchup at Madison Square Garden. The two posed for a photo postgame, but another standout moment was Anthony’s choice of unreleased sneakers.

The sneaker-focused account @JustFreshKicks on X (formerly Twitter) spotlighted Anthony’s footwear during the game: an unreleased Air Jordan 1 High ‘85 in the classic “Bred” black and red colorway, which he wore while receiving a jersey from Vini Jr.

Rapper Fabolous was also seen rocking the same unreleased kicks.

Carmelo Anthony wasn’t the only Knicks player to swap jerseys with Vini Jr; Knicks guard/forward Josh Hart also exchanged jerseys with the soccer star.

The game itself was a Christmas Day thriller, highlighted by Victor Wembanyama’s spectacular debut performance. The Spurs’ rookie sensation racked up 42 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks, but San Antonio ultimately fell 117-114 to the Knicks.

Mikal Bridges led New York with a season-high 41 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson chipped in 21 and 20 points, respectively. Josh Hart contributed a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

In the Spurs’ losing effort, Jeremy Sochan tallied 22 points, with Chris Paul and Devin Vassell adding 13 and 11 points each.

Sneaker Bar Detroit reports that the iconic “Bred” colorway, showcasing Jordan's classic black-and-red design, is set to be released in February 2025, celebrating the model’s 40th anniversary.

Carmelo Anthony reflects on his sneaker line

In an episode of his "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast in March, Carmelo Anthony shared insights into his sneaker line with Jordan Brand. The former NBA star highlighted which shoe from his collection he considers the most iconic.

"The 1.5," he said (per SI). "That's the iconic one because the story that went behind it. It was new; it was fresh."

"We was bringing something different to the brand in a sense of honoring M.J., and the brand and his sneakers, and his legacy. But now we are going to infuse that with some new culture, and some new energy, and some young energy."

As an up-and-coming basketball star, Anthony originally signed a Nike contract reportedly worth $40 million over six years. Shortly afterward, Nike secured LeBron James on a $90 million deal.

With LeBron’s signing, Nike transitioned Anthony to Jordan Brand as part of an effort to inject new life into the division.