Carmelo Anthony Seals Deal for $4.77 Billion Madison Square Garden, Squashing Past Beef With James Dolan

After being drafted by the Denver Nuggets and having spent several seasons there, Carmelo Anthony wanted out by 2010. The Knicks were high on his wishlist and owner James Dolan wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip. So he went all out to secure the player and even tossed in extra draft picks to seal the trade before the 2011 deadline. That aggressive push didn’t sit well with Melo, though—it sparked a conflict that would simmer for years.

Melo had his concerns. He didn’t want the Knicks to gut their roster just to get him. “Listen, I held it down for the Knicks without even being with the Knicks,” he once said. “Dolan, no. Do not blow this team up for me. No.” But despite his objections, the deal went through. The team did not want to risk waiting until summer to check if he was still available and then sign him without giving up anything but money. With this, Melo spent seven seasons in New York, becoming the face of the franchise, but the lack of young talent in the team always came back to haunt them in the coming years. During the 2012-13 season, the Knicks even acquired a couple of veterans on short contracts to support Anthony, but that success was unsustainable, and his constant injuries also created issues.

Then, in the summer of 2017, he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and upon his first game at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks paid him a tribute. Though the crowd cheered for him, a section also proceeded to boo. He was booed throughout the game when he touched the ball and perhaps it came from their pent-up frustrations. During his time with the Knicks, they went past the first round of the playoffs just once and also couldn’t reach the postseason in the last four seasons.

But fast forward to today, and Melo is back at the $4.77 billion Madison Square Garden, where Dolan is the CEO—but not for basketball. This time, he’s making moves as a businessman. His wine brand, VII(N) The Seventh Estate, has officially partnered with the iconic arena. He even shared the big news with a promotional video, writing, “@viin7estate is now available at @thegarden. Come sip soon #STAYME7O.”

The brand was founded by Carmelo Anthony and Asani Swann Benjamin. Their aim? To blend heritage with modern winemaking philosophies. They also strive to champion equal representation for people of color and provide an inclusive environment that recognizes diverse voices from the industry. But hey, this isn’t the first time he promoted his brand at MSG.

Back in Oct. 2023, while attending a Knicks game, he took to social media and wrote: “Great to be back in Madison Square Garden! You know I had to bring VII(N) The Seventh estate with me.” It could be possible that both sides struck a deal because Melo’s brand wrote in February (in context to MSG): “Cheers to great games and even greater partnerships.”

The memory of that 2011 trade isn’t just a footnote in Carmelo Anthony’s career; It’s a reminder of the rocky relationship between players and franchises. Melo, a star with his own vision, found himself at odds with the Knicks’ aggressive pursuit—A pursuit he felt sacrificed the team’s long-term potential for short-term gain. The tension, born from a purple envelope and empty promises, would cast a shadow over his time in New York. The fans both embraced and questioned his presence.

Time, as they say, can change people and even narratives. Years later, Carmelo Anthony’s return to Madison Square Garden, now as a wine entrepreneur, marks a distinct shift in his narrative. The very arena that once witnessed his on-court triumphs and off-court disputes now embraces him as a business partner. Yet, despite this seeming reconciliation, the specter of that contentious trade still lingers. One wonders if the past has truly been laid to rest, or if the echoes of that pivotal deal continue to resonate within the Garden’s walls. To understand this tension, we need to go far back to the start of his beef with James Dolan.

Carmelo Anthony once called out James Dolan’s trade tactics!

Back in 2011, Carmelo Anthony’s trade to the New York Knicks was a massive move, but behind the scenes, he wasn’t exactly sold on how it all went down. According to the 10-time All-Star, Knicks owner James Dolan took control of the negotiations, acting like he had done his homework. But in reality? Melo wasn’t convinced.

Apparently, Dolan walked into the meeting with a purple envelope, making it seem like he had everything mapped out. But when Melo took a closer look, the truth was hard to ignore. “Dolan came back with a purple envelope. There was one sheet in there that had numbers on it. It looked like some numbers that were just put together showing how we could really get this done. Basic spreadsheet. 101 spreadsheet,” he recalled.