How 3 NBA Stars' Brands Are Changing the Wine Industry For the Better

CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and Channing Frye, 3 NBA stars with illustrious careers, are using their brands to build a community and expand the circle of the wine industry. The three athletes agree that bringing a different perspective and demographic into the fold will ultimately improve the industry as a whole. 

Three-time gold medalist and number nine on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, Carmelo Anthony and his business partner, Asani Swann, launched their global wine estate brand VII(N) The Seventh Estate in 2022. Anthony wanted the opportunity to challenge his palate and to bring the Old-World style of wines to his friends. Their inaugural vintage, Oath of Fidelity, is about their commitment to change, challenges, experiments, and experiences. The freedom of creating a company from the ground up is what Swann says makes VII(N) The Seventh Estate unique. 

President of the National Basketball Players Association and shooting guard for the New Orleans Pelicans, CJ McCollum was introduced to wine in college by his now-wife, Elise. He launched his signature wine label, McCollum Heritage 91 in 2020; Ashley Combs, who oversees many facets of the business including sales and marketing strategies, says one of the challenges they face, like many celebrity brands, is getting consumers to take them seriously. Because of this stigma, McCollum and Combs put a strong emphasis on investing time in wine education and understanding the industry. While McCollum knows the business will have its ups and downs, as long as it continues to bring him joy, happiness, and peace, he says he will consider it a success. The tranquility of being in a vineyard was so alluring, that he and his wife purchased a 318-acre vineyard property in Oregon’s Willamette Valley inin 2021. 

After a 14-year career in the NBA, including a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Channing Frye is making moves off the court. In 2020 he launched Chosen Family Wines in partnership with former teammate Kevin Love, Jacob Gray, and Chase Renton. Frye says the game of basketball taught him many important life lessons, but the two that translate clearly into the wine industry are the ability to talk to people and a perpetual natural curiosity. In partnership with Vice President of Chosen Family Wines, Tiquette Bramlett, Frye hopes to use these skills to translate wines to a different demographic. Bramlett is up for the challenge — taking what is thrown at her in stride and improvising along the way.