NBA star Carmelo Anthony has laid the foundation for his career after he retires from basketball. The 36-year-old power forward for the Portland Trailblazers has launched his own production company, Creative 7, this according to Variety.
“At the heart of it, our goal at Creative 7 is to amplify the voices of those who have been silenced, discover stories that will leave you forever changed and increase opportunities for a diversified group of storytellers and creators,” Anthony told the magazine.
Anthony, who is half Puerto Rican, chose the name Creative 7 after the jersey number he wore during his time playing with the New York Knicks. He is launching the new company with his longtime business partner Asani Swann. The company would like to create more series on professional athletes who have made an impact during their careers.
Anthony said he was inspired to start the company after seeing how successful Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was after launching his own company, Seven Bucks Productions, which has helped produce films like Shazam! and Hobbs & Shaw.
“Honestly, the way that Dwayne Johnson has approached the business is unparalleled,” Anthony told Variety. “He put in the hard work and the commitment to change the game and has continued to chart a path that is all his own.”
According to Variety, Creative 7 is already collaborating with production company Plan B on a project. Plan B’s CEO is Academy Award winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
“We are excited to work with Carmelo, Asani, and the team at Creative 7, and look forward to sharing more about the project soon,” Plan B said in a statement.
Currently, Creative 7 is developing a limited series with A+E Studios called Blood Brothers about the friendship between boxing legend Muhammad Ali and human rights activist Malcolm X; and a documentary called Universe about trumpeter Wallace Roney, who was Miles Davis’ protégé. The company has already launched a docuseries for HBO España about the women’s Real Madrid football club called Un Sueño Real.