Nike Baltimore Elite Set to Rep B’More

Ron Bailey, Publisher

August 27, 2008 – For over three years now, Team Melo has been widely identified as one of Baltimore’s best boys basketball travel team organizations, placing numerous student athletes in colleges and even boasting an alumni in the NBA, Donte Green. Having started as a nexus between two groups, Carmelo’s Choice and Mt. Royal, Team Melo won several national championships, and always was competitive.

When such a franchise is fundamentally restructured as it has recently has been, many may presume an end to its success. Not so says Carlton ‘Bubb’ Carrington.

Carlton 'Bubb' Carrington is continuing his work with Baltimore kids, and Nike.

“Contrary to assumptions, I think we will be stronger now” said Carrington last night of the Mt. Royal portion of Team Melo branching off to start Nike Baltimore Elite, a new elite travel team of which Bubb is now associated. “Baltimore is so territorial, a lot of kids didn’t want to do it for the Carmelo name. We now can have a bunch of kids who will go out of town and restore the Baltimore name”.

Carrington, has worked with Mt. Royal (based out of the city’s famed, Westside/Bolton Hill-based Mt. Royal Recreation Center) since 1995, and will be joined at Nike Baltimore Elite with a number of former Team Melo coaches, including Darryl Corbett, who has been a fixture in B’More hoops even longer than himself. Bubb feels their work will be strengthened going forward.

“Team Melo had only 15, 16, and 17’s” shared Carrington of the former level of sponsorship afforded kids. “Now the whole program, 10 all the way through will get support. Our entire program will be outfitted”.

Carrington also revealed branding clarity brought about by the change: “We (Mt. Royal) were never really Team Melo (branded). We were always a Nike sponsored team. We were definitely able to benefit from Carmelo’s name, he’s the best thing to come out of Baltimore. But Nike is Nike, and Carmelo is Brand Jordan (from a Nike standpoint, two separate entities).

“We are a Nike sponsored team. As you know, there are only two Nike sponsored teams in this area (Baltimore/DC, with the DC Blue Devils formerly representing Washington) which can attend the Boo Williams, Memorial Day Classic and Peach Jam (tournaments). Only Nike sponsored teams can really attend those events”.

Nixing rumors circulating of personality-centered tension creating the split between Mt. Royal and Carmelo’s Choice, Carrington stated “It came about where you had two programs that are together and had philosophical differences. I wish those guys the best”.

Expect Nike Baltimore Elite to jump into travel team hoops full steam in the future, not only attending tourneys but hosting their own, including a resumption of the Crab City Classic, next fall. “Next September, the Crab City is coming back bigger than ever” said Carrington excitedly, as that event is his brainchild, and last spring did swimmingly well for a first year event.

He, Corbett and others strongly believe Nike Baltimore Elite will do the same.