Melo

The Inland Empire’s been on quite the run these last few years. 

For one, Trop mieux owes the Southern California locale for its founding and a chunk of its inspiration. The section’s very own Hit-Boy has solidified himself as one of the greatest, most prolific producers of all-time. And in June 2021, the NBA crowned the Chino Hills High School legend, LaMelo LaFrance Ball, as their Rookie of the Year. 

Ball’s win wasn’t the least surprising to basketball fans around the league nor to those around the IE who’ve been witness to his greatness going back to his sophomore year of high school when he scored 92 points in a single game -- a feat comparable that came just short of rivaling fellow Inland Empire native Cheryl Miller’s 105 point game in 1982. 

Since being teed up to rocket out of his section and onto the global stage, Melo has circumvented the norms at all corners while improving upon his knack for scoring and distributing the ball. From playing pro in Lithuania as a juvenile to a staggering season in Australia before landing in the razzling, dazzling turquoise and royal purple of the Charlotte Hornets, he’s showed up and showed out at every stage, shedding doubts about his prospects to be one of the best players basketball players the world has ever seen. 

This shirt is dedicated to LaMelo LaFrance as it might be the only thing that looks better on him than that specific shade of turquoise and purple that fit Hornets greats before him.