-
Myron Medcalf
Kiyan Anthony has never had a typical life.
He grew up fist-bumping LeBron James and Kevin Durant in NBA locker rooms, he texts Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan to talk ball and he calls Kim Kardashian his «aunt.» It takes a lot to make the 18-year-old college freshman starstruck. But at an event full of Hollywood A-listers, he was left speechless: Music icons Jay-Z and Beyoncé were just across the room.
«In the locker room with my dad at the NBA All-Star Game, seeing the best players in the world, I thought that was normal,» Kiyan told ESPN. «My mom had me in a different world.»
When you grow up in the center of two celebrities’ spotlights — Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony is Kiyan’s father, actress and model La La Anthony his mother — you’re used to attention. But the nature of that attention intensifies when you choose to play for the same university where your dad became a legend.
For much of his life, Kiyan lived with the expectation that he would one day follow in his father’s footsteps. Having led Syracuse to its only men’s national basketball title in 2003, Carmelo left behind massive shoes to fill — his jersey hanging in the rafters next to a practice facility named after him. That legacy is both a boost and a burden for his son, whose 1 million-plus Instagram followers made Kiyan a unique four-star high school recruit.
His commitment seemed like the anointing of a prince. But as Kiyan finally steps into his own spotlight, he is determined to chase his own dreams — and prove that he’s more than his father’s son.
«When they talk about me, I just want them to talk about my development and how I keep getting better,» he said. «And how I could rise to the top.»
New York Knicks — Orange fans see Carmelo’s son.
«The work has been put in, so he should be prepared for these moments and these environments, but I tell him every single game, it’s just basketball,» Carmelo told ESPN. «That’s it. That’s my message to him. ‘You know how to play. Go out there, be better, develop, play the right way. Shoot when you’re open, pass when you’re not.'»
It also helps that Kiyan can phone a friend uniquely suited to understand: Bronny James, whom the freshman calls a confidant.
«I feel like throughout this process, you could feel like you’re alone,» Kiyan said. «You feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders and there is nobody behind you. But then having friends like that, that are going through the same thing that I’m going through, somebody like [Bronny] — he is way ahead of me and already in the NBA and going through way worse, so it always could be worse. I feel like pressure is just an opportunity for success.»
postgame celebration video.
«Nah, let me hold the mic,» he said before he began to praise his teammates.
«Yo, I just want to say, this the best shooter in the country right here!»
«I just want to say, this the best combo guard in the country right here!»
«If you under that rim, he gonna dunk on you, bro!»
«That’s Kiyan, man,» said his Syracuse teammate Sadiq White Jr. «That’s the Kiyan that we see every day, man. He comes in here and he’s just himself. We accept him. We let him be himself. We let him let his guard down around us. We’re his brothers.»
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Devin Booker and more NBA All-Stars over a decade-long stint at Kentucky — said Kiyan is developing the work ethic that made those players great, all with the goal of packing on the muscle that elevated his father’s game.
«He has really taken pride into the weight room,» Harris said. «He’s coming to me on off days to get extra work. That’s a huge testament to him and obviously, he’s seen his dad. You can’t grow up with that and then just be lazy. That would be disrespectful to his parents.»
Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now
Kiyan has turned a corner since his shaky play in Vegas, scoring in double figures in three straight games heading into Monday’s win over Stonehill College, posting an efficient 18 points in 20 minutes against Northeastern on Sunday.
«I love where he’s at,» Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said. «He’s going to be fine. We need him. He’s a big part of what we do. He has a maturity about him as far as the game. … He’s going to keep working and he always tries to step up to the challenge, so that’s what I love about him.»
The arc of Kiyan’s season so far highlights the most important component of his story: It’s his and his alone.
His father’s run at Syracuse was remarkable and, to date, unmatched.
But this is The Kiyan Anthony Story — and it’s just getting started.
Only he can write the next lines of this script, a weight his father prepared him to carry.
«We know that there is going to be a spotlight,» Carmelo said. «He’s been in the spotlight all of his life.»
