Earlier this month, Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan ended speculation about his college future. He announced that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and play for Syracuse University. Stephen A. Smith congratulated the young guard and lauded the Hall of Famer and his ex-wife LaLa Anthony for their handling of the process, before calling out LeBron James for poor management of his son Bronny’s career path.
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The ESPN analyst noted that Kiyan will be under immense pressure. Carmelo left behind a strong legacy and won the National Championship during his sole season in college. However, he added that the guard has talent and skill with fans excited to see him emulate his father. He then claimed that James could have learned a thing or two from his good friend. Smith said,
“[LeBron] publicly stated that he wanted to play with his son [Bronny] in the NBA and then publicly made it happen. So as a result, the criticism that has come Bronny’s way has been excessive and it has been unfair and it has been cruel. But who instigated it? It was LeBron. LeBron… pun intended, all he had to do was be mellow.”
The analyst suggested that Carmelo has allowed his son room to grow and write his own story. On the flip side, LeBron has been pushing to play with Bronny. Despite Bronny having an underwhelming college season with USC, the four-time MVP ensured he declared for the 2024 NBA draft. The young guard was then drafted by the Lakers in the second round, with the 55th pick.
Smith believes LeBron’s influence is the only reason Bronny is in the NBA. He claimed that it isn’t wrong, but has played a massive role in the continued criticism the rookie has been subjected to.
The analyst’s take on the difference between LeBron’s handling of his son’s career path and Carmelo’s handling of Kiyan’s future is spot on. It’s evidenced by the 17-year-old’s mature answer about his transition to the pros.
Kiyan is not in a rush to join the NBA
LeBron and Bronny were bullish about the guard spending only a year at USC regardless of how he plays. However, Kiyan is open to staying at Syracuse for multiple seasons to ensure he only declares for the draft until he’s ready to make an impact. On Angel Reese’s Unapologetically Angel podcast, he said,
“I feel like one and done happens, it happens, but if it’s like an opportunity to stay, where I could stay two years and then go to the league like that could happen too. Obviously, now with NIL and everything still gonna get paid. You’re still making money in college or you’re in the league so.”
Kiyan Anthony, not leveraging his father’s name and instead wanting to make it on his own, is commendable. On the flip side, Bronny, who should have spent more time in college and worked on his game, is in the G-League and struggling to make any impact.
Perhaps the Lakers guard wouldn’t have been as heavily critiqued had he earned his stripes with USC before declaring for the draft.
