Kiyan Anthony’s exploits on the basketball court have skyrocketed his reputation. According to the ESPN recruitment database, the 17-year-old Long Island Lutheran High School guard is among the top 40 players in his age group and is expected to climb higher before he heads to college next year. He’s practically only two years away from joining the NBA and his mother La La is excited about her son’s future.
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For her, Kiyan’s growth has been emotional. The 42-year-old TV star recently shared a clip full of nostalgic moments of her son’s journey as a basketball star. She even expressed her surprise at how far he has already come. La La captioned the Instagram story, “He’s all grown up” with plenty of teary-eyed emojis and a heart.
The video starts with footage of a seven-year-old, 3-foot-4-inch tall Kiyan, who grew nearly a foot-and-a-half in just two years. By the time he was 10, he was already 5-foot-1 and his growth as a player was evident to even the most casual viewer.
The clip followed his year-by-year progression, all the way up to 2024. The now 6-foot-5-inch guard is only two inches shorter than his father Carmelo Anthony. He has a polished game and is expected to have a slew of suitors hoping to convince him to join their program next year.
LaLa Anthony gets nostalgic about son Kiyan pic.twitter.com/smlzqTUpSd
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) August 14, 2024
According to ESPN, he has offers from USC, Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State, Rutgers, and his father’s alma mater Syracuse. Kiyan will take his time and weigh his options before committing to a program. However, most fans, perhaps even his father, hope he chooses to play for the Syracuse Orange.
Will Kiyan Anthony emulate his father?
The University and its head coach Adrian “Red” Autry have been keenly monitoring Kiyan‘s growth as a player. They have made it no secret that they want the guard to follow in his father’s footsteps in playing for the Syracuse Orange.
Carmelo spent one season playing for the program and led them to their only NCAA National Championship in 2003. He declared for the 2003 NBA Draft, where he would’ve been the first overall pick had LeBron James not been in the same class. He instead went third overall to the Nuggets and carved out a Hall of Fame career.
The pressure of being an icon’s son hasn’t fazed Kiyan. On the contrary, he’s looking to usurp his father. During an appearance on Overtime‘s ‘The Evolu7ion‘, the 17-year-old claimed he wants to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It’s a lofty goal, but the guard has faith in himself. He also has the support of his father, one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, and his mother, who has chronicled his basketball journey since he was a toddler and backed him to live his dream.
