Well, it’s chicken wings (the Japanese version) over salmon, any time for Kiyan Anthony. And, yes, Carmelo Anthony’s son needed help with the chopsticks.
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Kiyan’s adventures in Japan, chronicled as a vlog, provided not just glimpses from the trip, but also insights into his personality. All while letting us know that deep inside, the 6’5 prodigiously talented guard is still a kid.
In the latest episode of his Overtime Series The Evolution: Kiyan Anthony Season 2.0, his culinary temperament, and a shopping quest to find a fitting pair of shoes in “little” people country were showcased. Kiyan, true to his nature, did have fun, though at times, he expressed his frustrations too. Especially the time when he needed help to get the food into his mouth.
Kiyan visited Japan with his mother LaLa Anthony, his uncle Christian Vasquez, and cousin Mekai Vasquez in July. He would have tried Japanese food a few times. His experience while in the city of Shibuya was vlogged.
As the four sat down for lunch, their guide settled into the traditional seiza pose (on his knees). Mekai immediately followed suit, but Kiyan claimed his knees were troubling him in that position. He sat normally throughout the meal while impishly trying to convince his mother to try it. She shot him down promptly, preferring to sit like Kiyan.
The best came with the food. Kiyan was confused by the chopsticks. After struggling with them for a while, he asked his cousin to help. Kiyan got Mekai to dip the salmon in the sauce and put it back on his plate. After tasting the salmon (needless to say, he used the chopsticks incorrectly), he seemed to regret the decision.
After downing two glasses of water to wash down the taste while unabashedly not trying to hide the funny grimace on his face, Kiyan was convinced the pieces reached his gut. He said, “Nah, all jokes aside, I don’t really like that stuff bro.”
He did not give up there, and tried Octopus, which he liked a lot more than salmon. Tempura shrimp was next on his plate. “For real valid” stuff, he exclaimed. He also liked the Wagyu beef, but it was the Japanese version of chicken wings, called Tebasaki, that he enjoyed the most.
“This is the best thing at the restaurant. This is chicken wings, but not chicken wings, it’s better than chicken wings,” Kiyan said.
What did Kiyan wish for at Kyoto shrine?
In typical teenage fashion, the four-star prospect had fun shopping in Shibuya. Did he buy anything. Well, size matters.
Kiyan noticed that the clothing brand Bape is all the rage in Japan. And his personality, and age in equal measure, came out in the store. First was his desperate attempt to find sneakers that fit him. The 17-year-old reacted like a teen should, and said, “Damn bro! I told you everybody is mad little bro like nobody wear 12!”
Despite not finding anything he fancied, Kiyan had a blast at the Bape store. He tried on glasses, sang along to Lil Durk (whose songs were being played in the store). The best was when he helped a fellow shopper choose a color for his wallet (Kiyan suggested green, claiming it was his favorite).
A three-hour train ride later, he found himself in Kyoto. Kiyan headed to the Fushmiri Inari Taishi Sembron, a shrine famous for its thousand gates. The tour guide explained that if one walks through the gates while praying for something, that wish would come true. Kiyan wished for “a good basketball career, a lot of monyion, and for my family to stay safe and secure.”
His sense of humor stood out in the vlog. From referring to the camera as “chat”, to the many funny, and frustrated facial expressions he managed to pull, it was all natural and fun to watch.
Despite having the spotlight on him, he truly is just is a kid, and the vlog captured him in his true elements and nature perfectly.
