Carmelo Anthony has lived a full basketball life, Olympic gold medals, NBA stardom, and a college legacy that still echoes through Syracuse. Now his son Kiyan is prepared to take his own steps toward a basketball future. And Melo is making sure the path is smoother than the one he had to walk.
Advertisement
On 7PM in Brooklyn, he was asked by Karlous Miller, who also has a son pursuing his basketball dreams, what advice he would give to Kiyan.
Unlike most prospects, Kiyan doesn’t need to navigate the grind alone. Melo said that he had to figure everything out himself, learn from mistakes, earn his name, and navigate the pressures. But for Kiyan, things are different. He has a Hall of Famer holding his hand every step of the way, guiding him toward a better future.
He said, “Utilize me. Don’t shy away from me because everybody else wants you to do your own thing and carve your own path out.” While Melo would want Kiyan to write his own legacy, he believes that the 18-year-old should make the most of the golden opportunity that he has been blessed with.
Most youngsters would kill to have a mentor like Melo. His nearly two-decade-long NBA legacy is undeniable, and his place is cemented in the game’s history books. So, even though Kiyan might feel the pressure of doing things his own way, it’s only fair that he utilizes the invaluable resource that he has at home.
“I worked so f**king hard to create this path, you gonna go right down this path,” Melo said. He also understands that kids are usually afraid to ask a lot of questions, even to their own parents. But Melo always tells his son that he should ask as many questions as he can because his father has all the answers. “Don’t be afraid to talk to me and utilize me,” is the message Melo leads his son with.
Melo truly appreciates Kiyan’s drive to make his own mistakes and learn from them. He wants the 18-year-old to go through the struggles of different coaches thinking he’s not good enough, being benched, or being told to change his game, because all of that helps develop a young talent like Kiyan.
However, once he has paid his dues to the game and is ready to take things to the next level, he wants Kiyan to know that his Hall of Famer father will be there with the right advice.
