“Football Is Worse Than Basketball”: Carmelo Anthony Enlightens Russell Wilson On Dealing With Family Issues In The Spotlight

It’s got to be tough for athletes to spend so much time away from their families during the season. Players are on the road constantly. They’re training, traveling, and playing games—while trying to stay connected with the people they love. FaceTime calls and short visits can only do so much when you’re missing birthdays or just being home for dinner. That kind of distance wears on anyone, no matter how strong or successful they are.

And even when athletes get to be with their families, especially bigger stars, there’s rarely any privacy. Fans or media always seem to want a piece of their personal lives with a camera in their hand. It’s like their families are part of the job, whether they signed up for it or not. That spotlight can be overwhelming, especially for kids who never asked to be in it in the first place.

This was a heavy topic on the latest 7PM In Brooklyn podcast with host, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, and his guest, NFL superstar Russell Wilson. Melo spoke on the importance of family and how it’s hard to maintain balance with an athlete’s busy schedule.

“Any athlete…the No. 1 issue you have is with family. You’re gonna have issues with family if you don’t be intentional of the time that you spend with the family,” said the Hall of Famer. “Football is worse than basketball,” Melo added. “They are all day. He’s (referring to Wilson) 5:30 to 6, 7, 8 at night.” 

Wilson had some added eyes on him already. Not just because he’s a Super Bowl winner, but also because he’s the newest addition to a very popular team, the New York Giants. Russ also has extra eyes on him because his wife, Ciara, is an international pop star and is pretty hard to miss in public.

Melo has done a pretty good job at balancing his life, especially as a parent

Carmelo Anthony has always spoken with a lot of pride and love when it comes to being a father to his son, Kiyan. Even though his NBA career kept him on the road a lot, he’s made it clear that being a present and supportive dad is one of his top priorities.

He’s talked in interviews about how much he values his relationship with Kiyan, making an effort to guide him not just in basketball, but in life in general. Part of that relationship was rewarded when Kiyan committed to attending his father’s alma mater, Syracuse University.

“This is a special moment. I might shed a tear,” said Melo in a video released by Syracuse regarding his son’s acceptance to the school. “This is a special moment because it was so f***ing hard not to say nothing,” he said to laughs.

It’s always nice to see a father, whether he’s an athlete or not, show pride in their kids. It goes to show you how important family is, no matter how famous or rich you can be.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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