Kiyan Anthony is among the most exciting second-generation prospects to come through in the past decade. The forward is the #1 prospect from New York and #33 overall in the 2025 recruiting class. His playstyle and impact on the court have earned him comparisons to his father Carmelo Anthony. However, the 17-year-old believes he’s a better shooter than his superstar dad was.
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During an appearance on the Sloane Knows podcast, the host asked him about the similarities and differences between him and his father. Kiyan replied that their tendencies as scorers and decision-making on offense resemble quite a bit. He said,
“The way we score is kind of similar, like shooting and getting to the basket. I looked at his highlights and I looked at my highlights and it’ll be like some similarity there.”
In terms of differences, the 17-year-old believes he’s a better shooter than his father was when he was the same age as he is currently. He said,
“I feel like I shoot a little better than him at this age. He was a little bit taller and he got to the basket a little more so I feel like I could shoot a little better shooter than him.”
He added that his father preferred finishing around the rim in high school, while he relied more on shooting from the perimeter and beyond the arc. Kiyan has already shown glimpses of his ability as a shooter.
He scored 20.3 points per game during the Nike EYBL U17 earlier this year. While he shot just 31.1% from the three-point line, his silky smooth jumper indicated he could become an elite three-point threat. Carmelo has already been getting a taste of his son’s shooting prowess in their one-on-one games.
Kiyan Anthony has started to overpower his father in one-on-one match-ups
A few months ago, Lala Anthony recorded a one-on-one battle between Kiyan and Carmelo. The retired star looked a step slower than his teenage son but was wily enough to create separation and shoot mid-range jumpers above him.
On the contrary, the 17-year-old overwhelmed his father with a quick-release jumper. In one instance, he created massive separation after a crossover and nailed a smooth jump shot. He also netted a quick-release jumper from almost 30 feet out, which ended the game.
The short snippet backed Kiyan’s claim about his shooting prowess. He has a quick one-motion jump shot, unlike his father who had a two-motion jumper. Thus, he could develop into a bigger threat as a shooter than his father.
