Carmelo Anthony’s legacy is far greater than his Hall-of-Fame NBA career. His son, Kiyan, is on pace to carry on the Anthony name to the NBA. However, he isn’t only prioritizing his father’s legacy. Kiyan’s mother, La La, has supported her son every step of his basketball journey. Much to the pleasure of his mother, he embraced his Puerto Rican roots.
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Anthony is a four-star recruit and one of the biggest stars within the high school basketball circuit. Although he is a four-star, he didn’t earn a selection to the McDonald’s All-American Game, largely due to missed games with injury. He hasn’t let that disappointment hinder him as he continues to thrive.
The 6-foot-5 guard dominated in ‘The Throne’ national high school basketball tournament. Following a stellar 25 points on 9-15 shooting in the title game and his role in leading his team to victory, he earned MVP honors for the tournament.
His consistent performance has led him to earn an invite to the Nike Hoop Summit. He joins some notable players who competed in the event in the past. These are names like Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic and more. Instead of representing his birth country of the U.S, Kiyan will represent Puerto Rico.
Both of La La’s parents are from Puerto Rico. Despite being born and raised in New York City, she has always embraced that aspect of her identity. She took to her Instagram story to say, “Let’s go,” while celebrating her son for embracing that part of his heritage.
La La Anthony celebrates son representing Puerto Rico pic.twitter.com/nZ5WIdaXLz
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) April 12, 2025
The 18-year-old was born in Denver while his father was a member of the Nuggets. However, he was raised in New York. Although he wasn’t born in Puerto Rico, he holds that side of his heritage very closely.
Kiyan will play on Team World against the loaded Team USA. The roster consisting of Americans features Duke commit Cameron Boozer along with BYU commit AJ Dybansta. This game will allow Kiyan to prove himself against some of the biggest stars coming into college.
Anthony will look to establish a runaway of success before entering his freshman season of college. Kiyan committed to his father’s alma mater, Syracuse, and will try to deliver the program’s first national championship since his father in 2003.
