The bond between fathers and sons is impossible to describe unless you have that relationship yourself. NBA superstars in particular have an even more complex relationship since their kid has to be cast on the edges of their spotlight. Carmelo Anthony and his Kiyan are no strangers to the same.
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Carmelo was one of the most popular players in the NBA during his time in the league. The Hall of Famer has one son, Kiyan, who is now 18 and getting ready to attend his father’s alma mater, Syracuse University.
The father-son duo spoke about Kiyan having to follow in his father’s All-Star footsteps on a special edition of Melo’s 7PM in Brooklyn podcast.
“A lot of people say we have this tag against us, you especially, as Melo’s son. How does that make you feel?” asked the 41-year-old. “I don’t really have a problem with it to be honest. I feel like, anybody would want to be Melo’s son,” responded Kiyan.
That said, Kiyan wants to separate himself from the legend that was his dad. He doesn’t want to be shoe-horned in or given any opportunity just because of who Melo is. He wanted to earn those things himself.
“At the end of the day, I’m my own person,” Kiyan added. “I gotta do my own things on and off the court.”
Speaking of basketball, Kiyan shares Melo’s scoring instincts and smooth footwork, but his game is more modern in style. He plays more on the perimeter and relies on quick ball movement and outside shooting. Carmelo favored midrange and post-ups, while Kiyan plays more like a guard. Still, the scoring talent clearly runs in the family.
One area that Kiyan plans to show he can be his own man is in his work. “What the people don’t see is on the court, just the hard work, the training, and all of that,” the 18-year-old said. But it’s not just through basketball that he’s doing this work.
“And then off the court, I feel like we have similar personalities, but at the same time, we’re two different people, so you can’t label me as just Melo’s son.”
The unfortunate thing is that Kiyan will have some big shoes to fill, especially in Syracuse. Melo’s college game is as highly regarded as his work in the NBA. It doesn’t mean that the young blood is in a can’t-win situation. But the narrative from basketball fans, who could lean overly toxic, is that Kiyan’s name will be forgotten.
Let’s hope that the young man proves them all wrong. He certainly has the work ethic. That alone should prove him to be his own person.
