Kiyan Anthony, the son of NBA star Carmelo Anthony and actress La La Anthony, recently spoke with WNBA player Angel Reese about his future and growing up in a famous family.
College Decisions
In two weeks, Kiyan will make a pivotal decision in his life-choosing a college. During his interview with Reese, Kiyan revealed that his top three schools are: Auburn, USC, and Syracuse.
The high school senior explained that his decision will hinge on his connection with the coaches and the potential for personal growth as a player.
“Um, just like what coaches been on me the latest and where I could go in right away and, you know, see growth and where I could develop my game and just try to win. Like whatever the coaches tell me, like they can see me playing, where my role is, all of that goes into, like, you know, where I choose. So I still got a couple weeks to decide, but it’s getting close.”
“It’s no pressure, but I feel it though. I can hear it. I can hear everybody talk about it.”
Life in the Spotlight
Growing up with famous parents has its challenges.
Kiyan reflected on his experiences, saying, “At tournaments, I can’t walk outside; I can’t even walk through the gym with a bunch of people because it gets crazy.” However, he finds some normalcy in Brooklyn with his friends, stating, “In New York, if you’re from the area, you’re going to be cool with everybody.”
Inspired by His Dad, Mom, and Paul George
Kiyan expressed deep admiration for his dad’s basketball skills. When asked to describe Carmelo’s game in three words, he said, “He’s a killer for sure, a bully a little bit—and he’s a leader.” Kiyan wants to adopt his dad’s strong mindset.
“I would take his mentality. Even when he’s missing shots or when the game isn’t going his way, he’s still going to find a way to get it. I feel like I have a good mentality, like to go out there and kill, but he’s next level. He has a professional type of mindset.”
While Kiyan looks up to his dad, he revealed that Paul George is his favorite player.
“I feel like I play like him a little bit. Ever since he was on the team with my dad, I always watched him because he’s my position, he’s 6’8″, and he can do it all.”
In terms of his Mount Rushmore of basketball, Kiyan includes Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and, of course, his father.
As for his mom, he watches all her shows, but he doesn’t want to follow in her footsteps because he feels that he “can’t act”.
To honor his mom, he even got a tattoo on his forearm that reads, “You continuously put me before yourself,” highlighting her influence in his life.
He explained, “The concept was like giving thanks to my mom. The tattoo artist found a picture, and then I wrote the quote,” he added.
Looking Ahead
As he looks forward to college life, Kiyan has aspirations of making it to the NBA. He wants to leave a legacy as the “cool” guy both on and off the court.
“Off the court, I’m laid-back and cool. I don’t want to be nobody’s way. On the court, I want to be known for getting buckets, winning, and helping my teammates. I don’t want people to have anything bad to say about me unless they’re just hating. So close to me, I want everybody around to say, “Nah, K is cool. K always looks out.”