Carmelo Anthony on Son Kiyan Continuing His Syracuse Legacy

Carmelo Anthony shared how his son will continue his legacy.

In a recent episode of the Tamron Hall Show, the 40-year-old former NBA star discussed his son Kiyan’s decision to play basketball for Syracuse University, his father’s alma mater.

The six-foot-five, 17-year-old shared his decision to commit to Syracuse over other top contenders on his dad’s podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, last November.

When asked by Hall about handling the pressure of his son living up to his legacy, Carmelo revealed that he initially stayed out of Kiyan’s decision-making process to avoid influencing him.

“When he came to me and said that this is the decision that he wanted to do for so long I didn't say anything, I backed out of it. I couldn't have conversations with him because it'll be seen like I'm leaning towards the ‘Cuse,” Carmelo told Hall.

“So once he really said ‘Dad, OK, I'm this is what I wanna do,’ then I was able to lay out what is in front of you—the good, the bad, what to expect, what not to expect. But also what I did 20 something years ago is 20 something years ago, right? You have an opportunity to live off of that legacy but also create a whole new lane for this new generation,” he added.

"Ultimately, it came down to my relationship with the staff," Kiyan said in a Nov. interview with ESPN about his decision. "From day one, when they started recruiting me, they made me feel like it was family. My dad's name on the facility is special, but I want to go in there and create my own name, and I've already done that through my dedication in the offseason, with early-morning practices, playing at camps, playing on the circuit."

"I'm going to do everything Coach [Adrian] Autry needs me to do," he added. "We talk a lot, especially late at night, about how we can make Syracuse basketball great. Off the court, Coach is super cool. You could go out with him on a Friday night. He's still young and connects with all his players; he is very relatable."

Carmelo is a 10-time NBA All-Star with over 28,000 career points and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Time in 2021, per ESPN. As a freshman at Syracuse in 2003, he led the Orange to their first national championship, earning All-American and NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding player honors.

"The struggle was real, especially in middle school and my freshman year in high school," Kiyan told ESPN. "I didn't know what I was doing then, but I started listening to my dad. I trusted his words, established a routine and began to change into my own player. The biggest difference between me and my dad is that he was a straight-up bucket, a straight-up bully. He could score on you at will. I have scoring ability and I can create for others."