3 former NBA champs including Carmelo Anthony's ex-teammate show love to Kiyan Anthony after emphatic senior season debut
Carmelo Anthony's son, Kiyan Anthony, is the next big star kid in the basketball world. The Syracuse commit is making the waves with his impressive game, and many former NBA players are taking note. After an emphatic senior high school season debut, three former NBA champions, Kendrick Perkins, Matt Barnes and JR Smith, showed Kiyan some love on his highlight tape.
All three players have shared the floor with Kiyan Anthony's dad, Carmelo Anthony, as teammates or opponents. JR Smith played with Carmelo in Denver and New York. They continue to be great friends.
Smith won the championship in 2016 with LeBron James and the Cavaliers. Kendrick Perkins also won the title on the same Cavaliers team.
On the other hand, Matt Barnes won his ring with the Warriors in 2017. Kiyan Anthony led the Long Island Lutheran team to a 74-35 win over St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute in Saturday's non-conference game. His highlight package included a thunderous poster, some neat finishes at the rim, and a couple of impressive and-1s.
Carmelo Anthony compares Kiyan Anthony's game to his style
Carmelo Anthony made a living as one of the best scorers in the NBA. It's not surprising that he finished his career in the top 10 of the NBA's all-time scoring list with 28,289 points. With his son, Kiyan Anthony, emerging as one of the best young talents, there have been several comparisons between their games.
Carmelo gave his take in an interview that surfaced on Nov. 14 via Overtime:
“Majority of it [is from me]. I think my game back then at 16 was a little more physical. I just had a different type of mentality because of how I was growing up and my upbringing and what I was around in my environment, so my ‘why' was a lot different."
Carmelo also gave Kiyan his flowers for the extra production that he brings beyond his scoring.
“[Kiyan] has skills that I didn't have. His court vision at this level is very high. His shot-making ability is high. And I think people look at him for being able to make shots and take away from his actual playmaking and IQ of the game.”
Carmelo Anthony was a straight scorer during his NBA career and was not known much for his playmaking. He could nail the occasional pass, but that's not what his game revolved around. Kiyan Anthony seems to have that edge. He also plays as a shooting guard, while his father played as a small forward growing up.