"I’m coming up next" - Kiyan Anthony takes inspiration from Bronny James' Lakers draft

In an interview with Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, Kiyan Anthony discussed his basketball journey and his aspirations to reach the NBA. Kiyan, the son of 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, draws inspiration from LA Lakers rookie Bronny James and the arduous path he took to get drafted.

Anthony, who will be draft-eligible as early as 2026, still has to go through college before his NBA journey can truly begin. However, he is already looking forward to becoming a professional, and seeing Bronny make that leap has lit a fire under him.

​

"It's definitely really cool," Anthony said. "It just shows that anybody could do it. I’m coming up next, and I could do it. Definitely happy for him and definitely congratulations to him."

Bronny James and Kiyan Anthony have a few similarities. Both of their fathers were drafted in 2003 and were top-five picks. LeBron James was taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Carmelo Anthony was selected third by the Denver Nuggets.

Both fathers became NBA superstars, but while LeBron's career continues, Carmelo last played in the 2022 season and officially retired in 2023. Carmelo was consistently one of the league's best scorers, logging 28,289 career points. During the 2012-13 season, he earned the scoring title by averaging 28.7 points per game.

Kiyan Anthony will likely be highly scrutinized as he follows in his father's footsteps. However, he also has the chance to do something Carmelo never accomplished, which is to win an NBA title.

---

Kiyan Anthony has several options for college, appears to be favoring Syracuse

Kiyan Anthony has already made a name for himself as one of the best high school hoopers in the nation. He is ranked as a top-ten shooting guard in the United States and the number-one player in New York. Additionally, 247 Sports has ranked him as a four-star prospect.

His stellar play in high school has garnered interest from some of the country's top basketball programs, including Ohio State, Florida State and Rutgers. He has also received an offer from USC, the same college that Bronny James played for.

Among these colleges, the one that seems to appeal to him the most is Syracuse. His father, Carmelo Anthony is also a Syracuse alumnus and had his jersey retired there. Speaking with Robinson, Kiyan said that visiting the college with his father and seeing the tributes to him was a "crazy" experience. Because of this, Kiyan admitted that he is considering visiting Syracuse again and even actually going there.

​