"You're not here to be exactly like your dad" - La La Anthony advises son Kiyan on how to handle pressure from Carmelo's legacy
Carmelo Anthony is mentoring his son, Kiyan, as he takes on the challenge of becoming one of the best players, and La La Anthony shared her piece of advice. As the son of a former NBA star, Kiyan has a lot of pressure on him to come close to who his father was on the court.
La La has always been a big supporter of her son and ex-husband, Melo. Currently, she's co-parenting with the former NBA star as they still work together to raise Kiyan. The younger Anthony has developed a great basketball game and is expected to make it to the league soon.
Anthony was a guest on the "Jemele Hill is Unbothered" podcast and was asked how she balances wanting Kiyan to succeed but also not wanting the pressure of being an NBA star's son. Melo's ex-wife shared the advice she gave her son as he faced challenges and pressure.
"That's all about communication and talking to your kid like this is your journey," La La Anthony said. "Your journey does not have to mimic your dad's journey. If at any point through the journey you're like, 'Hey this isn't for me,' it's fine. We are going to support you in whatever it is that you want to do. We want you to be great at whatever it is you put your mind to."
"Kiyan has a completely different game than Melo. There are things that are the same, but very different. You're not here to be exactly like your dad. You're here to blaze your own path. Do it your way. We constantly encourage him and give him the confidence to do that."
Kiyan may soon be following in his father's footsteps if he commits to Syracuse University. No official confirmation has been made, but it could come true soon.
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La La Anthony reflects on being in a co-parenting relationship with Melo
La La Anthony and the New York Knicks legend ended their marriage after she filed for divorce in 2021. Since then, they've been in a co-parenting setup together in raising Kiyan. La La wants both of them to be a positive influence on their son.
"I'm always across that bridge when I get there. We are incredible friends, we created this incredible human being, and we want to be a great example to him. Our kids watch us, then in adult like or teenage life or whatever, start mimicking the same behavior they saw at home or they saw their parents doing. It's very hard for kids to break that cycle ... While we're not the perfect family unit, so to speak, we're gonna try to be as best as we can in what we're working with and we want to be a great example to him."
Even after the divorce, La La and Melo have remained good friends.
Also read: Carmelo Anthony's ex-wife La La Anthony reveals major reason behind their separation: "Now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage"