“Gonna be hard not having you in the house”: La La Anthony gets teary-eyed after Kiyan Anthony announces college decision
Kiyan Anthony was with his parents, Carmelo and La La Anthony, when he revealed his decision to join the Syracuse Orange on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. The decision comes after two years since the school offered him a scholarship. Currently a senior with the Long Island Lutherans, Anthony will join the Orange next August.
As the episode neared its end, the family shared an emotional moment when Carmelo Anthony and La La gave their son a heartfelt send-off. La La Anthony, unable to contain her emotions, could not hold her tears back during her send-off:
"I'm not a person that cries like that but it's emotional," La La Anthony said. "I'm so proud of you and I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you and it's gonna be hard not having you in the house. I don't know how I am gonna adjust to that, but I am trying, I'm in therapy to work through that.
"And I'm just so proud of you. You make me proud every day and I just want you to know me being proud of you is not based on you as a basketball player, its based on you as a person and just continue to be an amazing person." (48:26)
Kiyan Anthony refuses the narrative of following his father's footsteps
Carmelo Anthony was a one-and-done at Syracuse University in 2003 when he was picked third overall by the Denver Nuggets. He averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds per game in his freshman season, leading the program to its only NCAA title.
With that, it is natural to assume that the younger Anthony is leaning on his father's legacy. However, Kiyan Anthony claims otherwise, citing that the option to move to Syracuse came solely due to his own talents and identity.
"They really showed me they were recruiting me for who I was and that it had nothing to do with my Dad," Kiyan Anthony said to 247Sports. "I could see the vision with Sadiq going over there and being one of the most athletic people in the class, an overseas guard coming, and the potential of seniors like JJ Starling and Chris Bell coming back."
Kiyan Anthony also commended Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry and assistant Brendan Straughn. Not only did he commend their efforts in building a connection with him but also acknowledged their preparedness, which he claims gave them an edge over the USC Trojans.