"It's a great feeling": Carmelo Anthony's son Kiyan Anthony once spoke out on his father's retirement from NBA
Carmelo Anthony believes in letting Kiyan Anthony carve his own path and accepting whatever comes along. Interestingly, the son has a similar approach. Melo announced his retirement last summer. He dropped a surprise video on his socials and YouTube channel as he unlaced his basketball shoes.
At the time, fans raved that Melo had plenty left in his bag. However, Kiyan Anthony had a different sentiment altogether. While he had no questions about his father's hooping skills, the 17-year-old was pleased to have Melo's full attention to himself and his journey.
In an interview with an ABC affiliate that Overtime published on YouTube on September 17, 2023, Kiyan opened up about his dad's retirement. (Start at 4:38)
"It's a great feeling you know," Anthony said. "He's been thinking about this for a while, you know, not being in the league. So, him finally retiring and being able to come support me, it's a great feeling. I'm ready to take on the challenge and really step into the shoes I need to fill," he added. (4:38)
With more than 28,000 points to his name, Carmelo Anthony retired in ninth on the NBA's all-time scoring list. While he was no longer the scoring threat that he was during his prime, Melo was still a reliable role player.
He averaged 13.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during his last year with Los Angeles Lakers. His 919 points under 25.0 minutes per game was better than a player averaging 26-28 minutes of playtime in the NBA that season.
When extending the comparison to players with 32 minutes of action, the only players that surpassed Carmelo Anthony's numbers shot at a lower clip, took more shots or struggled in both.
Carmelo Anthony's school will have another chance to impress Kiyan Anthony
As he nears his senior high school year, Kiyan Anthony released his list of six college teams he's considering last July: the USC Trojans, Scarlet Rutgers, Syracuse Orange, Auburn Tigers, Florida State, and Ohio State Buckeyes.
While every school has its particular appeal, fans expect the young hooper to lean towards Syracuse, mostly because of his father’s history. Carmelo Anthony led the program to its lone NCAA championship in 2002.
Anthony is already impressed with his father’s legacy which is still celebrated in the institution. Moreover, Syracuse will also be only one of two teams that will have the chance to impress Kiyan Anthony twice. He has already visited the program once, in October 2023, and plans to visit it again before making his final decision.