"Love this kid so much": Kiyan Anthony's mom La La Anthony reacts to his "beautiful interview" with ESPN
Kiyan Anthony's mother and television personality, La La Anthony, reacted positively to her son's response in an in-depth interview with ESPN on Wednesday. The interview came ahead of the release of the second season of "The Evolu7ion" with Overtime on YouTube.
The high school hooper acknowledged La La, who worked as an MTV VJ and host of reality television reunion shows in the early 2000s, for playing an important role in his overall development, whether it was in school or just going to the gym.
"I would say everybody sees when the cameras are on [my dad] and then they're on me because I'm playing good, but I would say my mom does a lot more background stuff," Anthony told ESPN. "Like, when I'm going through something or I need somebody to talk to, my mom is definitely the person.
"And she's the one who really pushes me to get in the gym, even if I don't want to. To go to school and stay on top of my grades and stuff like that."
La La, who has around 15 million followers on Instagram, then posted a screenshot of Kiyan's statement on her story on Thursday and wrote:
"Beautiful interview @kiyananthony did with ESPN, I'm touched love this kid so much."
Kiyan Anthony given independence over which school to choose in college
During the interview, Kiyan, whose father, Carmelo Anthony, guided the Syracuse Orange to their only national championship in 2003, emphasized that it was never a talk in his home to pick Syracuse over other schools in his final list.
"[My father] never pushes me to go to Syracuse just because his name is on the gym," the 6-foot-5 guard said. "He did so much at Syracuse. He knows that I'm my own person. I've just got to make my own decision at the end of the day."
Aside from Syracuse, Kiyan Anthony's final list includes Auburn, USC, Florida State, Ohio State and Rutgers. The Long Island Lutheran High School star, who is ranked No. 36 in the 2025 ESPN 100 rankings, is scheduled to make another visit to the campus before he makes his final decision in the next two months.
The young star noted that he's also developing his playmaking skills in preparation for his collegiate career. He plans to showcase the improvements in his final high school season, which is set to start in November.
Which school will Kiyan Anthony choose for his college basketball career? Is it Syracuse? Auburn? USC? Florida State? Ohio State? or Rutgers? Let us know your views in the comments section below.