Stephen A. Smith approves of how La La and Carmelo Anthony “handled” Kiyan Anthony, criticises LeBron James’ “unintentional” mistake with Bronny
Carmelo Anthony and his ex-wife La La Anthony split up in 2021, with La La citing "irreconcilable differences" while filing for divorce. Although they are apart, they seemingly never wavered in their efforts to raise their son, Kiyan Anthony, who has grown up to be one of the top prospects in the Class of 2025.
The teenager ended months of speculation regarding his college decision, announcing his commitment to his father's alma mater, Syracuse on Nov. 15. Carmelo and La La's parenting skills earned immense praise from Stephen A. Smith, with the renowned analyst speaking volumes about the way they raised Kiyan amid immense media attention on the latest episode of the Stephen A. Smith show.
"When have you heard about Kiyan, particularly out of the mouth of Carmelo Anthony? When people were asking him whether his son was going to go pro or not a few months ago, he said, 'I don't want to hear that sh*t.' He said, 'Brother got to get on this game, be on his grind and figure out what college he's going to go to.'
"It's very, very important to understand and appreciate how he (Carmelo) and Kiyan's mother, the wonderful La La Anthony, have handled their son," said Smith.
Smith also compared handling Kiyan's hype to that of LeBron James' eldest son, Bronny. He addressed the four-time NBA champion expressing his desire to play with Bronny in the NBA, explaining why it may not have been the best idea.
"He (LeBron) did nothing intentionally wrong, but he publicly stated that he wanted to play with his son in the NBA and then publicly made it happen. So, as a result, the criticism that has come Bronny's way has been excessive, and it has been unfair, and it has been cruel. But who instigated it? It was LeBron."
Kiyan Anthony to follow in the footsteps of father Carmelo Anthony
Kiyan's move to Syracuse gives him the opportunity to grow the Anthony family's legacy at Syracuse, where his father, Carmelo Anthony led them to their only national championship victory in 2003 before becoming one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.
The four-star shooting guard prospect, who is ranked 34th in the Class of 2025 per ESPN, has shown some of the traits his father possessed during his high school basketball career at Long Island Lutheran High. He will be keen to finish his senior season on a high, before taking his talents to the JMA Wireless Dome in 2025.