"Y'all playing like suckers": Carmelo Anthony once fired up on son Kiyan and Team Melo for "playing soft"

Carmelo Anthony is always present on the sidelines at his son Kiyan Anthony's basketball games. The incoming high school senior plays for Team Melo in the Nike EYBL circuit and has made waves with his incredible performances.

During one of his games from 2023, which was included in Kiyan's documentary, "Evolution," Carmelo was frustrated with the team. He did not mince his words and laid it out.

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"Y'all not playing hard," Melo said. "Y'all playing soft, y'all playing like suckers. You think y'all gonna be recruited by coaches playing like this?"

In another 2023 video, Kiyan Anthony spoke about his father's presence and the importance of having someone as experienced as Carmelo on their side.

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"Whenever my dad see us lacking or us doing something bad, he always coming to timeout and give his input," Kiyan said. "Everybody loved to listen because they know that he knows what he's talking about." [Timestamp - 06:35]

Kiyan Anthony is preparing for his senior season at Long Island Lutheran High School. He will also be making important college decisions in the upcoming months. The guard's top six schools in the mix are Auburn, Rutgers, USC, Florida State, Ohio State and his father's alma mater, Syracuse.

Kiyan Anthony shares the reality of training with his father, Carmelo

Having played in the NBA for 20 years, Carmelo Anthony is often on hand to pass his immense game knowledge to his son, Kiyan. This includes his famous "jab step," and a video of the father-son training went viral on social media in August.

However, the shooting guard revealed that Melo did not go easy on him during these practice sessions. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports from last year, Kiyan said:

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“If I were to mess up, he’ll get on me. He just wants me to be great and I don’t take it personal or anything like that. When we start to play one-on-one, he’ll guard me real aggressive just so I can feel what the next-level strength is like.

"He was in the league for 20 years, so he goes hard against me just so I can feel the forearm, how strong he is with the ball, just so I can be ready.”

With him joining college next season, Kiyan Anthony will be eligible for the 2026 draft. However, Carmelo Anthony once said he would encourage his son to avoid the one-and-done route.

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