Bryce James (l) and Kiyan Anthony (r) at Christ The King v Sierra Canyon - Source: Getty

LeBron James' son Bryce James vs Carmelo Anthony's son Kiyan Anthony: Who's the better high school hooper?

Modified Nov 26, 2024 10:40 GMT

Bryce James, LeBron James’ son, and Kiyan Anthony, Carmelo Anthony’s son, are two of the best high school basketball prospects right now.

But how do the two players compare and who has a higher ceiling?

Bryce James

The Chosen-1's Invitational 2023 - Source: Getty

At 6-foot-6, Bryce James is one of the top prospects in high school basketball. He is considered an upgrade to his brother, Bronny James, who is currently on the Lakers’ roster with Lebron.

Bryce plays as a shooting guard, but he is also known for his brilliant work on the defensive end of the court.

However, one of his major assets as a basketball player is his IQ and his inside game. At 6’6, with the likelihood of him growing past that, Bryce can mould himself into a perfect NBA player if he can perfect his shooting.

This is not to say his shooting is poor, but his stats during The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League in May suggest that Bryce still needs to develop his game.

The 17-year-old averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in the five games he was involved.

Even before them, Bryce averaged 3.8 points per game in 12 games as a sophomore playing for the varsity teams at Sierra Canyon.

Also, he is currently ranked 204 in On3’s list for the class of 2025, which shows that he still has a long way to go to reach the heights he wants to reach.

However, the good news for Bryce is that he has the body and perfect height needed for the NBA game.

Kiyan Anthony

Unlike Bryce, Kiyan Anthony is rated higher at 35 in On3’s list for the class of 2025 and has a higher ceiling. At 6’5, Kiyan is slightly taller than Bryce and also appears to be better at basketball.

The son of Carmelo, who also plays as a shooting guard, was the better player when the two teenagers faced off at Nike’s EYBL game.

Kiyan averaged 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game across 15 games, playing for his dad’s AAU team.

Not only that, Kiyan also outscored Bryce when they faced off in the same competition, scoring 18 points and registering four assists compared to Bryan, who could only manage eight points and two rebounds. It appears Kiyan, who is going to Syracuse just like his father, has the scoring genes of his dad.

If anyone thought his display at Nike’s EYBL was a one-off, he cleared their doubts again after scoring 42 points on 15-of-28 shooting, including 4-of-9 shooting from deep at the NBPA Top 100 camp in Orlando.

He averaged 28.5 points per game across eight games, leading other players in the competition.

This is not to say that Kiyan does not have a weakness as his slight frame makes him fragile. But given he’s just 17, he has enough time to build his muscle ahead of the challenges that lie ahead in college and potentially the NBA.