"It's unfortunate that with our young black men, we have to do this": When Kiyan Anthony's mom La La shared her fears about him learning to drive

By Nishant

Modified Nov 25, 2024 01:32 GMT

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Kiyan Anthony, the Syracuse Orange's 5-star recruit, is all grown up and heading off to college next year. But it wasn't that long ago that his mother, La La Anthony, was concerned about his desire to learn to drive.

La La made an appearance on Jamele Hill is Unbothered: Season 4 on January 28, 2023. She talked about her transformation into a sports parent while co-parenting with her ex-husband, Carmelo Anthony.

In the middle of the conversation, Hill asked La La about her black son Kiyan's driving lessons since teenage driving is terrifying enough.

"What kind of conversations have you had about that?" Hill asked.

La La Anthony opened up about her fears about Kiyan learning to drive. She said Kiyan is very much aware of what's going on in the world.

"No matter what, you're viewed as another young black man, and that's a scary thing that comes with a huge responsibility. That comes with a huge awareness of your surroundings and what's happening around you, which comes with, you know, a lot of stigmas attached to that." She said. (8:45)

Kiyan's mother revealed that she has often discussed how to manage those situations. The young basketball star watches TV and news so he is aware of things that happen on the streets. La La has talked about how to deal with the cops if he gets approached by them.

"While it's unfortunate that with our young black men, we have to do this, it's what we have to do to protect them. So, my son's no different, and we have those, you know, real heart-to-heart, um, uncensored conversations with him," she concluded. (9:16)

Kiyan Anthony's parents have provided him with an environment that helps him flourish and tackle real-world issues. It is also reflected in the game with his never-give-up attitude.

Why did La La Anthony and Carmelo Anthony name their son Kiyan Anthony?

Kiyan's parents revealed the reason behind naming their son Kiyan during the November 15 episode of "7 PM in Brooklyn" podcast.

"I just always told him from the beginning, like you have to create your own lane," La La spilled the beans.

She did not want Kiyan Anthony to recreate what Carmelo Anthony did. The couple strategically decided to not name the kid the same as his father. They didn't want to add the extra pressure on Kiyan in case he started playing basketball after growing up, which he eventually did.