Basketball greatness often seems to run in the family. For children of NBA legends, the expectations and potential on the court are sky-high. From Dell Curry’s sons Stephen and Seth to LeBron James’ offspring Bronny, the NBA has witnessed a fascinating trend of basketball talent flowing through familial bloodlines. Amid recent buzz around Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan, another NBA star’s son is making waves as he inches closer to his NBA dreams.

A recent Instagram post unveiled that Stephon Marbury’s son, Stephon Marbury II, has joined the University of California’s basketball team, the ‘Golden Bears’, as a player. The speculations arising since July have been put to rest with the All-Star’s son who, known by his moniker ‘Star’ had committed to the Bears team.

“My basketball journey and the Marbury Legacy continues. I’m blessed and grateful to announce that I will be a PWO at the University of Cal Berkeley!” said Marbury II through his Instagram handle.

For Kiyan Anthony, Carmelo’s 16-year-old son, the spotlight has been glowing brighter with each game he plays. He has demonstrated his potential through impressive performances on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League circuit, as well as his scoring prowess in the competition this summer. The list does not end here. The 17-year-old had a busy summer with appearances in the Peach Jam, SLAM Summer Classic, and Rod Wave.

Kiyan is the No. 31 overall prospect in the 2025 class and also the No. 1 player in New York. However, despite these numbers, an important decision of his life still looms. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard’s college decision is still a work in progress. He has received over 20 offers from various schools, including Michigan, Tennessee, and Maryland, but is more aligned toward joining Syracuse.

On the other hand, it can be speculated that Marbury Jr’s decision to start with the Golden Bears can be his path to NBA greatness. After all, the college teams have produced some of the best players in the league, including Kevin Johnson and Jason Kidd. His father, who scored an average of 19.3 PPG and 7.6 APG, in his 22-year career is sure to help him through his journey, considering he is a current coach as well. Even though his stats are still unavailable, his Hudl highlights show that he has made quite an impression with his impressive skill set, which seems to blend elements of his father’s lethal scoring ability. Seeing the 19-year-old join the Bears, his parents couldn’t contain their joy.

“My baby son!! I’m not sure how you grew up so fast. You had a ball in your hands before you could even crawl. I watched you do sit ups and pushups at age 2. You started running the stairs around 6/7. I thought you was being pushed too hard. What did I know? I’m proud of you for staying humble, faithful and grateful. We’ve had a few rough years, but you never gave up, you pushed through,” said Marbury Jr’s mother.

These two young players are the products of an emerging generation in basketball — a generation in which familial legacy coexists with individual ambition. Kiyan faces the challenge of high expectations and the college recruitment frenzy. Because many believe he will follow in his father’s footsteps to Syracuse before entering the NBA. But that’s not the case with Marbury’s son. They are taking a different route and proving ready to work hard in hopes of making the team without the fanfare or scholarship offers. However, do you know the reason behind Kiyan’s performance?

When Kiyan Anthony praised his coach

As discussed earlier, Kiyan Anthony is absolutely making waves in the basketball community. Undoubtedly, the 10x NBA All-Star father Carmelo Anthony guides him in every way possible. But there’s one more entity responsible for enhancing young Anthony’s skills.

Kiyan, who is considered one of the top prospects in the class of 2025, recently spoke during an ‘Overtime’ video about his experience training with Chris Brickley. “Chris Brickley, obviously, he’s one of the best if not the best trainers in the world. Having a blessing to come work out with him whenever I want is really taking advantage of that because you know a lot of people don’t get to work out with the best trainers or anything like that,” said Anthony.

Brickley has an impressive resume. The 38-year-old has trained some of the best standouts of the game like LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Even Brickley feels Kiyan would be great in the future. “Sharpening your skills never stops & improvement happens when you push beyond your comfort zone. Kiyan Anthony continues to improve. The future is ALL YOURS bro. Just keep your foot on the pedal,” wrote Brickley in an Instagram post. In the end, it can be speculated that with Brickley’s guidance and Kiyan’s natural talent, the young star is poised to have a bright future in basketball.