Carmelo Anthony can rest assured knowing that his 17-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony, is showing the world he has the ability to continue his father’s legacy. Ranked 31st nationally and 10th as a shooting guard in the country by On3, Kiyan has been making waves with his recent performances. The latest buzz surrounds Kiyan’s stunning display in his recent match, which left fans and analysts alike in awe and intrigued about the young talent’s future.

Continuing his impressive run, Kiyan dominated the Nike EYBL Peach Invitational Tournament. Under the watchful eyes of his father, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony, and Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard Ja Morant, Kiyan delivered an impressive performance, finishing the match with 27 points and 6 assists. This outstanding display has naturally led to comparisons with another NBA star’s kid, Bronny James, stirring excitement and debate among fans.

Moreover, with two games still in hand, Kiyan has already established himself as one of the best in the league. His mother, actress La La Anthony, showed her pride on Instagram, sharing his picture and captioning it with “let’s goooo” and multiple fire emojis. Carmelo Anthony also expressed his admiration, referring to Kiyan as “champ.”

Thanks to his growing presence, college offers haven’t been a worry for the 17-year-old. Syracuse, Bryant University, Dayton, Florida, and George Mason have all shown interest in the young star. One on the list also happens to be USC, the same school where Bronny played before being drafted to the LA Lakers. This development has only fueled the ongoing debate about who is the better player.

Fans Declare Kiyan Anthony Superior to Bronny James

Just earlier this week, Kiyan put up a whooping 40-point performance at the Peach Invitational. On the other hand, Bronny has been struggling to transition into the Summer League, averaging 5.8 points in 5 games. Observing the difference, a fan asserted, “Better than Bronny.” 

Numerous NBA legends’ kids have followed their fathers’ footsteps in embracing the sport to further fail to make a name. Michael Jordan’s son, Jeffery, Shaquille O’Neal’s son, Shaqir, Scottie Pippen’s son Scottie Jr. – though he is shining in the 2024 Summer League averaging 20 points – alongside Bronny, have been some names who haven’t been to spectators expectations. So with Kiyan’s dominating run, fans have reasons to believe he is best of the star kids. “Don’t act surprised when he ends up being the best player out of the NBA legends kids,” they wrote.

Kiyan is currently a four-star prospect, averaging 20.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists through the Nike EYBL. That also brought him in the top 10 scorers in the league. Now added on by his recent performances at the Peach Invitation, a fan had to say, “I’ve seen enough. Kiyan>Bronny.” Bronny James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists from 28 games he played at the USC. His most recent 13 point performance at the Summer League being the only double digit score hasn’t helped his much.  “give me Kiyan Anthony over Bronny bruh,” another added.

Kiyan Anthony currently plays for Long Island Lutheran, averaging 19.6 points. He is set to graduate High School in 2025 and college offers are lining up, including Rutgurs ranked 9th. Now considering his soaring performance and the fact that he is ranked No. 1 player from the state of New York, fans believe there wouldn’t be any need for a college. “NBA ready,” a comment read.

There have been players, including Kevin Garnett, who opted out of college to make it to the NBA directly. So it won’t all be an unprecedented path for Kiyan if he were to consider. But for now, college seems to be in sight. He had previously mentioned leaning towards Syracuse because of his father, but it is sure subjected to change. Nonetheless, NBA first round draft pick doesn’t seem all too far.

Despite the comparisons and debates, both young players have unique paths ahead of them. Who will overtake another in the future? Share your thoughts on the comment section.