The ultimate destination for Kiyan Anthony could have changed from NBA had it not been for a particular ban. La La and Carmelo Anthony have been one supportive parents, pushing their limits to any extent when it comes to their son. Whether it be ensuring their on-court presence or letting Kiyan feel free about his college choice. So it seems very less likely for either of them to limit the 17-year-old’s career choices. But it turns out there was just this one thing the duo did not want their son getting involved in.

Appearing on the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, La La and Melo were asked if there was any hesitation that came with Kiyan wanting to pursue basketball. “She [La La] had one rule. No football,” Melo said. Had this rule not been in place, the career path for Kiyan could have been completely different. And the ultimate destination, too, would’ve changed from NBA to NFL. 

However, it’s not as if La La intended to be too rigid about her rule regarding football. She stated on the podcast she might’ve changed the rule if Kiyan “would have begged. But I didn’t want football. I was supportive. I just always told him from the beginning, like, you have to create your own lane. You’re not trying to recreate what your dad did.”

Further speaking of her support, the Power star highlighted how she and Carmelo Anthony strategically made the decision not to name Kiyan after his father. “That was something we sat and really talked about because we said, ‘if you ever play basketball, just the extra pressure of being named Carmelo Anthony.'” The Power star also mentioned what a lot of people may now know.

The fact that her son’s full name is Kiyan Carmelo Anthony. “We flipped it… Melo’s name is Carmelo Kyam Anthony. So we did a little twist there, but we did that on purpose so he can form his own lane and be his own person and do things his way,” La La said on 7PM in Brooklyn. She realizes this does not take away all the pressure of being an NBA superstar’s son, but still helps to some extent.

The fact that LeBron James once expressed his regret on naming his eldest son — LeBron Raymone “Bronny” James — after him makes it clear that La La’s concern was genuine. “I still regret giving my 14-year-old my name,” Bron said on The Shop’s debut episode. The reasons behind the regret — criticism and comparison — have become more evident after Bronny’s entry in the NBA.

Let’s just hope that Kiyan does not face similar issues, considering how cautious his parents have been about these things. And yes, this includes La La willing to give up on her one rule of “no football” if Kiyan really insisted.

Not football but Carmelo Anthony’s son still had a different sport on his mind than basketball

During the USA Basketball junior minicamp in Colorado Springs, Kiyan dropped a surprising revelation. Basketball may run in the family, but it wasn’t his first love. In a chat with Pro Insight’s Tyler Glazier, Kiyan admitted, “I mean, baseball was my first sport.”

So, how did he trade home runs for slam dunks? Well, it all started with a basketball try-out. Kiyan made the team, and though he didn’t see much playtime at first, something clicked. He found joy in the experience. “…I had a lot of fun, like going on trips and stuff.” And as he honed his skills, basketball slowly began to steal his heart.

The turning point came when he started making plays on the court. “Once I started making plays on the court, I realized how fun basketball was,” he said. Subsequently, by age 12, he made the tough call to leave baseball behind. So it’s clear that basketball was not something that La La and Carmelo Anthony forced upon their son but the destiny, seemingly, following a similar pathway for Kiyan as his father.