By the end of 2022, Kiyan wasn’t among ESPN’s top 100 players in the class of 2025, but now he is the number one player in New York! That’s the journey of the son of NBA icon Carmelo Anthony and ex-wife La La Anthony. The couple decided to part ways in 2021 but have been co-parenting their son in his hooping journey. They were once again in attendance as the 18-year-old continued to seize the day with his magical performance.

Lutheran High School competed against seven other teams, and the Crusaders earned the spot after beating Highland (VA) 56-55 in the elimination round. In the final against the Allen Eagles, Kiyan dropped an impressive 25 points with 5 rebounds. Not to forget his effective shooting 9-15 from the FG, which earned him the MVP accolade in the tournament sponsored by the NBA Players Association and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment. Proud mom La La shared her son’s recent enormous achievement in the Throne Basketball tournament, with a stpry titled: “@kiyananthony MVP of THE THRONE!!!!!!!“.

The Crusaders’ forward had his parents in attendance, and he had a touching tribute for them too. The BMF star shared a glimpse of the day on her Instagram story as well. In a heartwarming moment, Kiyan Anthony gave his trophy to his mom and went on to place his crown on his mother’s head. A touching gesture from the 18-year-old! It seems that the Syracuse commit seems to have moved past his McDonald’s All-American snub, which even his father thought was surprising.

This McD annual event showcases the best high school basketball talent in the United States, with only twelve players making the coveted game; however, Kiyan didn’t make the cut. And his doting father was quick to chime in: “I think he deserved to make it, no bias. I think he really put the work in and really deserved to be a McDonald’s All-American.” With Kiyan currently being #32, no player ranked outside of the Top 30 made it this year based on ESPN’s rankings. On his podcast, the 10x All-Star also wanted the rules and communication to be clarified for the sake of the young generations.

“You’re talking about a kid who played Freshman Basketball his Freshman year to becoming the #1 player in the State of New York. That should mean something in itself being the #1 player in the State of New York itself,” he reacted. But despite the snub, Melo’s son kept his composure and answered his critics with his performance, which finally got him to the MVP throne.

Looking back at Carmelo Anthony’s son’s performance at the Throne Basketball tournament

One of the biggest high school national championships in America, Kiyan Anthony left no stone unturned in his bid to prove himself the best. The Long Island Lutheran Crusaders dueled against the Highland Hawks in the quarterfinals on March 28. The forward played for 25 minutes and contributed 11 points, three rebounds, and two assists. It was not the best performance of the night with teammate Dylan Mingo dropped 18 points, three assists, four steals, and five rebounds, while James Nigel added 11 points, four assists, three steals, and one block – but it was certainly was quite the finish to a spectacular run.

It was enough for the Crusaders to secure a narrow 56-55 victory over Nate Ament’s Highland Hawks. Ament put on an impressive display, scoring 23 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and three steals. Carmelo Anthony’s son also balled out in the semifinals with a stellar 17-point performance, leading the Crusaders to a decisive 83-56 victory over the Bears. In that game, it started with a seven-point first quarter lead that expanded to a 31-point advantage by the fourth quarter.

The 6-foot-5 guard is already showing glimpses of what we can expect from him at Syracuse. Despite having already made the huge decision for the future, the 18-year-old continues to perform at the same level for his high school. Plus, he keeps on adding accolades even though he missed out on the All-American game. Nothing’s stopping Melo’s gritty son, it seems!