As Carmelo Anthony put it, his son is a “troll”. Like the time when Kiyan called Paul George and Kobe Bryant his GOAT over his own father. So Melo also has the right to say things as they are. The 17-year-old is close to matching his father’s height, but are his skills on par with the 10x NBA All-Star? Will Kiyan become as great as his father, who dominated college basketball in 2003 with an NCAA Championship and went on to have a legendary career in the NBA? Melo believes that his son will need to undergo rigorous training and gain valuable experience to reach his level.

From basic practice to longevity, the 2x All-NBA Second Team pick explained how these elements will impact Kiyan’s performance. But can Kiyan surpass his father in the sport? In response, Melo hopes that his son can achieve the same level of greatness.

“I hope so. I mean better is relative right. You have to go through a lot to be better in the sense of just longevity, career… what you have to go through on a day-to-day basis the prep. Like it takes a lot to go into being great,” Melo said on the Open Run With Rachel Nichols podcast.

When asked about Kiyan’s dominance in the EYBL, Melo proudly noted that his son has had a strong start and said that he will continue to guide Kiyan. “But it seems like he has a head start. So it’s beautiful to see that he has that head start and I could just meet him where he’s at, and just give him the steps that he needs and the things that he needs,” Melo said.

With impressive showings, including scoring 40 points in one of the EYBL match-ups, Kiyan has quickly become a top prospect. Just a few days ago, La La Anthony proudly announced that Kiyan was named as the No. 1 high school player in New York State for the class of 2025 as per ESPN. He certainly has a promising start, and under his father’s guidance, there are many more achievements to come.

However, he still needs to learn one thing, which is when not to mess with the NBA legend.

Carmelo Anthony’s hilarious response to son’s bold remark 

Kiyan either has little faith in teaming up with his father or just enjoys teasing Melo. It’s probably the latter. In a conversation with Overtime, the 17-year-old stated that the Anthony father-son duo would lose in a 2-on-2 matchup against Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and his son Bronny.

Kiyan said so because Melo’s former teammate is still an active player. Ouch. However, he must have reconsidered his statement, as he later admitted that the Anthonys could win. “I think we could win, I think we could win.” In response to Kiyan’s comment, the former Denver Nuggets player trolled him back saying, “I’m going to remember this @kiyananthony.”

That’s not the first time Kiyan has trolled his father. He once boldly claimed that he could defeat a 16-year-old Melo in a one-on-one game. Melo was likely surprised by the comment, but he praised his son for his impressive confidence in the game. We don’t know whether Kiyan will be as great as the New York Knicks legend, but one thing is for sure, he is making a name for himself.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.