During his retirement, Carmelo Anthony said, “My legacy, my son, is in you. Cause the time has come for you to carry this torch. My legacy now and forever lives on through you.” And Kiyan is on the perfect track to achieve that. As a 5-star prospect, he recently joined Syracuse, a place where his father not only made his name but also won the program’s 1st championship. Big pressure on Kiyan? He doesn’t feel so. And if you ask who is better at his age (17) he or his father? Kiyan will say “I’m frying him”.

Betweenxthelines shared a video where they gave Kiyan Anthony a mic to interview some of the best hoopers in the country. When he was interviewing 5-star prospect Brayden Burries, Burries threw a curveball, asking who’d win if Melo were his age and guarding him. Without missing a beat, Kiyan remarks, “If he was guarding me for the whole game… everybody say that he don’t play no defense.”

Burries narrows down, adding, “get out of the way,” situation. Kiyan clarified, “It’s not get out of the way, but definitely get out of the way a few possessions. But like, pick and roll type, definitely. Definitely… I mean, by this time, he was a number one player.” Then he dropped the ultimate competitor line: “Anybody ranked above me, I try to go at.” 

By the time Melo was 17, he was only heading into Syracuse. We know the history, making Kiyan’s remark a bold one. But he is clear about the time.

The 17-year-old previously stated, “I’m frying him. He wasn’t nice until he was 17.” So post-17 Melo would be a challenge for Kiyan and the New York Knicks star is happy that his son is of the mindset.

“I’m f**king with the fact that he believes that, and he exudes that confidence. Calm like… usually at this age, you ask a question… It’s like immediate… This means you’ve been thinking out,” Melo said on an episode of 7 PM in Brooklyn. “He got some sh** at 16, that I wouldn’t fathom of doing at 16.”

While we won’t be able to see the match up between young Carmelo Anthony vs Kiyan, we got to watch 40-yo Melo vs 17-yo Kiyan.

Melo takes on Kiyan in 1-on-1

This summer, the Anthony family brought some serious heat to The Summit in New York City. Thanks to Lala’s social media, fans got a front-row seat to the action as the family hit the court. After a lighthearted game with his mom, Kiyan decided to step things up and challenge his dad, Carmelo Anthony, to a one-on-one showdown.

Lala didn’t miss a moment, capturing every move between father and son. Her excitement was contagious, especially when Kiyan nailed the game-winning three-pointer. You could hear her joy in the video as she shouted, “Oh, my god! My son is the greatest!”

To be fair, Melo wasn’t slacking. The retired NBA star still had his silky jump shot and showcased some solid handles. But Kiyan’s speed and quickness were just on another level. Whether it was driving past Melo or creating space for a clean jumper, the young baller kept his dad on his toes all game long.

What sealed the win? Kiyan’s go-to combo. Speaking on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, he revealed his secret weapon: “I like the punch dribble. You stop, read the defender—step back or drive. I love playing off that.” Clearly, it worked.