It’s a full-circle moment for Carmelo Anthony. Watching his son, Kiyan, step into Syracuse’s basketball program brings back memories of his own journey. “I’m seeing this all over again from my son…the way that people was probably looking at me when I was coming up in high school, I get a chance to look at my son in this situation the same way,” Melo said after Kiyan committed to Syracuse.

While some believe the weight of Melo’s championship legacy could add pressure, the NBA legend has made it clear—Kiyan has his full support. And now, Melo has set clear expectations for his son in an Orange jersey.

Right now, things aren’t looking great for Syracuse right now. In their last four games, they’ve managed only one win. Now, with Kiyan stepping into a struggling team, the parallels between father and son are impossible to ignore. Reflecting on his own time at Syracuse, Carmelo Anthony said, “Even though we won it, what made that year was the fact that we weren’t expected to do nothing, like, at that year. Like, the year before, Syracuse wasn’t, you know, they wasn’t as good.”

So, what’s the expectations? “We bringing the energy back…bringing the lifestyle back. I want to bring that, that vibe. You know what I’m saying? I want to bring the energy, I want to bring the music, I want to bring the pregame,” Melo said in an interview with Boardroom.

And he believes Kiyan has the perfect roadmap. “The blueprint already laid. If you follow the blueprint, the blueprint will get you there,” Melo told The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Unlike his own high school days, where he had to figure it all out alone, Kiyan now has a proven formula to succeed. But at the end of the day, it’s up to him to carve out his own legacy. And that’s why Melo didn’t influence Kiyan to join Syracuse.

Syracuse was Kiyan’s decision, not Carmelo Anthony’s

After Kiyan’s standout performance with Team Melo on the Nike EYBL circuit, fans were eager to know which college he’d choose. Many naturally expected him to follow in his dad Carmelo Anthony’s footsteps and head to Syracuse. Others, however, thought he might opt for USC to carve out his own legacy. In the end, Kiyan made the call to join Syracuse, continuing his father’s path.

Kiyan shared his decision on his father’s podcast, 7 PM in Brooklyn, joined by his mom, La La Anthony, and co-host Kid Mero. There, Melo said, “I’m gonna tell you, I’m gonna be honest, man. If like, I love being there on the visits as his dad, but it is a part of me that wish that I could have stayed back and just let him.”

What’s even more telling is that Melo purposely kept his distance from Kiyan’s decision-making process. “Because it’s tough. It’s a tough decision. And like, for me to have to like, be quiet, like knowing what is cooking over here, it’s tough,” he said. “I can’t even tell him that. Because then that way, that’s like… Swaying. That’s swaying him a little-bit.”

La La also added her perspective, emphasizing how they wanted Kiyan to make his own choice. “We stepped back and allowed him to make a decision and told him whatever he decided we would support,” she said. “Contrary to what people probably think, there was zero pressure from his dad to go to Syracuse.”

Now, all that’s left is to see how Kiyan thrives in the orange jersey.