With unwavering support from his parents, Kiyan Anthony isn’t letting a setback disturb his peace. Basketball fans will recall Carmelo Anthony’s electrifying performance at the 2002 McDonald’s All-American Game at Madison Square Garden, where he dropped 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting with eight rebounds. His son, Kiyan, had the chance to follow in his footsteps but didn’t make the final cut. While some expected a reaction from the young star, he seems focused on family time before heading to Syracuse.

A recent Instagram story shared by La La Anthony highlighted this. The post featured Kiyan Anthony wearing a T-shirt with a childhood image of his mother. “I love this shirt,” the Power star captioned it, adding a heart and a holding-back-tears emoji. But what stood out most? Kiyan’s big smile. A clear sign that he isn’t dwelling on the McDonald’s All-American snub.

Of course, it’s not like the 17-year-old son of Carmelo Anthony didn’t earn his spot. Sure, his 2024 season at Long Island Lutheran started slow—averaging 10.3 points, 2.4 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game—but he turned things around in a big way. During the EYBL run, he upped his game to 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.

And if you followed his journey, you know he didn’t stop there. At the Top 100 Camp, the 17-year-old led all scorers, averaging a jaw-dropping 28.5 points over eight games. And who could forget his 42-point explosion at the camp? So why was he left off the McDonald’s All-American roster?

Well, not because of his game—his eligibility cost him. Those who have been following Kiyan’s journey would know he suffered an injury back in November. Throwing down a dunk, he suffered a nasty fall and the subsequent injury kept him out until January. And the rules for McDonald’s All-American are simple: players must complete at least 50 percent of their senior season. With so much missed time, Kiyan was automatically out of the running. Nevertheless, he can get himself back to the top especially when he has a passionate cheerleader roaring him on.

La La Anthony emerges as a constant cheerleader for Kiyan Anthony

If there’s one thing La La will always do, it’s show up for her son, Kiyan. Whether it’s from the stands or through social media, she’s his biggest cheerleader, and she proved that once again with her latest Instagram stories. Before the aforementioned IG story, she had already shared another one, celebrating her son’s big achievement.

And she kept it simple but powerful: “HIM!!!!!!!!!!!” That one-word message was all it took to let the world know how proud she was as her son secured the MVP crown. For those unaware, a week ago, Long Island Lutheran took down AZ Compass Prep 63-57, with Kiyan dropping 17 points in the win. His father, Carmelo Anthony, was also there to witness the special moment as his son walked away with the MVP award.

And La La? She was hyping him up every step of the way. Kiyan Anthony’s performance was solid—he went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line and shot 5-for-10 from the field. Of course, the Power Star wasn’t going to let that slide without more praise. Under a post celebrating his performance, she added, “Superm” along with a series of fire emojis.

One thing is clear—no McDonald’s All-American snub is going to shake Kiyan’s confidence. Not with La La in his corner.