“We stepped back,” La La Anthony shared how she or Melo did not influence their son’s college decision. Carmelo Anthony and La La are adored and lauded by their fans for their co-parenting skills which showed as they ensured their son made his college decision without any pressure. So, when it came to jersey selection, they seemed to have followed a similar rule. Kiyan assured that he won’t be taking his father’s No. 15, as it’s already retired by Syracuse. 

“15 is retired. I’m not gonna take that away from my dad,” Kiyan said. Recently, Kiyan and his mother joined Melo on his podcast, 7 PM Brooklyn, where the 17-year-old revealed his college destination to be his father’s alma mater. When asked about his jersey number, the Long Island Lutheran guard mentioned two options he was considering. It seems he isn’t going to give away the answer so easily. No. 3 (his current high school number), and No. 7 are the numbers he has in mind.

“I got two either three or seven,” Kiyan said. When asked about the reason behind the number selection, he said, “I wear three right now in high school, so I like three that’s my favorite number and then seven my birthday on March 7th. He(Melo) was 7.”

No. 7 holds a lot of significance. First and foremost, it is linked to his father. Melo wore No. 7 when he joined the Lakers. Furthermore, the 7th is Kiyan’s birthdate, March 7, 2007. So, No. 7 has a special meaning. Although Kiyan didn’t offer more details, Melo shared his wish. He explained that while No. 15 is already retired, No. 7 is not, and it’s time for Kiyan to start a new chapter with a fresh number.

“You know mom (La La Anthony) keep saying carve out your own lane. 15 is in the rafters. Seven is new. You get what I’m saying? Like go carve that seven out over there,” Melo reintroduced La La’s words to him.

As the son of the Knicks legend, who won an NCAA championship title and boasts numerous accolades, such as the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, Kiyan has a lot of pressure already. However, his parents have done everything they can to alleviate that.

La La Anthony talks about the pressure and excitement of Kiyan Anthony’s decision 

La La has always expressed that her support lies with her son, Kiyan. She is “overwhelmed” about him joining Syracuse, where Melo once made history. However, she is also aware of the responsibility and pressure Kiyan will face.

“They were great and I mean it’s, you know, big shoes to fill. But at the same time, this is his moment and his lane and it’s time for him to create his own reality so I’m excited,” she said on the podcast.

At the same time, Melo, who graduated as an Orange, also talked about his dilemma of not influencing Kiyan’s decision. “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. I know what’s happening in Syracuse. I’m a part of that … I can’t even tell him that. Because then that way, that’s like… Swaying. That’s swaying him a little bit,” the New York Knicks legend said.

One reason that delighted both Kiyan and La La is that the 17-year-old won’t be far from home. Furthermore, another factor that made the decision easier for Kiyan was the team and Coach Adrian Autry. Kiyan is excited to join the team. Sadiq White, Luke Fennell, and Aaron Womack are also the names that will be joining Syracuse. This surely makes Syracuse’s 2025 roster a promising one.