Kiyan Anthony has finally announced the next stoppage of his professional basketball career after pondering between a few shortlisted options for months. The Class of 2025 athlete has committed to Syracuse, which means he will follow his father, retired NBA star Carmelo Anthony’s footsteps, who graduated from the same college. Nevertheless, his announcement also revealed that he could have landed in another place, including one that seemed to annoy her mother, La La Anthony.

Since Kiyan has already declared that he will be announcing his college on her dad Carmelo Anthony’s show, yesterday the much-awaited episode was released with all the spotlight on his decision itself. However, as he announced, “I’ll be coming to Syracuse University,” later when his parents divulged the decision, Kiyan at one point couldn’t hold but blurted that he had almost decided something else earlier.

“I went on a USC visit last month  I almost committed, on the spot like I almost told the coach I was coming,” the 17-year-old said. The four-star guard had finalized three options for a long time, and apart from Syracuse, the list included USC and Auburn. He thought he had ultimately chosen Syracuse with many predicting the same. His decision might have fallen on USC’s end and for some reasons he revealed.

“It’s crazy, USC is like a movie, like when you on campus, feel like movies. Everything! It’s girls, basketball, the dorms is like, yeah like Apartments. It’s like lavish lifestyle,” he said explaining why USC fascinated him so much. While Kiyan seemed to enjoy joking around, especially about the girls being a big draw, his mom, La La Anthony, wasn’t quite as amused. When Kiyan mentioned the girls, she was caught shaking her head in mild disapproval, her face dropping into an emotionless stare.

Well, entering college will not only bring a professional change to Kiyan’s life but also a step into a more independent and free lifestyle. It naturally opens the door to new experiences, including dating. However, as her mom looked quite worried about her son being drawn towards her, he had even gotten a warning from his sister-like figure, Angel Reese.

Kiyan Anthony received a clear warning from Angel Reese before making a college move.

When 17-year-old Kiyan Anthony made an appearance on Angel Reese’s podcast, the conversation took a playful turn as it veered into his dating life. Kiyan was hesitant to spill too many details and shared one memorable story. He recalled an incident with a girl that had landed him in some serious trouble with his parents. As he shared the story, Angel, the seasoned Sky forward, couldn’t resist offering wise words. She reminded Kiyan to stay mindful as he stepped into the spotlight.

“K you be outside. You need to be careful when you go to the league. This is coming from sis right. Even when you are in college, you need to be careful with these women,” Reese warned Anthony about being careful as he took the next step in his professional basketball as well as academic journey. She added his support for Anthony, saying, “No cuz I’m coming after y’all (girls who mess with Anthony).” 

However, as their conversation progressed, the Chicago Sky star even offered a piece of advice that was both practical and a bit pro-cautious. “You be tell them tell them girls to drop that phone at the door. You have to make people start sign NDAs,” she told Kiyan Anthony. Now, he may not take Reese’s suggestion to heart for guidance, as it’s his mom whom he trusts most. In fact, in that very episode he opened up about how much he values her words, saying it’s the kind of wisdom he fully counts on.

As Kiyan prepares to head to Syracuse next year, another big chapter of his life is about to unfold. However, fans would be eager to see how he performs during his final year of high school and whether he’ll be able to hit the goals, he’s set for himself before making the leap to college.