Syracuse is going to have another Anthony playing with them next season. Kiyan Anthony committing to the same school his six-time All-Star dad Carmelo Anthony went to has been a source of huge excitement these last few weeks. And while unsavory questions have arisen about the situation, most are excited. Some, like Stephen A. Smith, know it’s going to be a challenge.

Taking to his YouTube channel to highlight what the young hoops star might face, the sportscaster first acknowledged Anthony Sr.’s immense achievements with the Orange. “Coming onto the college scene, there ain’t no questions about Kiyan. We wanna see what he gonna do, whether he’s gonna emulate his daddy. Who, by the way, has the Carmelo K. Anthony basketball Center, the arena named after him,” Smith says.

“He’s going to the university where his father has a basketball center named after him. Where his father is the only player in the history of the school to deliver a national championship.” Carmelo Anthony helped the Syracuse Orange win their only national championship in 2003 as a freshman before moving on to the pros. The Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center was officially launched in 2009 as a practice facility for the men’s and women’s hoops teams.

Smith then asks, “You have any idea the pressure that comes with that? Not only does he not care – I’m talking about Kiyan – not is he only looking forward to the challenge, there’s no one out there who expects him to fail. Because his game is not a question mark.”

The analyst has been one among many who have drawn comparisons between Kiyan Anthony and Bronny James but Smith still prefers Anthony’s game. The No. 1 prospect in New York, No. 6 in shooting guards, and No. 32 overall in the 2025 class by 247Sports should tell you enough about his potential.

His dad delivered an emotional speech after Anthony chose the Syracuse Orange over the USC Trojans in the end. But does he think their game styles are similar?

“[Kiyan Anthony] has skills that I didn’t have,” praises NBA legend dad

Although he becomes eligible in 2026, Carmelo Anthony is largely expected to be inducted on his first try. For someone who was recruited into the NBA after playing one season of college ball and went on to play 19 seasons as a pro in total, one would say Anthony has considerable talent.

But while he describes game at 16 as “more physical” because he “had a different type of mentality because of how I was growing up and my upbringing and what I was around in my environment, so my ‘why’ was a lot different,” the former Denver Nuggets star still has praise for his son.

“[Kiyan] has skills that I didn’t have. His court vision at this level is very high. His shot-making ability is high. And I think people look at him for being able to make shots and take away from his actual playmaking and IQ of the game.”

And Kiyan Anthony is going to take this talent to Cuse in 2025, an announcement he made on his dad’s podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn. That gives us an idea of how much carrying the legacy of his father is important to the son. Even though he insists he’s his player, fans will still be looking for glimpses of his dad in him!