Kiyan Anthony, son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, has pledged to play at his father’s alma mater of Syracuse.
A 6-foot-5 shooting guard, Anthony is a top-40 recruit. According to 247Sports, Anthony is the No. 34 player in the 2025 recruiting class picked Syracuse over USC and Auburn.
“I chose Syracuse because the coaches recruited me from day one,” Anthony told 247Sports. “They really showed me they were recruiting me for who I was and that it had nothing to do with my Dad. I could see the vision with Sadiq (White) going over there and being one of the most athletic people in the class, an overseas guard coming, and the potential of seniors like JJ Starling and Chris Bell coming back. Next, we just need a big man. From the vision and what they’re telling me my role could be, it all made sense. USC was right there with them I’m not going to lie. There was a point where I was about to choose USC but I kept talking with my parents and ultimately decided with Cuse.”
The 17-year-old made the announcement on his father’s “7PM in Brooklyn” show. “At the end of the day, only one could stay,” Kiyan said, with his mother, La La, also on the show for the big announcement. “And with that being said, I’ll be committing to Syracuse University.”
On the podcast, Carmelo dismissed the notion that his son will face pressure to live up to his father’s legacy at Syracuse.
“My message to him was, don’t be afraid of it, embrace it,” he said. “The guys that looked at me, that watched me, is not your fans. You have an opportunity to carve out a whole new fan base. My [time] was 20 years ago. …You’ve got a new fan base, you’ve got new energy.”
247Sports’ director of scouting, Adam Finkelstein shared, “Anthony is a skilled, smooth scorer and high volume shot-taker and maker. He plays with an aggressive scoring mentality and constantly hunting buckets,” Finkelstein said. “He’s had the ultimate green-light, particularly in the EYBL, and so he has had a tendency to settle for tough shots at times.”