A father’s legacy does not cease when the lights go off; it lives on and passes on, silent and unseen, in every ball bounce and lesson unspoken. Carmelo Anthony never saw basketball as just a job, and he got lucky and made millions with fame. It is an emotion that is still as strong as it was on Day 1. It was a way for him to stay alive, make sacrifices, and keep defining himself. Now that Melo is watching his son Kiyan step onto the hardwood with the same fire in his eyes, he has to figure out when to step forward and when to step back and give freedom to his son to make his own choices to reach the top, despite him having a verified blueprint.
Anthony talked about this emotional tightrope in a recent candid discussion on 7PM in Brooklyn. He talked about how he is both analytical and vulnerable as a father and how much his son and his journey mean to him. Kiyan is not just another kid who wants to play basketball. He is the son of a man who was an NBA All-Star ten times and rose every rung of the sport’s harsh ladder.
Now that “Anthony” is sewn on his back, Kiyan has to choose what kind of athlete and what kind of man he wants to be. Living up to a heritage can be challenging, but Melo offers some advice. “Don’t be afraid to do it your way.” He isn’t giving you any easy ways out. He is selling gear for survival and wants you to enter the top court as a rock, just like his father, who made his own road on the journey from the bottom.
That clear moment, which wasn’t planned, came when Anthony said that letting go is part of growing. “You got to let them take their own bumps, too,” he said, his voice echoing with lived experience. “When you ready, you going to come back and say, ‘He was right. I’m ready.’” It’s a fine line to walk: let Kiyan fall, but always be there to catch him.
Carmelo doesn’t want his son to go through dark hallways and unreliable mentors like he did, who bring you down and break your confidence, and waste the most precious time of your life. Instead, he wants his son to ask questions early, rely on what he knows, and not believe the notion that being independent means being alone.
Carmelo Anthony’s incredible game-winner against the Bulls from 2012. pic.twitter.com/PagmC5QwPC
— Fastbreak Hoops (@FastbreakHoops5) May 18, 2025
But Anthony isn’t holding on to power. He is actually making himself less important, not to dim his own light, but to let Kiyan’s shine. “Why would you tell him to do it like somebody else,” he asked rhetorically, “when I’m living proof of everything you could possibly go through in this game?” Melo’s main point is emphasized by the humility in that statement: You don’t have to be like me, but don’t ignore me either, as what I know is what it takes to reach your goal. Carmelo’s new chapter is all about balancing guidance and freedom, not as a scorer but as a father and mentor.
Carmelo Anthony’s freedom gives Kiyan his own way
Kiyan Anthony isn’t immune to the problems of modern basketball culture, even though he has Carmelo’s knowledge behind him. His last two years have put him through things that even Melo couldn’t have imagined. Even though Kiyan has a lot of potential, he’s had to deal with being on the bench, coaches who don’t believe in him, and people online who don’t believe in him. These are all reminders that no last name guarantees success, no matter how much weight it carries.
Still, this is exactly the kind of fire Carmelo wanted his son to feel. “I want you to go hear different things that people say you should be working on. I want you to—that’s I want you to be social with that.” Melo told his son to sort through the chaos and find his own way. That’s the best kind of survival training he will have with his father having his back.
Oct 25, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony (r) sits with his son Kiyan Anthony (l) at the game between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Kiyan promised to make it to Syracuse for now. As he looks ahead to his future, with college basketball and more, the stakes keep getting higher. But if he can use what he learned from his father and his own evolving sense of self, he might be able to make it through the system. Carmelo understands all too well that the first step to greatness is to survive the bumps, as we all know, he had a reason to retire, and the reason is his son.
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