Who truly sees the unfiltered lives of NBA stars? Their families and kids—the ones living behind the cameras, in the shadow of greatness. They witness the rawest moments of love, tension, and truth that never make the headlines. And sometimes? Their stories hit harder than any media feud. Just ask Carmelo Anthony’s son. Kiyan Anthony dropped what feels like a “reincarnation-level” take on his dad’s legacy.
From 2011 to 2017, Carmelo Anthony was the face of the New York Knicks, dropping 28.7 PPG to win the 2012–13 scoring title while earning consecutive All-Star selections. On May 29, the Knicks gave him a simple shout-out: “Happy birthday, Carmelo! ” and it blew up. Fans weren’t shy either, calling him the “King of New York.” And hey, with career Knicks averages of 24.7 points in 412 games, can you really argue?
Carmelo produced dozens of iconic Knicks highlights—but nothing compares to the locker‐room story his son, Kiyan, recently revealed. On the podcast NILOSOPHY, Kiyan gave fans a wild behind-the-scenes look at just how mentally locked in his dad could get, even in a distressed situation. “One game when I was like 10 or 11, he was on the Knicks, um, he went into the locker room at halftime… I think he had zero points, zero rebounds… He took a shower at halftime and changed—got a new jersey, everything. So I guess it was like a fresh, fresh new game,” Kiyan recalled.
Feb 4, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) reacts after a call from referee Rodney Mott (71) during the third quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 111-105. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Then came the twist. “He finished the game with like 30, 10, and like four assists or something like that… Just looking at him and seeing what he did to, you know, clean his mind and get a new game and going out there scoring 30 and winning the game—that was like, that was the craziest thing I ever seen, I ain’t going to lie,” he said on the podcast. That moment revealed the mindset that made Melo a New York legend. While fans saw the stat sheets, his son saw the reset, the ritual, and the resilience. And that’s what had kept him in the league.
Carmelo Anthony played 19 seasons in the NBA. On 7PM in Brooklyn, he peeled back the curtain on what kept him going all those years: “My mindset.” With age came intention. He grew to love the grind—the weight room, the routine, the discipline. And that shift clearly paid off. Anthony finished his career averaging 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 1,260 regular-season games, with 10 All-Star appearances to his name. He ranks ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (28,289 points) and will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in August 2025.
Kiyan views his dad through a unique lens. Though that Knicks comeback awed him, last year he also shared some candid—and controversial—takes that sparked discussion.
Is Kiyan a better shooter than Carmelo Anthony?
Kiyan Anthony isn’t merely following in his father’s footsteps—he believes he’s already on par. On the Sloane Knows podcast, a couple of years back, the 18-year-old compared himself to Carmelo. He said, “The way we score is kind of similar, like shooting and getting to the basket… but I feel like I shoot a little better than him at this age.” He doubled down, saying Melo, who was “a little bit taller,” got to the basket more, but Kiyan’s edge is clear: “I could shoot a little better shooter than him.” When a TikTok user asked if he’d beat a 16‐year‐old Melo, Kiyan grinned, “I’m frying him. He wasn’t nice until he was 17.”
That bold confidence didn’t go unnoticed. Carmelo heard it loud and clear on 7PM in Brooklyn and just burst out laughing. While he wasn’t handing over the crown, “So, no, f— outta here, Ky,” he did appreciate the swagger, saying he loved that Kiyan truly believed it. Melo made clear he wouldn’t concede the comparison—after all, his high school résumé included McDonald’s All-American honors and national player of the year nods. Kiyan’s confidence is sky-high—but the gap between them, at least for now, is still real.
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