“That’s like my cousin,” Kiyan Anthony once said of Bryce James. A friendship once bridged Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James, and now their children share that bond. Despite residing in New York, Kiyan says that he grew up alongside Bronny and Bryce, his closest friends. Even as he recalled one of the best encounters in his career, he fondly reminisced about his friends.

Earlier, during an episode of The Evolution by Overtime, Kiyan even mentioned that one of the perks of having a famous NBA player father and an actress mother (La La Anthony) is that he has a great relationship with Bronny and Bryce.  And now, he wants to reflect the same impact. He spoke highly of Bronny James, who just joined the Lakers in the 2023 NBA draft.

In that same interview, he was asked to name his most memorable high school game. Without hesitation, he named the one he played for Christ the King High School against Sierra Canyon during his sophomore year. “Bronny and Bryce, it was like the biggest game I ever played, and like every celebrity in the whole world was at the game, so me not knowing that it was that big. That was my first time playing in a game like that, so it was just looking around,” he said.

He recalled the hype—everywhere you looked, cameras focused on Carmelo vs. LeBron all over again—and how exhilarating it was to guard Bronny and Bryce on that stage. Why was this special? On that night, exactly 20 years to the day after Carmelo’s Oak Hill Academy defeated LeBron’s St. Vincent–St. Mary, 72–66, in front of 11,000 fans at the Sovereign Bank Arena—Sierra Canyon outlasted Christ the King, 62–51.

When asked about how he had played, Kiyan said, “I was like one of the role players so I was like coming off the bench getting some minutes, but it was definitely one of my better games. Me and Bronny was guarding each other, so it was it was lit.”  Yet both locker rooms emerged triumphant in spirit. Bronny and Bryce solidified scouting buzz that led to Bronny’s Lakers selection. At the same time, Kiyan cemented his status as a four-star recruit with offers from Syracuse, UConn, and UCLA.

While both Kiyan and Bryce are good friends. When speaking of competition, Kiyan reminded that the rivalry is only limited to the court where the two get to play against each other. Both played against each other at Nike EYBL. 

La La Anthony praised Kiyan Anthony’s biggest cheerleader! 

The high school matchup had a star-studded courtside, much like one often seen for the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers. While Bronny’s Sierra clinched the win over the Christ King, what made the matchup truly unforgettable was the celebrity-saturated courtside crowd: LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Scottie Pippen, and representatives from both families were all in attendance. But the night belonged to one mini-celebrity in particular: North West.

Kiyan’s mother, La La Anthony, sat front row alongside her best friend Kim Kardashian, while Khloé Kardashian and Natalia Bryant—Kobe’s eldest daughter—also joined the fanfare. Anthony shared a photo of North holding the two posters and captioned it, “North was Kiyan’s biggest cheerleader!!!”

Moments later, as Sierra Canyon pulled away on a 62–51 victory (Bronny James finished with 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists), La La posted a group photo. It featured Kiyan, Carmelo, LeBron, Bronny, Bryce, and La La herself—writing:

“Last night was a night to remember! Seeing the boys play against each other in front of all our family and friends was so exciting and just the beginning of amazing things to come for all of them. I couldn’t have been more proud. 21 years later, history repeated itself. 🙏🏽❤️”

For La La, who frequently shares guidance on raising a high-profile teenager, that night encapsulated the balance of fame and family. As she later told People, “To have our kids grow up together—they look at themselves as cousins,” explaining how Kiyan’s bond with Natalia, Bianka Bella, and Capri Kobe Bryant is “one of the most important parts” of both families’ connection.

If both young men reach the NBA, they may well renew that December rivalry on the professional stage. But on that star-studded December night, North West jumping off her mom’s lap, La La beaming with pride, and Kim Kardashian watching in awe, Kiyan Anthony’s support system proved that, sometimes, being a “biggest cheerleader” is a title more meaningful than any championship ring.