“As a father, this is a special moment–I might shed a tear. This is a special moment because it was so hard, not to say much. It’s not easy to following in my blueprint.” Carmelo Anthony became emotional and began tearing up when he spoke about his son joining his alma mater. From next season, Kiyan will play for Syracuse for his collegiate career. So, will the number 1 player in New York be under pressure to match his dad’s career? To not feel that pressure, Melo shared his advice.

The 10x NBA All-Star was in San Antonio, Texas, after the official announcement about his HoF status. To people who don’t know, the Knicks legend is a first-ballot HoFer. Despite that accolade, Melo shared his proud feeling regarding his son’s choice for a college program. However, Carmelo Anthony did take a jab at his son for not witnessing the Final Four games, where the announcement took place.

“He should had his a– right here so he can get the experience. He should have been right here looking at these fans but no…” Carmelo Anthony called the moment “proud.” “I mean, I’m here at the final four, and he have an opportunity to come into college next year and create his own kind of lane. And have an opportunity to play in the final four. So again it’s I’ve never been in these moments to explain to you how I feel about the experience.”

Even though Melo wants his son to take in the experience first, he already has some plans ready for next year.”So I’m excited, you know hopefully I’m here this time next year, uh inducting some other Hall of Famers but also watching my son play in this moment.” It might seem a big ask, but then again, Kiyan is the number 1 player in New York for a reason. However, it’s not the only time when the 40-year-old asked his son to lock in.

Kiyan continues to dominate as father reveals brutal expectation

His EYBL performance turned a lot of heads in appreciation. Since then, the performances have been there no matter how bright the light is. If you are paying close attention to his growth, then the 18-year-old was not part of ESPN’s top 100 players in the class of 2025 at the end of 2022. From there to averaging, 19.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his last year’s run at Nike’s EYBL. His father wants Kiyan to enjoy the HS experience but also add silverware to the resume.

“I would like to see him win.” The 10x All-Star continued, “I would like to see him like experience like winning the high school championship.” Carmelo Anthony also laid down the challenges that his son might face this upcoming year. Recently, the 18-year-old did that when he won the MVP for the Throne Basketball tournament.

Kiyan dropped an impressive 25 points with 5 rebounds. Not to forget his effective shooting 9-15 from the FG, which earned him the MVP accolade in the tournament sponsored by the NBA Players Association and Gold Level Sports and Entertainment. Even his mother shared good wishes on social media for her son. So, Melo is setting the example by having small obstacles in his son’s path. Being the son of an elite shooter, Kiyan doesn’t seem to miss any.