“They see me more than anybody, so they got all the funny videos of me, and sometimes they like to troll and post it.” When Kiyan Anthony complains, you know things aren’t much different for celebrity parents! It’s universal that you can still embarrass your kids (not humiliate)! And all of these come out naturally only when you share a raw and strong bond beyond the usual parenting. If you are still unable to connect the dots, here’s the context. The 18-year-old will be heading to his father’s alma mater, Syracuse, soon. While La La is excited about his son’s new chapter in life, the actress is also getting emotional.

Speaking of Kiyan’s career, he had an impressive high school run at Long Island Lutheran in New York. He is also named the No. 1 prospect in New York. As he will soon kick off his college career, Kiyan’s graduation day called for a big celebration. And not to anyone’s surprise, mumma La La was in attendance at her son’s graduation and joined the party, too. She shared several snaps in her IG post. “A weekend we will never forget!”

Thanks to all the fam & friends that celebrated @kiyananthony’s graduation! We went nonstop all weekend!!!! 👨🏽‍🎓🥰,” La La captioned it. The mother and son have always been close, safe to say, each other’s support system. Last summer, the two went on a fun trip to Japan. So, it’s understandable for La La to get emotional as her son will soon leave for college. “She’s already crying every day,” Kiyan said on the “Close Friends Only” podcast (as per PEOPLE). But the best thing is, Kiyan understands her pain, and is “trying to spend a lot of time with her before I leave.” La La has all the reasons to be upset, as Kiyan described, “My mom works a lot, so it’s definitely taking a toll on her.” Next, without leaving any room for guesses, the young guy spoke about Carmelo.

“(He) is going to be back and forth from my school and back home,” says Kiyan, “so I’ll be seeing him a lot more.” Not just life lessons, Kiyan knows the importance of Melo and the legacy he has left behind. “(It) means everything,” he tells PEOPLE. “It means a lot (Melo in Syracuse). It actually means everything. That was a huge part of my decision to go to Syracuse, so him being over there twenty-something years ago and then me coming, trying to follow his footsteps definitely means a lot, and I’m looking forward to see what comes with it.”

Carmelo Anthony and La La are incredibly proud of their son and all that he has achieved. At just 16 years old, he began gaining attention for his game and skills. Over time, he continued to impress with his jaw-dropping performances. But it is not just his hoop stories, Kiyan has impressed the powerful parents with his maturity on how to deal with the social world. In the same exclusive, he discussed what it means to be there and how he wishes to be there.

Kiyan picking ‘life lessons’ from parents before moving to Syracuse

It is never easy when you slowly move out of the shadows of your parents. Before the young hooper begins his college journey, his parents have been offering him all the guidance they can. Kiyan explained that his parents have made him aware of how he needs to be more responsible and cautious about what he posts on social media.

“Anything you post could be recorded and reposted. So, just trying to go over everything with my parents before I even post anything, making sure that it’s all right,” he shared. The 18-year-old added that he shares his stuff only through the IG special option for close friends. While Kiyan believes that the perks of having a famous father and actress mother are being friends with Bronny and Bryce James, the other perks can also be how his parents use their experience to teach him about life. 

But how does a young player handle fame at such an early age? While his parents are proud, they also understand how important it is to keep their son both safe and grounded. So, does his mother have any advice for him? “Don’t listen to negative comments. Just do what makes you happy. Just quiet the outside noise. I always tell him, ‘Quiet the outside noise. It’s not important,” La La said about what she always advises her son. She explained that her son loves to post photos and game highlights on social media.

She also added that his growing popularity comes with one challenge, and that he’s starting to get recognized wherever he goes. “It does get hard for him sometimes when it’s time to move around,” she said. However, she feels proud! During their trip to Japan, she swelled with pride when local basketball fans began to recognize him and asked for pictures. While he will always have his parents’ love and support, Kiyan will have to handle the dual challenges that come with fame and independence!