Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan Anthony expresses desire to walk in dad’s footsteps with dream NIL deal

Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan Anthony is one of the top high school basketball players, not just on the court but also for his marketing potential off the court. With a $622,000 NIL valuation, Kiyan holds the second spot in On3's high school basketball NIL rankings, behind Bryce James.

Last week, BR Kicks shared a video on Instagram where they asked several high school players, including Kiyan Anthony, about their dream NIL deal. Kiyan had a specific brand in mind.

"I want an NIL deal with Jordan, cause my pops signed with Jordan. I feel like that will be fire," Kiyan said.

On Saturday, Nicekicks played the role of a moderator asking the Jordan brand on Instagram whether they would be interested signing the six-foot-five guard.

"Kiyan Anthony would love to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Jordan Brand family on an NIL deal. Should @Jumpman23 make it happen?" Nicekicks wrote.

Kiyan's father, Carmelo reportedly earned $3.5 million a year for six years with Nike.

After he led Syracuse to NCAA glory in 2003, several big brands wanted to sign him. However, his interest in the Jordan brand grew after meeting Michael Jordan in 2002 at the first Jordan Brand Classic game in Washington, DC.

"If I had to wear something else, I guess I would deal with it, but I’ve been wearing Nikes since I was a little kid," Carmelo told ESPN‘s Darren Rovell at the time. "They brought me in like family, and I felt at home when I signed with them."

Carmelo Anthony became the first signature athlete affiliated with the Jordan brand.

"I remember there wasn’t a plan at that point in time, right? But LeBron was at Nike, and MJ stepped up and said, ‘Look, I’ll pay half, Nike pay half. Look, I’ll take Melo, y’all got LeBron, Converse got D-Wade and [Chris] Bosh,'" Anthony told the Uninterrupted podcast.

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Details of Kiyan Anthony NIL deals

Kiyan Anthony inked his first NIL deal with PSD underwear in September 2023. The Denver, Colorado, native became the youngest hoopers to join the PSD brand which includes players like Jimmy Butler, Trae Young, Ja Morant and Tyler Herro.

Kiyan signed his second NIL deal with Kobe and Vanessa Bryant's 'Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation' in October last year. The No. 1 player in New York has a year left in high school and is on the radar of various brands. Will he get a dream Jordan deal?