"He really believes in me": Carmelo Anthony's son Kiyan Anthony revealed dad's retirement video "surprised" him

Carmelo Anthony's retirement came as a shock to the basketball world. Even though his son, Kiyan Anthony, had a similar sentiment, he quickly found the silver lining. Melo hung his jersey through a YouTube video in May 2023. It was during the NBA conference finals while Kiyan was playing in the EYBL.

While fans believed Melo had a few strong veteran years left under his belt, Kiyan embraced the extra time his father would have on his hands.

"His retirement being in the middle of the EYBL session, me doing what I'm doing, it was just a great feeling," Anthony spoke in an interview for Overtime's 'The Kiyan Anthony Show' (Timestamp: 4:53). "Now he's fully dedicated to me. He could go to every tournament, he could go to every camp and you know, really be locked in on what I want to do.

"He kinda surprised me with the retirement video, it being dedicated to strictly me. I was really like, 'Oh, wow, he really believes in me. He really think I could do this.'"

In his send-off video titled "Thank You #STAYME7O," Carmelo Anthony symbolically handed Kiyan Anthony the torch. He motivated the high schooler to continue the basketball tradition, highlighting that his journey plays an integral part in Melo's legacy.

Kiyan Anthony's mother believes that he can shake off the pressure

Carmelo Anthony is one of the purest scorers the NBA has seen. He finished his career while having the ninth-most points in league history. Moreover, he was a 10-time All-Star, three-time Olympic gold medalist and an NBA top-75 inductee and is ranked second on Team USA's all-time scoring list.

While talking about Carmelo Anthony's retirement video, La La Anthony quickly pointed out the pressures that being the successor of his legacy invites. Nevertheless, she claimed that if anyone can carry the torch, it is Kiyan Anthony.

"Melo's retirement message to Kiyan, I thought it was incredible," she said. "But I was like, 'That's a hell of a lot of pressure,' but if anyone can do it, I know my son can. And we just want to support him in every aspect of his journey and see where it goes."

For younger Anthony, one of the biggest decisions awaits in his preference for a college program. He chose his six programs in late July and will soon embark on official school visits to all of them.