"I don't want to be that parent": When Carmelo Anthony's ex La La Anthony opened up about how she stayed involved in son Kiyan Anthony's life

La La Anthony opened up about her approach to parenting her teenage son, Kiyan Anthony, and displayed her commitment to staying involved in his life. She appeared in an interview on Jemele Hill's YouTube channel on January 2023.

As the ex-wife of NBA star Carmelo Anthony, La La is keenly aware of the unique pressures Kiyan faces due to his father’s high-profile career, but she’s made it a priority to keep herself in the loop when it comes to his world especially as he navigates his basketball journey.

“I don’t want to be that parent that doesn’t know about what’s going on now. There’s no way for me to know about everything that’s going on, but I’m fully aware of what’s happening, you know, on social media, on TikTok, on Snapchat, on everything” (1:34 - 1:46).

For La La, this means taking the time to understand the latest trends and topics that matter to Kiyan.

She doesn’t want to be the kind of parent who "doesn’t understand this stuff” or “doesn’t know what these kids are doing”. Instead, she’s dedicated to learning about his interests so she can have informed discussions with him.

The proactive approach has created a close bond between mother and son, as Kiyan feels comfortable talking to her about what’s happening in his life.

La La explained that when Kiyan brings up something new.

“I’ll go research it or look it up so I can be in the know with what his friends are talking about, and what’s going on in his world, and what his world looks like” (1:52 - 2:00).

She feels that by staying involved, she can better support him in navigating the complications of being a teenager today, especially given the added pressure from social media and his emerging basketball career.

Reflecting on the differences between her teenage years and Kiyan’s, La La spoke about the challenges social media has introduced for teens.

“Especially now, playing basketball and getting so much attention from that… I didn’t have that growing up,” she said, adding that it’s different “having parents who are known as well” (2:21 - 2:29).

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La La Anthony spoke about her relationship with Carmelo Anthony and co-parenting Kiyan Anthony

During her interview with Hill, La La Anthony also spoke candidly about her relationship with Carmelo Anthony, especially how they managed to co-parent Kiyan Anthony despite their separation. She acknowledged the challenges they face but emphasized that their priority remains providing stability for their son.

"At the end of the day, our son comes first. We’re not together anymore, but we’ll always be a family because of Kiyan" (1:12 - 1:25).

La La explained that while they’ve had their struggles, they’ve found ways to communicate effectively and set aside any personal issues for Kiyan Anthony’s sake.

"It’s about being mature enough to put him first, no matter what’s happening between us" (2:03 - 2:10).

Despite their differences, La La and Carmelo remain united when it comes to parenting. For her, the key is to “stay on the same page” with Carmelo, maintaining a co-parenting partnership that lets Kiyan Anthony feel “safe, loved, and supported”.