"Kiyan will be better than his father": Hoops fans react to adorable photos of Carmelo Anthony and his son Kiyan Anthony through the years

Is Kiyan Anthony better than his father, Carmelo Anthony, the 10-time NBA All-Star? Well, some hoops fans seem to think that Kiyan is destined to outshine his father. It all began when the NBA on ESPN's Instagram page posted a series of snaps of Kiyan with his father through the years on Friday.

From throwbacks to more recent snaps, the images perfectly captured Kiyan's transformation from a young boy to one of basketball's rising stars, igniting a wave of fan reactions.

One fan confidently declared:

“Kiyan will be better than his father, and he will bring an NBA championship to that family. Melo will be so proud.”

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Other enthusiastic fans added,

“Kiyan is a beast. I can't wait to see him continue to flourish.”

"Quietly putting in work; love to see it. Hope he does great."

"Kiyan will be better than Bronny."

Adding a bit of nostalgia to the discussion, one fan shared:

“We really seen Bronny and Kiyan grow right before our eyes.”

Fans also praised Carmelo and La La Anthony's parenting approach, as both have been supportive in every step of Kiyan’s journey.

“Soo Dope. I am happy his parents didn't rush his route. Blessings.”

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Kiyan, indeed, has a massive fan following, which is apparent via his 981k followers on Instagram. On Nov. 15, he committed to Syracuse. At ‘Cuse, Kiyan has to fill in the big shoes of his father.

Will Kiyan Anthony outshine his father’s legacy at Syracuse?

Some fans might have tipped Kiyan Anthony to be better than his father; however, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has to give his best to outshine his dad, an NBA legend.

At Syracuse, Carmelo Anthony steered the Orange to their only NCAA Tournament title in 2003, averaging 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Anthony's memorable 33-point blitz against the University of Texas set an NCAA record for most points by a freshman in a Final Four game.

Can Kiyan forge a big legacy at Syracuse? His mother, La La, wants him to carve his own path.

"I just always told him from the beginning, like, you have to create your own lane,” she said during Friday's episode of the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast.

Nevertheless, Kiyan Anthony has huge potential. At LuHi, Kiyan managed an average of 10.3 ppg, 2.4 apg and 2.3 rpg. But he unleashed his true potential at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Orlando. The No. 1 overall prospect in New York averaged an outstanding 28.5 points in eight games.

Surpassing one of basketball's all-time greats is a tough ask, but one thing is clear: Kiyan Anthony has talent.