Carmelo Anthony may have 19 NBA seasons under his belt, but his favorite position is being a dad.
The NBA Hall of Famer was recently in proud papa mode as he appeared at his son Kiyan Anthony’s news conference following Kiyan’s first home-game win at Syracuse University.
After the game, Kiyan sat to answer questions from the press, when cameras caught his father’s abrupt interruption as he crudely blurted out a curse word before dapping his son up.
The 6-foot-5 freshman shooting guard scored nine points, including a three-pointer, in the team’s exhibition game against Pace University on Wednesday, Oct. 29.
“F**k I’m talkin’ bout,” said Carmelo as he put his hands on Kiyan’s shoulders.
The 18-year-old took the awkward congratulations from his dad in stride and smoothly continued answering the reporter’s question. The funny clip quickly circulated on social media, with fans pointing out that family will always be family, no matter who they are.
“Melo never let him cheat the grind bc of his name… Kiy gon be GOOD… & thats a proud Pops,” said one comment on @TheShadeRoom.
Another fan noted the shared admiration between the father-son duo:
“You saw the joy beem out when he dapped up his pops and got that affirmation. This is why father’s are important. Especially one that is an example to follow. For Kiyan if he’s half as good as his Dad he’ll have a great career.”
“Lol bro smile it’s okay to be happy ya pops is there !!! Give em a hug next time … pause that lil interview,” added another follower.
Several commenters suggested Anthony’s behavior walked the line between a “proud dad” and the “drunk dad at every function,” noting his over-the-top excitement over Kiyan’s press interview.
Others defended him, saying his enthusiasm came from genuine pride in seeing his son’s success. “Melo had him in the NYC parks, not just private schools and prep trainers. Them trenches is the real test,” one fan wrote, praising the NBA star for keeping his son grounded despite his fame.
Still, some thought the moment was just plain funny. “You can tell Melo be EMBARASSING that boy off and on camera and Kiyan always gonna show us it’s true,” joked one fan. Another added,
Anthony, who shares Kiyan with his former wife La La Anthony, seems eager to keep cheering on — and occasionally embarrassing — his son throughout his budding basketball career.
In November 2024, Kiyan announced he would follow in his father’s footsteps by committing to Syracuse University, where Carmelo was the star of the 2003 national championship team and now has the practice facility named after him.
Before making his decision, Kiyan had narrowed his choices to Syracuse and USC. After the announcement, Carmelo spoke about the importance of passing the torch to his son.
“You talk about legacy, and you talk about family dynamics, you talk about passing things on down to your family, to your kids. And this is something that we passing, and we passing the baton to him,” he told The Daily Orange. “And now whatever he do with it, he do with it, and that’s on him.”
Despite the pressure of being the only son of one of the greatest players to don the orange jersey, Kiyan is determined to make a name for himself.
In a profile with The Daily Orange, he opened up about what it’s like being the son of a NBA legend. “It’s definitely overwhelming,” Kiyan said. “I’m not even gonna lie and sit here like it’s a bed of roses. It’s definitely a lot of pressure.”
Kiyan might need to brace himself for more “embarrassing dad” moments. During the team’s regular-season debut on Nov. 3, he came off the bench to score 15 points in an 85-47 win over Binghamton University.
