Carmelo Anthony Claims Son Kiyan Anthony is ‘Too Small’

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dean Koutouratsas | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 1:26 PM ET

Former NBA All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony poked some fun at his son and Syracuse Orange incoming freshman Kiyan Anthony.

The father and son appeared in a recent interview with ESPN’s “SportsCenter” and were asked who would win in a game to 11.

“And you say [we're] going to 11 right now,” Carmelo Anthony asked. “I would win because I’m going to make the game super easy.”

Carmelo Anthony noted he has a slight height advantage over his son. The former New York Knick is six-foot-seven, while Kiyan Anthony is six-foot-five.

“You're just too small,” he added. “[I] just need two dribbles underneath the basket.”

Carmelo Anthony said he would utilize a mixture of scoring methods against his son, which he famously used throughout his 19-year NBA career to amass 28,289 career points and a 22.5-point per-game career average.

“Fadeaway, then you’ll jump at the next shot,” he joked. “I’m just going to build off one play with you.”

However, Kiyan Anthony responded differently to his father’s remarks. “All I need is one stop,” he said.

It could be pretty interesting if the game happened because both players are very talented scorers. Kiyan Anthony was the No. 36 ranked player coming out of Long Island Lutheran, where he averaged 19.6 points on the Nike EYBL circuit and scored 25 or more in four of 15 games, according to an ESPN report.

Furthermore, last summer at the Nike Peach Jam, he averaged 21.8 points on 37.3% from the 3-point range in eight games. Meanwhile, his father’s resume speaks for itself as a 10-time NBA All-Star and one of the league’s greatest mid-range shooters of all time.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: