“In the end, only one could stay,” Kiyan Anthony said during his father’s visit. “7 p.m. in Brooklyn” podcast, with his mother La La Anthony also sitting next to him for the announcement. “And with that being said, I will be committing to Syracuse University.”

He put on a Syracuse cap, then hugged his parents.

“Now we can get to work,” Carmelo Anthony said.

La La Anthony added: “I can breathe now. »

Kiyan Anthony lived up to the hype last summer, putting up plenty of scores while averaging nearly 20 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit while playing for Team Melo, a program co-founded by his father. He even played in a game at New York’s famous Rucker Park this summer, in front of many former NBA players.

“I’m tougher on him basketball-wise than his dad, way tougher on him than his dad. . . . And then it all started to click and we see all the hard work and all the hours pay off,” La La Anthony said.

It had long been assumed that Kiyan Anthony would choose the Orange, just as his father did on his way to leading Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA championship in his only college season. Syracuse’s basketball office and practice complex is named the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center, since the longtime NBA star donated $3 million toward the $19 million facility.

“My message to him was: don’t be afraid of it, embrace it,” Carmelo Anthony said on the podcast. “The guys who watched me, who watched me, are not your fans. You have the opportunity to carve out a whole new fan base. My (time) was 20 years ago. . . . You have a new fan base, you have new energy.

Carmelo Anthony left a huge impact during this year in Syracuse. He averaged 22.2 points and 10 rebounds per game, was named Final Four MVP when the Orange won the national title, and was the national freshman of the year.

He would go on to play 19 NBA seasons, make 10 All-Star teams, finish with an average of 22.5 points, still ranks 10th all-time on the league’s career scoring list and was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He won three Olympic gold medals for USA Basketball and was on the court in Paris – alongside Kiyan – when the Americans won gold at the Paris Games last summer for their fifth straight Olympic title.

Kiyan Anthony has previously landed name, image and likeness contracts and has his own business interests, and worked for a time with famed basketball coach Chris Brickley – whose long client list includes LeBron James .