Syracuse Orange legend Carmelo Anthony was working as an NBA analyst on Peacock Monday night while his son Kiyan made his debut for the Orange. Kiyan scored 15 points in 29 minutes off the bench, adding three rebounds and three assists.
Carmelo broke down his son’s performance from the desk during an intermission in the Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Brooklyn Nets game. He called himself a “proud dad” while watching the Orange’s game against Binghamton, which Syracuse won 85-47.
“Most importantly for me, (Kiyan had a) defensive night,” Carmelo said on the broadcast. “He was picking up full court.”
Kiyan is widely known for his offensive skill, which is largely what made him the top basketball prospect in New York during his senior year of high school. He won’t have the ball nearly as much as he did in high school, and his willingness to contribute in other aspects has already stood out.
“I thought especially on the defensive end, I thought (Kiyan) gave a lot of energy,” Syracuse coach Adrian Autry said. “I thought he moved. I thought he made the right rotations. So I was extremely proud of him tonight on that end.’’
The injury to starting guard JJ Starling instantly propelled Kiyan into a larger role. Starling went down with a lower-body injury early in the first half, which led to Kiyan playing a team-high 29 minutes in the blowout win.
Carmelo wasn’t the only basketball legend who commented on his son’s debut. LeBron James reposted a picture of Kiyan from his debut on his Instagram story, writing “Yessir nephew!!!” while tagging him and adding a salute emoji.
Autry noted after the game that Starling’s injury was nothing serious. Though if he misses Saturday’s game that would likely result in Kiyan starting in his place.
Carmelo had 27 points and 11 rebounds in his Syracuse debut on Nov. 14, 2002 against Memphis in Madison Square Garden. Carmelo played 39 minutes, shooting 10-of-23 from the field.
“He’s developing man, I just love to see him develop,” Carmelo said. “I’m proud of you champ, wish I could’ve been there.”
Kiyan noted after Monday’s game that his dad would be at the next one, which is Saturday in Syracuse. The Orange host Delaware State at 1 p.m. Saturday. ACC Network Extra will broadcast the game. Tickets are currently selling for as low as $4.
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