Bronny James had an underwhelming career with the USC Trojans in his sole year at college. There are no two ways to look at it, but LeBron James ’ eldest son still found a place in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected James Jr. with the 55th overall pick, and although the decision has been met with much negativity, the 19-year-old deserves at least a shot at proving himself in the league.
While most of the NBA community has been critical of the Lakers’ decision to draft Bronny, Carmelo Anthony ’s son, Kiyan, had a unique response to the news. In fact, Anthony Jr. aims to use it to motivate himself.
Kiyan is ready to arrive in the NBA
LeBron and Melo were both part of the 2003 NBA draft class. Over the years, the two battled on the court numerous times. Although Carmelo is now retired, he is very supportive of Kiyan’s basketball career.
In fact, Melo’s eldest son is viewed as the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2026 and already has multiple college offers. The four-star prospect recently spoke about how Bronny getting drafted into the NBA has motivated him.
“It's definitely really cool," the 17-year-old prospect said . "It just shows that anybody could do it. I’m coming up next, and I could do it. Definitely happy for him and definitely congratulations to him."
In a way, it felt like Anthony was taking a subtle shot at Bronny. After all, the former Trojans guard wasn’t expected to be selected this year. But against all odds, the Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss, made the decision to draft him .
For what it’s worth, Kiyan is viewed as a much better prospect than Bronny. He had a phenomenal high school career and aims to continue that same run in college.
Related: "That's not a goal I want to achieve. That's not something I think I'll be good at" - Allen Iverson on why he would never want to be a coach
When can Kiyan be drafted?
At just 17 years old, the 6'5" shooting guard Kiyan Anthony can declare for the NBA draft as early as 2026, giving him ample time to refine his skills and develop into an elite scoring guard.
So, even at the earliest, fans have to wait for at least two years before seeing a potential matchup between Kiyan and Bronny. However, by looking at LeBron’s son’s career trajectory, it wouldn’t hurt the 17-year-old to maybe stay an extra year in college to hone his skills.
As of now, Kiyan hasn’t committed to any college program. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and build a legacy with the Syracuse Oranges.
Related: “What Bogdanovic did gave me chills” - Carmelo Anthony says international teams are not scared of Team USA
Local News
