Almost every fan and observer has criticized the Los Angeles Lakers for drafting Bronny James with the 55th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, accusing the franchise of bowing to the demands of its superstar LeBron James. Bron had famously said he wanted to play with his son before hanging up his sneakers on a Hall of Fame career spanning 22 years. However, Kiyan Anthony, a four-star recruit and son of Carmelo Anthony, praised the Lakers for making history in the draft.
Kiyan Anthony and Bronny James
During a guest appearance in his father's podcast 7PM in Brooklyn, Kiyan expressed his excitement at Bronny's potential success in the NBA. “It was fire,” he said. Moreover, the historic moment at the draft didn't escape him. “Just to know that he started it and now that I get a chance to get where he's at in the league,” Kiyan said. “Especially him playing with his pops.” Asked about the possibility of playing against Bronny in the league, Kiyan said that he was looking forward to it.
“We could play against each other like we played against each other in high school,” he said.
The nepotism narrative has colored the younger James' rise to the pros despite being a four-star recruit coming out of high school. While Bronny's cardiac arrest definitely affected his freshman career at USC, he has shown enough potential to be an effective contributor to any NBA team that would draft him, even if his dad wasn't LeBron James. Meanwhile, Kiyan Anthony himself is New York's No. 1 recruit and is one of the Top 40 players in the 2025 recruiting class. As a scorer with an emerging playmaking ability, Kiyan looks to attract several NBA teams' interest when he decides to enter the draft.
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony
Both Bronny and Kiyan might continue the legacy of their famous fathers who headlined the famously loaded 2003 NBA Draft. Carmelo Anthony had been one of the greatest college players in the country, leading the Syracuse Nationals to the 2003 NCAA National Championship as a freshman. In the NBA, Melo was a 10-time All-Star with six All-NBA selections. He also has three Olympic gold medals. Likewise, Melo's explosive scoring ability won him the 2012-13 scoring title with the New York Knicks.
He also played together with LeBron James during the Lakers' forgettable 2021-22 season. Meanwhile, James has been part of the GOAT conversation since his entry into the league. Entering his 22nd season, the four-time champion James continues to break records or set new ones. He has already broken Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record with 40,474 points and is now one-half of the first father and son duo to play for the same NBA team.
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