Kiyan Anthony made his debut for the basketball team at Syracuse University on Monday. The game resulted in an 85-47 victory against Binghamton, during which the 18-year-old “played really extremely well,” according to Syracuse head coach Adrian Autry.
Kiyan Anthony entered the game following an injury sustained by his teammate JJ Starling
Less than three minutes into the game, guard JJ Starling sustained an apparent hamstring injury and exited the court. This meant Anthony had to step in.
“I was like, damn man,” Anthony said, according to Syracuse.com. “Like, JJ, you know, this is his senior campaign. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t be out there, but, you know, the game has to go on and guys got to step up.”
Anthony will be replacing Starling for the time being, although no details have yet been shared regarding his recovery time. Anthony shared some insight into his presence during the game.
“I started 0 and 2. So I just tried to set the tone defensively to get my offense really going,” he said. “Obviously, JJ was out, so I knew I was going to start the second half.”
“I just kept trying to apply the pressure and, you know, the buckets came,” Anthony added.
He scored 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting across the game, according to The Daily Orange. His performance received praise from Autry.
“I thought Kiyan played really extremely well,’’ Autry said. “I thought especially on the defensive end, I thought he gave a lot of energy. I thought he moved. I thought he made the right rotations. So I was extremely proud of him tonight on that end.’’
Kiyan Anthony has grown up in the public eye as the son of Carmelo and La La Anthony
Although Anthony just made his debut, he is one of the most famous recruits in Syracuse’s history. The son of Carmelo and La La Anthony has sustained a presence in the public eye since an early age. The 18-year-old, who has over a million followers on Instagram, has appeared in ad campaigns for American Eagle, has posed on the cover of SLAM magazine with his father, and even has his own clothing line.
Anthony’s highlights have been reported on since he was in middle school, and reporters crowded the locker room after Monday’s game. This basketball season, he will have a documentary crew following him around.
Anthony’s mother, La La Anthony, was in attendance during Monday’s game, while his father had to conduct his work as an analyst on NBC’s coverage of the NBA.
“He definitely watched it,” Anthony said about his father watching him play. “He was definitely watching through the screen.’’
Next, Syracuse will play against Delaware State on Saturday before going against Drexel on Nov. 15.
“He’ll be here next game,” Anthony said about his father. “He’ll be here.”