Carmelo Anthony's feature in special edition of NBA 2K26 elicits 2-word reaction from son Kiyan Anthony

NBA 2K26 is officially on the way, and this year’s special edition cover will have Carmelo Anthony on it, sparking a reaction from his son, Kiyan Anthony.

The 10-time NBA All-Star is the face of one of the deluxe versions of the game, and Kiyan reposted the cover on his Instagram Story on Wednesday.

“hurddd,” Kiyan wrote.

NBA 2K26 is expected to release in September, following the franchise’s annual tradition. Carmelo’s edition will likely include special in-game content and tributes to his career.

The special editions will feature Anthony and Angel Reese. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

Anthony's legacy in the NBA is cemented, as he was the No. 3 pick in 2003 and became one of the league’s most lethal scorers.

He played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and a few other teams in his 19-year career. Anthony finished with over 28,000 points and three Olympic gold medals.

His son, Kiyan, who has followed in his footsteps, is carving his own path. The highly-rated prospect has shown the skill and confidence that echoes his father’s game, and chose his alma mater, Syracuse.

The shooting guard signed with the Orange over programs like Indiana, Michigan, Florida State, Illinois, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Memphis and Tennessee.

Kiyan announced his commitment to Syracuse on Nov. 15.

Kiyan Anthony talks his aspirations at Syracuse NIL Summer Slam event

The Orange unveiled its 2025 roster at the Summer Slam NIL event, hosted at a private residence in Skaneateles. The event featured an auction and saw Syracuse players compete in a slam-dunk challenge and 3-point competition.

"Just a different type of culture," Kiyan said on Tuesday, via CNY Central. "I feel like I come from a winning culture, and hopefully I can win some games with this team...going to the Tournament is the ultimate goal, so I feel like if we do that, we'll be on a good track."

The Orange will parade almost an entirely new roster, with sophomore forward Donnie Freeman and junior guard JJ Starling being the only returning players.

About the author

Babatunde Kolawole is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience in the field with Canoncrested.com, Garbersports.com, LiveScore Bet Nigeria and Pulse Sports Nigeria.

Kolawole studied Agricultural Economics on the tertiary level but delved into sports writing after school. Over half a decade later, the experience garnered helped him land this role.

Historically, the Alabama Crimson Tide stands out as Kolawole's favorite team as he was drawn to their rich history.

As for basketball, JuJu Watkins is Kolawole's favorite current player due to how much diversity she has in her game, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar gets the nod for past players because of how he dominated with UCLA.

Kolawole has appeared on several TV and Radio shows as a guest analyst, and in his spare time, likes to watch movies (a sucker for the Marvel Cinematic Universe) and listen to a lot of music. He also loves to travel.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez