"I'm still in high school trying to get my friends some money": Kiyan Anthony opens up about looking out for people around him from a young age

Kiyan Anthony, son of 10-time NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, already has a $1.1 million NIL valuation. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard finished his high school last season and is heading to college to play for his father's alma mater, Syracuse.

The former Long Island Lutheran player was on the "7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony" podcast, alongside the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, Dylan Harper. In the YouTube video posted on Thursday, he talked about helping people around him since he was young and how the NIL has impacted the earnings of young players.

"It's definitely different, 'cause like you said, trench baby, back in the day, they not getting millions until they got to the NBA or maybe a couple of years in the NBA. So like, you still gotta think about people around you, like your friends, your family. When you're in the NBA, you could provide, but now we gotta worry about that much earlier." (Timestamp: 47:07 onwards)

He continued to talk about helping his friends and family and the responsibility that comes with earning money early in your career.

"Like, I'm still in high school trying to get my friends some money, trying to get my family some money. So it's like, you just gotta learn earlier. People back then, they was waiting until they got to the league," Anthony said. "It's a different level of responsibility. Yeah, so now we in high school with financial teams, with, you know, agencies. It was never like that before. So you just gotta learn and, you know, evolve." (Timestamp: 47:25 onwards)

Apart from his NIL deals, Kiyan Anthony also started his clothing brand One Way, along with his friend Jadyn, in 2023. During a podcast with the former Oregon Ducks guard Deja Kelly, he talked about how his brand has been reaching new heights.

---

Kiyan Anthony set to don his father's New York Knicks' No. 7 jersey at Syracuse

The Instagram page of Syracuse Men's Basketball shared the jersey numbers on their page for the incoming freshman class. The post confirmed Kiyan Anthony's No. 7 jersey, the same number his father wore when he played for the Knicks.

Anthony, who arrived at the facility on Tuesday, greeted the staff and coaches. He also had a message for the fans.

"What's up, y'all. It's Kiy man. Just touched down at 'Cuse. Looking forward to it, man. Ready to get to work. Getting to know the guys, getting to know the staff. and yeah, let's do it."

Luke Fennell, Aaron Womack and Sadiq White Jr. will join Kiyan Anthony next season.