Syracuse Basketball: 4-star sons of Melo, LeBron to battle on national TV

LeBron James and Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony are dear friends and long-time NBA stars.

They also have sons who suit up for top-25 teams in high school that are preparing for a nationally televised encounter on the west coast this coming Monday night.

Per a press release from ESPN, the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif., will host Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y., on Monday, Dec. 12, beginning at 11:30 pm EST.

In this week’s top 25 from ESPN, Christ the King (2-1) checked in at No. 22 nationally, while Sierra Canyon (4-1) resided at No. 25.

ESPN2 will televise this enticing encounter. The broadcast team for Christ the King at Sierra Canyon is John Schiffren (play-by-play), analysts Paul Biancardi and Jay Bilas, and sideline reporter Malika Andrews.

Syracuse basketball fans will want to check out an upcoming high-school showcase.

Okay, so as the 2022-23 season for high schools, prep schools and independent basketball academies recently got underway, we’re certainly going to pay close attention to the Christ the King Royals.

A member of the Christ the King roster is 2025 four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony, who is the son of Carmelo Anthony.

The 6-foot-3 Kiyan Anthony, however, isn’t simply Melo’s son. Kiyan is also a Syracuse basketball recruiting target. In mid-November, Anthony disclosed that he had received a scholarship offer from the Orange coaching staff.

Currently rated as a top-65 player in the sophomore class, Anthony’s offer sheet includes Memphis, Bryant, George Mason and Manhattan. Illinois, Penn State, St. John’s and Morgan State, among others, are also showing interest in him.

When Anthony and his Christ the King teammates hit the court this Monday evening in Chatsworth, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles, they will face a Sierra Canyon Trailblazers line-up that features LeBron James’ son, 2023 four-star guard Bronny James.

The 6-foot-3 James, ranked in the top 45 of the senior cycle per the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, is one of the top uncommitted prospects in the 2023 class.

According to his bio on the 247Sports Web site, James holds offers and interest from heavyweight college squads such as Memphis, Ohio State, Southern California, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan and Oregon.

This should be a really fun affair between the sons of Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

By the way, Christ the King recently competed at the Hoophall International event in London, England. When overseas, the Royals defeated the Pace Academy from Atlanta but fell to St. Paul VI Catholic High School out of Chantilly, Va.

Then, on Friday night, Christ the King won on the road, 63-55, against Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., per the MaxPreps Web site.