Syracuse Basketball: 4-star Kiyan Anthony dishes on him, Melo playing LeBron, Bronny

In a hypothetical two-versus-two match-up of Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony and his son, 'Cuse recruit Kiyan Anthony, against LeBron James and his son, Bronny, who would win in a game to 11 points?

Kiyan Anthony has some thoughts.

In a fun recent social media post from the X account Overtime, the 2025 four-star shooting guard briefly chatted about what would be a tremendously awesome battle between two NBA superstars and their talented sons.

Anthony says he'd probably have to go with the James family prevailing, in a close game of, say, 11-7 or 11-8. Anthony notes that, for one, LeBron James is still in the NBA. He's won four titles and gone to a ridiculous 10 NBA finals.

Carmelo Anthony, meanwhile, officially retired from the NBA in May of 2023. He's currently in the top 10 of the league's all-time scoring list and is arguably the most decorated player in the history of USA Basketball.

Oh, and he delivered one of the best seasons ever by a freshman in college basketball history when he guided Syracuse basketball to the program's only national title at the end of the 2002-03 term.

But as his son points out, LeBron remains an active player. Melo has retired. Perhaps that gives the James duo an edge. Either way, I'd love to see that two-versus-two family affair.

Four-star shooting guard Kiyan Anthony is a Syracuse basketball priority recruit.

Kiyan Anthony is a fast-rising prospect in the 2025 class. He's inside the top 30 nationally, according to On3. Over the past few months, Anthony has seen his stock soar due to his strong play on the AAU circuit and at other showcases.

During the upcoming 2024-25 season, he will be a senior at the powerhouse Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, N.Y. Since the spring, he's proven a top performer on Nike's EYBL circuit while playing for the 17U squad of the Baltimore-based Team Melo.

The Orange staff offered a scholarship to Anthony in November of 2022. He officially visited the 'Cuse last October and has said in several recent interviews that he plans to take some campus visits before making his college decision; Anthony could end up visiting the Hill again, he has said.

LeBron James is a veteran of the Los Angeles Lakers, leading that storied franchise to an NBA championship in 2020. He's the league's all-time scoring leader, with more than 40,000 career points.

In late June, at the 2024 NBA Draft, the Lakers chose Bronny James with the 55th overall pick, a second-round selection. He was a five-star guard in the 2023 class, and a McDonald's All-American, who starred for the Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, Calif.

As a freshman for Southern California during the 2023-24 season, James averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest while appearing in 25 games. In late July of last year, while at a USC practice, James suffered a cardiac arrest.

I'm just glad that Bronny is okay. I have no idea how his NBA career will pan out, and I'm sure there's a lot of pressure that comes with playing for the Lakers and being LeBron's son. To see him healthy is wonderful.

Kiyan Anthony says he's excited that Bronny James has made it to the NBA. In the clip from Overtime's X account, Anthony is asked if he will make his dad come out of retirement when it's Kiyan's time to be in the pros.

Anthony said (in jest, I might add) that he will try to get Melo to come back and play for Team USA. Wouldn't that be lovely.

In December of 2022, Bronny James and Sierra Canyon faced off with Kiyan Anthony and his previous high school program, Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village, N.Y. Naturally, Melo and King James were in attendance to cheer on their sons.

So who is going to make a call and get this Anthony family versus James family game to 11 points on the calendar? Maybe Jim Boeheim, Coach K or Rich Paul can set it up.