The Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to draft USC Trojans guard Bronny James has definitely generated a lot of different takes on the matter. The latest comes from Kiyan Anthony, former NBA star Carmelo Anthony’s son, in a take that’s comes from someone close to the rookie’s age.
Bronny, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, has signed a four-year contract with the Lakers around a month ago. The deal is said to be a multi-year, guaranteed contract worth $7.9 million, including a team option for the fourth year. The USC Trojan star, who was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, will try to earn a spot on the Lakers’ 15-man roster for the upcoming season.
The decision to give Bronny a guaranteed contract, rather than a two-way deal, was made to maximize his playing time and development in the NBA. His agent, Rich Paul, had stated that LeBron’s son would not sign a two-way contract, as it would limit the number of games he could play and make him ineligible for the postseason.
The Lakers’ decision to draft the younger James came as they were working on a new contract with his father, LeBron James, who opted out of his previous deal. The elder James is expected to remain in Los Angeles and take a pay cut to help the team add talent in free agency.
Kiyan Anthony Shares Thoughts About Los Angeles Lakers Drafting Bronny James
Just recently, Kiyan appeared in an episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, a Wave Sports + Entertainment Original, alongside Philadelphia 76ers All-Star wing Paul George. As seen in a video posted by the podcast‘s official YouTube channel, the younger Anthony discussed what he thought of Bronny getting drafted by the Lakers.
MERO: “What was it like to see Bronny [James] get drafted…and watching him go through that when you think about your future?”
KIYAN: “Nah, it was fire. Just to know that he started it and now that I got a chance to follow, not follow him but get to where he’s at in the league. That’s fire. I texted him and everything…Especially him playing with his pops.
That’s crazy. That’s so crazy to me. But yeah, it is like we could play against each other, like we played against each other in high school. I was only a freshman or a sophomore and he was a senior, but now that we could get to the league and play against each other, it’s crazy to just think about.”
For his part, Carmelo Anthony’s son has been ranked as the number one player in New York for the class of 2025. He has already received offers from several top college programs and is poised to follow in his father’s footsteps as a rising star in the sport.
While it may take some time, Kiyan will eventually make it to the NBA, thanks to his talent and the connection his father has to the league. When that happens, expect a lot of eyes to be on him, especially if he battles Bronny on the court.
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