NBA legend Carmelo Anthony received his flowers at the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony as part of the class of 2025. The retired NBA star delivered an emotional enshrinement speech at the event and his son Kiyan Anthony was present to witness the historical moment—as well as his daughter, Genesis.
During the speech, Carmelo acknowledged his shortcomings when addressing his children.
“Your father isn’t perfect, but he is proof that struggle doesn’t mean surrender,” he said to his 18-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter, sitting in the audience during the speech. “Proof that the road can be rough and still lead to glory.”
This is the first time the former NBA player has had both of his children at a public event since having Genesis with Mia Burks in 2017 (footage of him at her 7th birthday party surfaced last summer). It’s also the first time he has publicly acknowledged being her father since including her in a picture during his retirement announcement in 2023. At the time Carmelo had his youngest child, he was still married to La La Anthony. The TV host and actress eventually filed for divorce in 2021 after seven years of marriage.
During his speech, the former Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks player spoke about how his purpose in life has always been bigger than playing basketball and extends to making a positive impact through fatherhood. Carmelo’s own father, Carmelo Iriarte, died of cancer when he was a toddler.
“Raising children in this world is revolutionary. I didn’t just want to be a basketball player; I wanted to be a model of redemption, of accountability, of love,” he explained during his speech. “My kids saved me. They gave me a reason to move past ego, past noise, past criticism. They remind me that legacy isn’t what you leave behind, it’s what you lift up.”
Although his children have big shoes to fill, they’re already well on their way. Kiyan, for example, is a top basketball prospect who recently started his freshman year at Syracuse University, where the newly minted NBA Hall of Famer also played and secured the school its first NCAA tournament title. Kiyan has discussed why he chose to join his father’s alma mater in past interviews, making it clear that he’s creating an identity of his own.
“Ultimately, it came down to my relationship with the staff,” Kiyan told ESPN in November 2024. “From day one, when they started recruiting me, they made me feel like it was family. My dad’s name on the facility is special, but I want to go in there and create my own name, and I’ve already done that through my dedication in the offseason, with early-morning practices, playing at camps, playing on the circuit.”
Congratulations to Carmelo for a job well done on the court — and off.