In a moment bridging basketball generations, Kiyan Anthony quietly celebrated his father’s crowning achievement Wednesday with a simple Instagram Story repost. The four-star Syracuse commit shared breaking news from “NBAONESPN” confirming Carmelo Anthony’s election to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 as a first-ballot inductee.
The timing couldn’t be more poetic for the Anthony legacy at Syracuse. As 17-year-old Kiyan prepares to don Orange next season, his father, who led Syracuse to its only national championship in 2003, receives basketball’s highest honor, creating a perfect torch-passing moment between father and son.
A Legacy Honored Through Social Media Simplicity
Kiyan’s understated Instagram reaction spoke volumes. Without adding commentary to the ESPN-branded post featuring a smiling Carmelo in a white sweater, the younger Anthony let the monumental announcement stand on its own
“First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he’s been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025.”
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The reshare highlighted Carmelo’s impressive resume 10 All-Star appearances, six All-NBA selections across 19 seasons and three Olympic gold medals accomplishments that made his first ballot election a virtual certainty.
For Kiyan currently ranked No. 36 in the ESPN 100, the post represented both his father’s legacy and the standard he’ll carry to Syracuse.
Father-Son Syracuse Connection Reaches New Heights
The Hall of Fame announcement creates a remarkable Syracuse storyline as Kiyan prepares to follow his father’s footsteps on campus. While Carmelo’s No. 15 jersey hangs in the rafters and his name adorns the $3 million Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center he funded. Kiyan will begin crafting his own Orange legacy this fall.
The timing feels destined, as Carmelo will deliver Syracuse’s 2025 Commencement address on May 11, just months before Kiyan’s freshman season begins. The 6’5″ shooting guard who averaged 19.6 points in the 2024 Nike EYBL circuit and earned MVP honors at the 2025 Hoophall Classic will enter Syracuse as his father enters basketball immortality.
For Syracuse basketball fans, this father-son story represents a full-circle moment two decades in the making.
As Carmelo joins basketball’s most exclusive club following his 28,289 points NBA career, his son’s simple Instagram acknowledgment bridges past and future, the quiet beginning of Kiyan’s journey to potentially create his own Syracuse legend while honoring the Hall of Fame shadow in which he’ll initially play.
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