Bronny James bests Kiyan Anthony in battle of NBA lineage
CHATSWORTH, Ca. (BVM) – It was a matchup two decades in the making. In Feb. 2002, future NBA superstars Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James met on the court as high schoolers as Anthony’s Oak Hill Academy took on James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary squad. Anthony would get the last laugh as the Warriors beat the Irish 72-66.
Yesterday, the families met on the high court again, this time with sons Bronny James and Kiyan Anthony taking center stage. In a highly-anticipated matchup, Bronny’s Sierra Canyon team took on Kiyan’s Christ the King. In the rematch, it was the James family that came out on top as the Trailblazers defeated the Royals 62-51 in front of a star-studded crowd.
Final: Sierra Canyon 62, Christ the King 51. Started as a defensive battle, ended as a showcase for Isaiah Elohim. Bronny James got going in the second half. Will have stats soon.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) December 13, 2022
Bronny, a senior, deservedly got a lot of attention before, during and after the contest. A top 50 recruit in the Class of 2023, Bronny showed off some impressive skills that included a fancy layup, a corner 3-point shot and a tomahawk dunk reminiscent of his father in a 12-point scoring effort.
Bronny's got the gym heating up already🔥🔥 @0BronnyJames @SCanyonSports pic.twitter.com/HxIRQaanF1
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) December 13, 2022
Kiyan, a sophomore, put on a decent showing himself. Showing off some impressive range, Kiyan hit a pair of 3-point shots and made a put back in an eight-point performance.
Kiyan Anthony with the RANGE😮🎯@kiyananthony @ctkroyals pic.twitter.com/2VQY9Gh8DN
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) December 13, 2022
Of course, the fathers were as much of a story as the sons were. Carmelo and LeBron were seen on numerous occasions talking during the game and the two families took a group picture following the contest which went viral on social media.
LEGACIES @kiyananthony @KingJames pic.twitter.com/SBh8yBQ7FC
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) December 13, 2022
FAMILY!!! 🤎 https://t.co/WTx3ZYpwaB
— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 13, 2022
While the game was certainly a popular one for fans, they will have to wait a bit for a rematch. Bronny is set to graduate following the season and go into the college ranks. Currently rated as the No. 43 player in the nation according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Bronny holds three known offers: Memphis, Ohio State and USC. His decision is one of the more highly-anticipated in recent years.
🤯🤯😤😤 WHOA!!!! Just kids from Akron!!!! 🤴🏾🤴🏾🤴🏾🔥🔥 The Chosen One x The Chosen Sons #JamesGang👑 #TheLegecyContinues 📸 Jeffery A. Salter @SInow
https://t.co/m7YE9nHthw pic.twitter.com/ShWIvGWO86— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 30, 2022
On the other hand, Kiyan has a couple years left of high school. The 6-foot-3 shooting guard is ranked as a four-star prospect and No. 62 overall in the country for the Class of 2025 by 247Sports. He has five known Division I offers to date: Bryant, George Mason, Manhattan, Memphis and Syracuse, his dad’s alma mater.
Beyond blessed to receive an offer from Syracuse University! #GOORANGE🍊🍊 pic.twitter.com/uBMq5Kwdv7
— Kiyan Anthony (@kiyananthony) November 13, 2022
Though it remains to be seen when or where the two families will get their rematch, it is clear that the two sons are doing a good job following in the footsteps of their fathers. In the meantime, basketball fans will watch as Bronny and Kiyan make their way through the basketball ranks in excited anticipation for the next on-court matchup.
