"Go And Get Dunked On": Ex-NFL MVP Breaks Down Kiyan Anthony's Ascent Despite Overwhelming Spotlight of Being Carmelo Anthony's Prodigy

Kiyan Anthony, the son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony, is having a great start to his collegiate career at Syracuse. Kiyan has helped the Orange to an impressive 3-0 record to begin the season. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton gave his take on why Carmelo's son has been successful at this level already.

On a recent episode of his "4th & 1" podcast, Newton discussed how Carmelo and La La Anthony possibly put their son in tough situations growing up, despite having a privileged life. The former NFL star added that Kiyan also put in the hard work needed to succeed on the next level.

"If you didn't think that there were certain things that Kiyan actually benefited off of by being Carmelo's son, you a fool, right?" Newton said. "It's just, my thing is, 'Hey, get your knee skinned, huh? Go and get blurred. Go and get dunked on. Okay? cool. Get your ass up. Come on, man. Come on.'

Newton added:

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"Cause at the end, like, look, being a dog is something that comes with reps. You can say you the best all you want to, but if you ain't got all that time that you done invested in that skill, art, or craft, I ain't worried about you, bro."

Cam Newton also pointed out that Kiyan Anthony being snubbed from the McDonald's All-American Game fueled the young player. He was motivated to prove his doubters wrong and has certainly shown what he's got in his first three games for Syracuse.

The 18-year-old guard is averaging 17.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists this season, while shooting 63.6% from the field, including 44.4% from beyond the arc. He hasn't been tested against better teams in the nation yet, but he's expected to be ready for them later this season.

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Kiyan Anthony credits his early success to his work ethic

Kiyan Anthony credits his early success to his work ethic. (Photo: IMAGN)

Speaking to Noah Love of Spectrum News earlier this week, Kiyan Anthony was asked about his early success in his freshman season at Syracuse. Anthony credited the work he has put in with his father and trainer, as well as the motivation from the people who said that his game wouldn't translate.

"I think the narrative on me coming in was, 'He’s a good scorer, but we don’t know how it'll translate to the college level,' but obviously it’s translating," Anthony said. "The work I've been putting in over the offseason with my dad, with my trainer Chris Berkley, it's just been good."

However, his first real test will come in conference play against teams like UNC, Louisville and Duke.

Edited by Juan Paolo David