{"id":858867,"date":"2025-06-29T16:11:52","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T21:11:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/29\/dylan-harper-and-kiyan-anthony-reveal-childhood-bond-that-started-their-basketball-journey\/"},"modified":"2025-06-29T16:11:52","modified_gmt":"2025-06-29T21:11:52","slug":"dylan-harper-and-kiyan-anthony-reveal-childhood-bond-that-started-their-basketball-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/29\/dylan-harper-and-kiyan-anthony-reveal-childhood-bond-that-started-their-basketball-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Dylan Harper and Kiyan Anthony Reveal Childhood Bond That Started Their Basketball Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Basketball <\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Dylan Harper\u2019s selection as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs marks a significant moment for the rising star.<\/p>\n<p>The Rutgers standout\u2019s draft status has already generated substantial media attention, including a recent podcast appearance alongside Kiyan Anthony, son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony.<\/p>\n<p>During their conversation on \u201c7PM in Brooklyn,\u201d the two young basketball talents revealed the origin story of their enduring friendship, offering fans a glimpse into their personal connection that began years before their professional journeys diverged.<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure id=\"attachment_987764\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-987764\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballnetwork.com\/nba-mock-draft-simulator\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/statico.profootballnetwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/27144350\/2026-NBA-Mock-Draft-Simulator.png\" alt=\"basketball Dive into PFSN's FREE NBA Mock Draft Simulator and take the place of any of the 30 GMs around the league.\" width=\"970\" height=\"250\"><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-987764\">Dive into PFSN&#8217;s FREE NBA Mock Draft Simulator and take the place of any of the 30 GMs around the league.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Basketball Kiyan Anthony and Dylan Harper Share How They First Met and Became Friends<\/h2>\n<p>Currently, both young stars are preparing to embark on new chapters in their careers. The Long Island Lutheran High School graduate is set to begin his college journey at Syracuse University, while Harper will soon suit up in a Spurs jersey for his rookie NBA season.<\/p>\n<p>Before their new journeys begin, Carmelo invited them to his \u201c7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony\u201d podcast. The NBA legend\u2019s very first question to the former Rutgers guard focused on their initial connection.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">No. 2 pick Dylan Harper AND Kiyan Anthony had a lot to discuss as the newest members of the Spurs &#038; Syracuse ????<\/p>\n<p>Lock in early for a fresh new episode dropping later today ????<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/U0flr4CDBZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/U0flr4CDBZ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/nnVazkVEzv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/nnVazkVEzv<\/a><br \/>\n\u2014 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/7PMinBrooklyn\/status\/1938242036177768731?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">June 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u201cI think six, it might have been a little earlier. I mean, sixth or seventh grade is probably my latest memory, I think. Played a little at the Riverbank. I think that was the first time me and him connected, and ever since then we\u2019ve just been cool,\u201d Harper <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/-sCEpKWqIM4?t=216\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow noreferrer\">said<\/a>, recalling their first meeting at Riverbank State Park in New York City.<\/p>\n<p>True to form, Anthony admitted he couldn\u2019t pinpoint the exact moment. \u201cNah, yeah, I don\u2019t remember,\u201d he said with a laugh. However, he quickly added, \u201cBut ever since then we\u2019ve been cool, we\u2019ve been keeping in contact. Definitely had that relationship.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dylan Harper on NBA Expectations, Kiyan Looks Ahead to Syracuse &#038; Carmelo on the Future of Hoops\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-sCEpKWqIM4?start=216&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Basketball Following Different Paths to Basketball Success<\/h2>\n<p>Anthony is clearly following in his father\u2019s footsteps by heading to Syracuse University to play college basketball after completing his high school career. The university holds special significance as the same institution where Carmelo starred and led the Orange to a national championship in 2003.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Harper has already transitioned to professional basketball after his first-round selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. His impressive freshman campaign at Rutgers University, where he averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, positioned him perfectly to join San Antonio\u2019s promising young core alongside Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.<\/p>\n<p>The Spurs demonstrated their commitment to selecting Harper by maintaining control of the No. 2 overall pick despite numerous trade opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Reports indicated they were close to moving the pick in a potential Kevin Durant trade, yet ultimately decided to stay the course. The franchise chose to draft Harper rather than pursue the two-time NBA champion, signaling their confidence in building around young talent.<\/p>\n<p>If Harper can replicate anything close to his standout freshman performance at Rutgers during his rookie season, the Spurs\u2019 front office will have every reason to celebrate their patience and strategic planning.<\/p>\n<p>The combination of Harper\u2019s playmaking abilities with Wembanyama\u2019s unique skill set and Castle\u2019s emerging talent creates an intriguing foundation for the franchise\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.profootballnetwork.com\/mens-cbb\/dylan-harper-kiyan-anthony-friendship-basketball-journey\/\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a> Sami Haider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Basketball Dylan Harper\u2019s selection as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs marks a significant moment for the rising star. The Rutgers standout\u2019s draft status has already generated substantial media attention, including a recent podcast appearance alongside Kiyan Anthony, son of NBA legend Carmelo Anthony. During their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[124942,3681,1015,27681],"tags":[16302],"class_list":["post-858867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba","category-basketball","category-dylan","category-harper","tag-nba"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=858867"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/858867\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=858867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=858867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=858867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}