How Dylan Harper, Kiyan Anthony, Cameron and Cayden Boozer manage expectations as sons of NBA stars

After a Columbus blowout victory at the City of Palms on Tuesday, Cayden Boozer signed an autograph for a young fan.

Growing up the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, it’s likely something he’s seen countless times before.

On the two-time reigning state champion Columbus squad, Cayden plays alongside his twin brother Cameron, who is ranked as the top junior in the country.

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Tuesday’s night session at the City of Palms featured several sons of former NBA players with Ron Harper’s son Dylan Harper leading Don Bosco Prep to a win and Carmelo Anthony’s son Kiyan Anthony contributing to Long Island Lutheran’s victory.

“They’re all top players, all of us,” Kiyan Anthony said. “For us to be able to come here, put on a show, to create our own name, and just try to win – that’s really a blessing.”

Anthony said he’s friends with Harper and the Boozers and likes seeing them all succeed together.

“All of our dads played together or against each other, so that’s just the coolest thing,” Dylan Harper said.

Harper, a Rutgers commit ranked No. 2 in his class by ESPN, showcased an electric performance, scoring 28 points in a win against McEachern.

Harper is the latest in an elite line of hoopers in his family. Aside from his father’s 16-year NBA career that saw him earn five championships, his brother Ron Jr. played at Rutgers and got minutes with the Toronto Raptors last year. Harper’s mother, Maria, played at the University of New Orleans, coached Dylan in middle school, and is now on the coaching staff at Don Bosco.

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“I think my whole family has high IQ,” Dylan Harper said. “Obviously, my mom’s on the coaching staff, my dad played in the league, my brother’s in the league. They all know the game very well and just give me different perspectives on what I can do to help my game out.”

Cameron Boozer posted 16 points and 8 rebounds in the Columbus' 73-38 win against Archbishop Ryan, while Cayden added 11 points and assisted on 8 buckets — including some crowd-pleasing dishes to his brother.

“I think they’ve done a great job,” Columbus head coach Andrew Moran said. “I don’t think they get ahead of themselves. I don’t think they are looking too far ahead. I think they’ve done a good job of really staying in the moment and trying to improve on a daily basis.”

There is extra attention – and challenges – that come with sharing the last name with an NBA great.

“You’re kind of in that shadow for a bit,” Cayden Boozer said. “You have to try to make your own name.”

For Kiyan Anthony, who scored 12 points off the bench for Long Island Lutheran, it’s about learning to adjust.

“It’s always going to be eyes on you wherever you go just being who you are, so you start getting acclimated to it and start getting used to it and then it just becomes daily work, so it’s not really too much pressure,” he said.

Anthony, a junior, is playing his first season with the Crusaders after transferring from another New York school, Christ the King.

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LuHi head coach John Buck said Anthony is unaffected by the pressure that comes with being Carmelo’s kid.

“He handles it well,” he said. “He’s humble. He’s a cool kid, just nice to be around. I don’t think he thinks about any of that when he’s playing the game.”

Coming from families with high-level basketball knowledge has plenty of benefits.

“He teaches me the ins and outs of the games, you know, how to score easier, play defense, rebound – stuff he went through in the league,” Anthony said of his father.

“I hear I play offensively like him a lot, whether it’s dribble pullup or shooting a three. I feel like he had some of that similar game in high school.”

The Boozers saw less likenesses with their father’s game, though Cameron took a few charges that were reminiscent of his father's days in the league.

Harper said he draws on his father’s court vision from his time distributing the ball to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant when he played for the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

Most important for the NBA sons is that their families were present at the City of Palms, which is setting up these young stars to be the next generation of talents – already making their dads proud.

“It’s great for the future of basketball,” Cameron Boozer said.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: City of Palms Classic: Ron Harper, Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer's sons star