La La Anthony is keeping her last name for the sake of her son, Kiyan — not ex-husband Carmelo Anthony.
During a panel at Saturday’s Fanatics Fest in New York City, the television personality gushed about the 17-year-old’s impending NBA career, which she admitted is part of the reason she kept her famous surname.
The moment of being able to buy Kiyan’s NBA jersey will be crazy,” moderator Taylor Rooks said.
“That’s why I haven’t changed my last name yet,” Anthony replied. “I’m gonna keep it around for a little while!”
La La wed the famed New York Knicks player in 2010 after seven years of dating. Despite separating in 2017, the pair briefly reconciled a year later — only for the actress to later file for divorce in June 2021.
Although the exes are no longer together, they have remained on good terms and both even appeared at the massive sports festival this weekend.
While the Brooklyn native, 42, has continued to support Carmelo, she made it clear that her allegiance is with her son, who is currently the No.1 ranked high school player in New York.
When asked “how hard” it will be to root “against” the Knicks if Kiyan is drafted elsewhere, La La quipped, “Not that hard!”
“I’m sorry I’m going where my kid goes!” she said. “Wherever my kid is at, that’s who I’m rooting for.”
“It’s different when it’s your kid,” former “Total Request Live” host added. “It’s just a whole different ball game. It feels like a brand new journey that I’m going on with him.”
Although the young basketball player is likely headed down a similar path to his famous father, La La said he has no interest in being in the “spotlight.”
“He has seen it his whole life so he is used to it but he is also an extremely humble kid,” she said, noting that he hates being on camera.
“So it’s amazing how grounded he has been able to be through it all because I couldn’t imagine growing up with parents that were in the spotlight or like … people wearing [Carmelo’s] jersey and people going crazy everywhere he goes.”
“But he’s so calm and so humble and just wants to do the work and be such a student of the game,” she added.
The mother-son duo is extremely close and La La previously revealed that Kiyan intends to keep it that way.
During an appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” last year, the mother of one admitted her teen son is very “protective” when it comes to her dating life.
“I’m just like, ‘You just want your mom to be alone? Like, forever?’ He’s like, ‘Kind of,’” she joked.
La La said her son’s watchful eye has made her feel like a teenager still living at home, having to “sneak” texts and phone calls with potential suitors, adding, “I’m, like, this is crazy!!”
Neither she nor Carmelo have publicly dated anyone since their split.
