Carmelo Anthony‘s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on September 6 was quite the moment—a double dip for his NBA legacy and the 2008 Redeem Team he played for. With LeBron James cheering from the crowd and Melo’s kids, Kiyan and Genesis, seated front row, the night felt like family vibes. But one big name was missing—his ex-wife, La La Anthony. Her absence in the audience, plus zero shoutout in Melo’s emotional speech about his career, has left social media with mixed feelings.

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What Did Carmelo Anthony Say About His Kids?

Melo’s speech was a heartfelt rollercoaster, tracing his roots from Brooklyn streets to NBA stardom, nodding to his parents, siblings, and Puerto Rican pride. But the real special moment came when he turned to his children in the audience, Kiyan, his 18-year-old son with La La, and Genesis, his 8-year-old daughter with Mia Burks. “Your father isn’t perfect, but he is proof that struggle doesn’t mean surrender,” he told Kiyan and Genesis. “Proof that the road can be rough and still lead to glory.”

He then doubled down on dad mode: “Raising children in this world is revolutionary. I didn’t just want to be a basketball player; I wanted to be a model of redemption, of accountability, of love. My kids saved me. They gave me a reason to move past ego, past noise, past criticism. They remind me that legacy isn’t what you leave behind, but what you lift up.”

This public acknowledgment was significant for the former athlete. Melo has kept Genesis out of the spotlight since her 2017 birth while still married to La La. They split in 2021 amid infidelity allegations, and he hadn’t confirmed paternity until his NBA retirement video. Last month, he attended Genesis’ birthday party, marking her first public appearance alongside her brother.

How Did Social Media React To Melo Leaving Out La La From His Speech?

The Roomies were definitely sounding off in the comments section of The Shade Room’s post. See what some of them had to say below…

@wayno119 wrote, “Had he acknowledged her the convo would’ve been all about how he messed up and lost her. You cannot win against the internet.”

@chris.tinee__ wrote, “He barely claimed his daughter. Why would he mention his ex-wife?”

@lifewithden wrote, “She says every podcast that she is trying to detach herself from that man & y’all won’t let her BE!”

@bahbaby___ wrote, “Y’all just make sure the people in your life acknowledge you because a lot of y’all men walk ahead of y’all while in Walmart!”

@princemapp_ wrote, “He mentioned her. What are people talking about? To the women who stuck by when we made mistakes. This is a respectful way of mentioning her.”

@swishtape wrote, “Ladies if you had a HOF speech would you mention your ex-husband? Didn’t think so.”

@bruceleedakid wrote, “How y’all gonna tell someone who they have to acknowledge in a career achievement speech?”

What Did La La Anthony Say About Moving Forward After Her Divorce?

La La shared insights on her post-divorce journey during a candid chat on Angie Martinez‘s ‘IRL’ podcast, which dropped on August 20. Angie hit our girl with tough questions: Any days you couldn’t get out of bed after the split? La La didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Yes, of course. The hardest part of my life and then playing it out publicly,” she admitted. “They’re watching everything. So then you have the fake smile … and you’re f***ing dying inside.”

The scrutiny from their 17-year marriage’s end was brutal for various reasons. La La shared that their move to New York made things all the more difficult, revealing that relocating was when cracks started to appear in their relationship. Moving forward, though, she says, “What are you going to do? You gotta push forward, every day a little bit stronger until you get past it,” showing her resilience. However, she was honest about how triggers still affect her years later.

“Something will just hit you and it’ll just hurt or remind you of something. Nobody gets married with the thought of getting divorced. You marry somebody thinking that’s who you’re going to be with for the rest of your life.”

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