Suns’ Kevin Durant Sends Strong Message to LeBron James’ Son

LeBron James and Kevin Durant

Getty LeBron James and Kevin Durant

Phoenix Suns superstar small forward Kevin Durant wants Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, to play college basketball.

Durant, who is friends with LeBron, thinks Bronny should play college ball instead of going overseas or taking another route.

“There’s still some amazing talent in college right now,” Durant said on his podcast. “With so many different routes — the OTEs, going overseas, guys going to Australia — all that stuff is cool. But still going to college, I feel like that’s a great route because it’s still on the big stage. You still got to show who you are on that big stage and the tournament is still a huge thing. … I would love to see Bronny in college instead of going the other route. Yeah, disappearing basically. That’s really what it is. I wanna see Bronny hoop. I wanna be in real-time, see what he’s doing and follow his journey.”

Bronny just finished his senior year of high school at Sierra Canyon. He will be eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft.

LeBron, who signed a two-year extension with the Lakers last summer, told The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd in February 2022 that he would do anything to play with Bronny in the NBA. No father has played with or against his son in the league.

“My last year will be played with my son,” LeBron said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”


Both Kevin Durant & LeBron James Are Injured

Both Durant and LeBron are injured. The former is dealing with a left ankle injury, while the latter has a right foot tendon injury. The Suns announced on March 9 that Durant’s left ankle would be re-evaluated in three weeks. Meanwhile, the Lakers will re-evaluate LeBron’s right foot next week.

Durant has played in three games with the Suns since being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. The one-time MVP is averaging 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 69.0% from the field, 53.8% from beyond the arc and 88.2% from the free-throw line. The Suns are 3-0 with Durant in the lineup. KD sprained his ankle before the Oklahoma City Thunder game on March 8.

LeBron, who became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February, is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 6.9 assists on the season. He injured his foot on February 26 against the Dallas Mavericks.

The Suns are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, while the Lakers are in 10th place. Phoenix and Los Angeles play two more times this season.


Kevin Durant Is Shooting Standstill Shots

Durant is able to shoot standstill shots. The two-time Finals MVP was taking jumpers on March 16.

“It’s just part of his progression,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said. “He hasn’t done anything outside of that. We obviously have to not just be careful, but a lot of boxes need to be checked. So we’ll see how he responds to standard shooting today, we’ll re-evaluate tomorrow and every day is a progression. That’s what he’s done. It’s a normal progression to this type of injury and that’s just where he is right now. Now he’s just doing standstill shots.”

The Suns are 38-32 on the season.