Kevin Durant doesn't want Bronny James to 'disappear' by foregoing college

After a standout senior campaign, the oldest son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Bronny, must make one of many significant decisions on his path toward an NBA career. 

A top recruit, James could have his pick of colleges to attend or forego that step and join a development team like the NBA G-League Ignite or Overtime Elite. 

While the McDonald's All-American is bound to get advice from all directions, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant weighed in on this week's "Boardroom" podcast, selfishly urging James to play in college. 

"I would love to see Bronny in college instead of going the other route," Durant said. "Disappearing basically. That's really what it is. I wanna be, in real-time, see what he's doing, follow his journey. Because when you go to OTE and Ignite, you just go away for a year."

While Durant offered Oregon and Duke as options for Bronny, he felt USC would be the best fit for Papa LeBron to see James play. 

As was the case with his father, there's been an awful lot of hype surrounding James. Earlier this month, James received a five-star ranking, and LeBron pumped up his kin, contending he was "definitely better than some of these cats I've been watching on league pass." 

The hype train doesn't stop there. In February, ESPN released its 2024 NBA mock draft, projecting James as the 10th overall pick. 

Ultimately, James will do what he believes is best for his career. Hopefully, what should be an enjoyable time for James doesn't become a media circus. Though, given his name, that's probably unavoidable.