A Slam Dunk for Lebron James and Friends

“It’s not how you start the game. It’s how you finish,” said Coach Dru in the movie Shooting Stars, a new film about NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James and his four best friends. It’s usually a wise and impactful reminder. Only, in the case of this film, it actually is very much about how they started the game, literally. And, wow, seeing what it was like for his friends to grow up with the guy who basically became the Superman of the NBA is quite a winning story.

Based on the highly successful book by LeBron James and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger, Shooting Stars explores the journey of how James and his childhood best friends – Lil Dru, Willie, Sian, and eventually Romeo, too – lead the #1 high school team in the nation before James went on to become a four-time NBA Champion and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist.

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Directed by Emmy-nominated director Chris Robinson (Beats, Grown-ish), Shooting Stars is a gracefully paced and stylistically rich coming-of-age film about basketball, yes, but greater is the true-depth of the real story behind it all. This film is about friendship, family, benevolence, and the heart of determination.

An inspiring and heartwarming story, Shooting Stars begins on the basketball courts in Akron, Ohio, and is now primed to capture the terrains of viewers’ hearts worldwide via the streaming network Peacock.

The Tip Off

Though he has been a four-time recipient of the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player award, a solo recognition, James has often talked in the media about how it all began with his friends. He was so inspired, he even wrote a book recognizing what he knows to have been pivotal in his life, about how he knows he didn’t get to his heights of success by himself. Shooting Stars is the captivating film adaptation of that story.

Set in Akron, Ohio in the 1990s, while playing AAU basketball, a very young LeBron James (Marquis “Mookie” Cook, in his on-screen debut) and his three best friends — Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things, Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills Jr. of Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage of Cobra Kai) — named themselves the “Fab Four” after the celebrated Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five.” Their fifth member, Romeo Travis (Sterling “Scoot” Henderson, an NBA G League player) would eventually meet and round out the group to “Five” later on in high school.

From the opening scenes of Shooting Stars, we know for sure that these friends have a lot of fun together, and also that they have a lot of respect for Lil Dru’s father, their “Coach Dru “Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise). Whether playing video games or dribbling on the actual court, the defensive bond of their friendship is solid and that most definitely means playing basketball together.

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The friends are just about to enter Buchtel High School when their would-be coach alludes to the reality that Lil Dru will, unlike his best friends, most likely play on the junior varsity team. Dru’s mindset changes the course of everything for the group, and he leads them to make a pivotal and history-making decision.

What Lil Dru lacks in height, he abundantly delivers in full-court press determination.

With his insistence, the Fab Four decides to collectively commit to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, a predominantly white Catholic school, instead of Buchtel. Though the home school coach views this as a sell-out move and lets his feelings be flagrantly known, the boys nonetheless begin their quest to win national championships against all odds.

Game Time

Universal Pictures

Shooting Stars was in development for over 10 years before hitting the screen. Produced by Oscar-nominated producer Rachel Winter (Dallas Buyers Club), the film does exactly to viewers what the book did for Winter — provide inspiration. In the production notes for the film, Winter said, “I was so blown away by this story of friendship and loyalty and community. I think at that point, I wasn’t even sure I knew who LeBron James was. But I knew then I wanted to make this movie.”

A producing partnership with James’ SpringHill Productions began, and now we have a film that is reminiscent of classics such as Cooley High, Stand by Me, and The Wood. Shot over the course of three months in Ohio — a move that increases the authenticity of Shooting Stars — the commitment to quality is apparent. Everything about this film feels real. The camaraderie. The emotions. The bonds. The eventual disconnects.

And yes, even though LeBron is the only “famous” one among the friends, there is something so real about their portrayals that they, too, become larger than life for viewers. And so, to that end, bravos and a standing ovation are due for the casting decisions.

Star Players

Universal Pictures

To be clear, there aren’t any bench players in this film. Everyone plays a game-winning position.

Notably, however, Cook does a stand-out and steady job in his role as LeBron James. There are subtle nuances and spot on re-enactments that (no spoilers) fans of the basketball great will recognize and smile with nostalgia about throughout the film. Cook has a natural approach to his portrayal of James that could either be attributed to him being new to acting or simply because he is just that talented and knows that keeping it simple and easy commands attention. There is nothing grandiose about Cook’s performance and that makes it powerful enough.

Related: Best LeBron James Movies, Ranked

While the cast is impressively rounded out with actors who deliver every scene with precision and ease, there are two young actors whose performances should not be missed. Khalil Everage, who we grew to love in Kobra Kai, is unforgettable in his portrayal of Sian, and is hilariously endearing. If, in fact, you rewind any funny moments while watching Shooting Stars they will most likely be due to a few of the quick and witty moments delivered by Everage. He’s charismatically funny and just has such a warm presence.

And while James is the only one who has won NBA awards among the team of friends in real life, it is Lil Dru, powerfully and relentlessly played by Caleb McLaughlin, who should probably be considered for the Shooting Stars friendship MVP. Dru’s fiery drive and laser focus on the big picture of their lives was pivotal to their championship winning success in high school. Quite literally, without Dru’s fortitude, there likely would not have been a “Fab Four” or “Fab Five” for this group. Tremendous accolades are due to McLaughlin for so impressively bringing this character, in particular, to life.

Shooting Stars is a refreshing reminder that, all accolades aside, the most important win in life is truly the relationships you nurture and keep.

From Universal Pictures and with a screenplay by Frank E. Flowers (Metro Manila), Tony Rettenmaier (Space Jam: A New Legacy) and Juel Taylor (Creed II), Shooting Stars will premiere on Peacock on June 2.

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