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'Shooting Stars' Highlights LeBron James & Friends Origin Story

Source: Oluwaseye Olusa/Universal Pictures / Shooting Stars

Shooting Stars, a new Peacock Original, will the rise of LeBron James, but from a totally different perspective, focusing on him and his lifelong homies too.

In a first look at the Peacock Original, LeBron James and his buddies take center court in Shooting Stars, based on the book by James and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger (Friday Night Lights).

Just like the novel Shooting Stars will focus on the inspiring origin story of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and his childhood friends reliving their strive towards greatness as they the #1 high school team in the country, eventually jumpstarting the Chosen One’s still-going career as a record-breaking, four-time NBA Champion, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. 

The 30-second spot for Shooting Stars premiered during last night’s McDonald’s All-American basketball game, and that was all on purpose. The film, directed by Emmy nominee Chris Robinson (Beats, Grown-ish), stars five-star high school small forward Marquis “Mookie” Cook, who will make his big film debut as young LeBron James.

This is also significant because Cook and James’ son, top-ranked combo guard Bronny James were teammates representing the West squad during the McDonald’s All-American basketball game, which has become a sports tradition showcasing the top high school basketball talent in the country.

LeBron James, who was in attendance at the Toyota Center in Houston, watched his son show off his shooting touch in a competitive matchup that saw Bronny’s West Squad take an L.

Joining Cook on the cast will be Caleb McLaughlin (Stranger Things, Concrete Cowboy), Avery S. Wills, Jr.(Swagger), Khalil Everage (Cobra Kai), and Wood Harris (Creed franchise).

Shooting Stars

Source: Oluwaseye Olusa/Universal Pictures / Shooting Stars

Official Synopsis:

Shooting Stars is set in the 1990s, where a young LeBron James (Cook) and his three best friends — Lil Dru (Caleb McLaughlin, Stranger Things), Willie McGee (Avery S. Wills, Jr., Swagger) and Sian Cotton (Khalil Everage, Cobra Kai)—declare themselves the “Fab Four,” after the famed Michigan Wolverines’ “Fab Five” of that era. From the moment we meet them, we realize this group of friends, under the guidance of coach Dru Joyce (Wood Harris; Creed franchise), is connected by more than basketball. 

 So, when the coach at the top basketball school in their district threatens to separate them by putting Lil Dru on junior varsity, the Fab Four decide to switch schools to be able to play varsity together, joining the team at a predominantly white Catholic school instead. The community takes this as an insult, but the boys’ dedication to each other is more important than anything else. 

 With their new coach (Dermot Mulroney; August: Osage County), a disgraced former college coach seeking redemption of his own, the boys, along with former rival and new teammate Romeo Travis (newcomer Sterling “Scoot” Henderson), will face battles not only on the court but in real life, in their quest to become national champs, and will rediscover that what matters most about the game is the people playing beside you. 

Shooting Stars streams exclusively on Peacock on June 2.

LeBron James & His Friends Origin Story Takes Center Court In Peacock Original ‘Shooting Stars’  was originally published on cassiuslife.com