What Happened to LeBron James’ High School Teammates as Featured in ‘Shooting Stars’ Movie?
LeBron James is undeniably one of greatest basketball players ever, a rival to Michael Jordan as the GOAT.
In his glittering career he has won everything and is famed throughout the world. James’ legacy of excellence extends back to his days before the NBA when he led Akron’s St. Vincent-St. Mary High School to victory in the 2003 Ohio State Championships. Peacock‘s upcoming film Shooting Stars tells the story of James and his teammates, who were dubbed “The Fab Five.” While LeBron was the only one to make it in the NBA, his school friends all found success in their respective paths.
Scroll down to find out more about the current young real-life hoops star playing the young LeBron in the flick, plus snaps of James’ teammates in their high school days and learn what has happened to them since. Also, check out photos of the Shooting Stars cast in character as LeBron and members of the victorious St. Vincent-St. Mary High School roster.
Shooting Stars, Movie Premiere, Friday, June 2, Peacock
Wood Harris as Dru Joyce II
Creed III‘s Wood Harris plays Coach Dru Joyce II.
He is the founder of the Northeast Ohio Basketball Association, the coach of the 2003 St. Vincent St. Mary boys basketball team featuring LeBron James, and the author of the book Beyond Championships: A Playbook for Winning at Life. In 2022, the basketball court inside St. Vincent-St. Mary’s LeBron James Arena was named in honor of coach Dru Joyce II.
Marquis “Mookie” Cook as Lebron James
The film stars high school small forward Marquis “Mookie” Cook as a young Lebron James.
After receiving nearly 30 offers, including from schools like Kentucky and Gonzaga, the former five-star forward from Jefferson High School, Oregon, committed to playing basketball for the Oregon Ducks in the incoming 2023 class. He is currently at Compass Prep School in Arizona to finish his final year. He was scouted by LeBron James’ team in 2019 during a nationwide search for talent and played with James’ son, Bronny James, on the West team in the boys’ All-American game last month on ESPN.
Caleb McLaughlin as Lil Dru (Dru Joyce III)
Stranger Things star Caleb McLaughlin will portray the son of Dru Joyce Jr., Dru Joyce III–a close friend of Lebron and was his teammate at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School.
The former professional basketball player, and American coach, currently serves as the associate head coach for the men’s team at Duquesne Dukes. After a 12-year career playing professionally in Europe, Joyce began his coaching career in 2019-20 with the Cleveland State Vikings men’s team. Joyce comes from a family of basketball coaches in Ohio, with his father and brother both involved in coaching.
Sterling “Scoot” Henderson as Romeo Travis
Newcomer Sterling “Scoot” Henderson plays Romeo Travis.
Travis was born and raised in Akron and played basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School alongside LeBron James, where he was a standout player and contributed to two state championship-winning teams.
After his time at St. Vincent-St. Mary, Travis continued his basketball career at the University of Akron, where he played alongside Joyce for four years.
After completing his college career, the 6-foot-6 forward went on to play basketball overseas, most recently in France in 2021. He has since returned to St. Vincent-St. Mary as an assistant coach, where the current head coach, Dru Joyce II, has stated that he sees Travis as his successor and is grooming him for the role.
Khalil Everage as Sian Cotton
Khalil Everage (Cobra Kai) plays Sian Cotton.
Despite having a background in football and baseball, Sian Cotton was convinced by James to try basketball, where his size and defensive skills made him a valuable asset to the rising star’s team.
Cotton was recruited to play football at Ohio State University after finishing high school, but he realized that the football career path was not for him after playing just four games as a defensive tackle for OSU.
Years later, in 2014, LeBron James was asked to curate NBA 2K14. Around the same time, Cotton had started a career as a rapper and had submitted his music for possible inclusion in the game. Recognizing the voice, James reached out to his childhood friend to confirm that it was indeed Cotton’s music he was hearing. As such, Cotton’s track “Almost Home” became a prominent feature of the highly-regarded Visual Concepts 2K series and served as a launching pad for his music career.
Avery S. Wills Jr. as Willie McGee
Avery S. Wills Jr. (Swagger) plays Willie McGeeWillie.
McGee played an integral part in LeBron James Fab Five, contributing to all three of their state titles. Since graduating high school, McGee has embarked on a successful career in coaching. He has served as an assistant coach at St. Vincent-St. Mary, the University of Akron, and Chowan University.
In 2015, McGee was appointed as the boy’s basketball coach of Akron East, a public high school in Akron, Ohio. Simultaneously, he also took up a position as the athletic director of St. Vincent-St. Mary. After seven years, McGee stepped down as director to take a job with the LeBron James Family Foundation.
