According to the film’s cast and crew, “Shooting Stars” is more than a sports movie highlighting basketball star LeBron James’ rise to fame. It’s also about genuine friendship, human connection, and the power of mentorship. “Stranger Things” star Caleb McLaughlin, who plays Dru Joyce III in the movie, told The Christian Post, “In this film, we talk about basketball, but I feel like this movie represents life.”
McLaughlin continued, “Basketball is more than a game. It’s about friendship. It’s about a bond. It’s about community. There are a lot of parallels in this film that people don’t see. Don’t forget about the people that love you and support you because you’re going to need them at the end of the day when all else fails, and your back’s against the wall. You’re going to need that person to have your back.”
Based on the book of the same name by Buzz Bissinger and James and also detailed in the 2008 documentary “More Than a Game,” “Shooting Stars” shows how James and his childhood friends in Akron, Ohio became the top-ranking high school team in the country, pushing James into superstardom as a four-time NBA champion, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
While basketball scenes are sprinkled throughout the film, the storyline focuses on the strong bond between James and his childhood friends, known initially as the “Fab Four,” Sian Cotton, Willie McGee, James and Joyce. They later became the “Fab Five” with the addition of Romeo Travis.
The movie also emphasizes the positive impact many adults had on James and his friends, including Dru Joyce, the team’s coach and Lil Dru’s father, who championed and mentored the team throughout their school years. Director Chris Robinson told CP James’ story interested him due to its themes of brotherhood, fatherhood, humble beginnings and loyalty. He recalled the African proverb that “it takes a village to raise a child,” highlighting that the involvement and investment of James’ community helped him succeed.
He said, “Everyone in his community was invested beyond basketball. They were invested in the young men in their emotional success. It’s not magic; it’s work. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes a certain loyalty, and the fact that these guys, 20 years later, 30 years later, are still friends, still tight, still looking out for each other, just tells you that it’s beyond any sport, or anything with basketball. It’s about family.”
The movie goes through four years as the Fab Four dominate the high school basketball scene and handle the ups and downs of fame. Initially, the four friends decide to attend high school together, no matter the circumstances. Unfortunately, Lil Dru’s height stopped the four from being able to play on the same team. The friends chose to stay at St. Vincent-St. Mary, a private Catholic school with a predominantly white student population instead of the local public school, despite community backlash.
Robinson said he hopes the film will encourage fathers and mentors to rise to the challenge of guiding young men, whether they are biological children or not. He echoed McLaughlin’s sentiment that everyone needs help and nobody achieves success alone. He said sports are an “amazing conduit to build people up.”