Oregon commit Mookie Cook to play young LeBron James in upcoming "Shooting Stars" movie

Top national hoops recruit Marquis “Mookie” Cook has already made a name for himself on the court and now, he’s headed for the big screen. The recent Oregon Ducks basketball commit landed the role of LeBron James in the NBA star’s new movie, Shooting Stars.

Filming for the movie, which is based on the novel by James and Buzz Bissinger, starts this week in locations around Ohio. Shooting Stars chronicles the story of young LeBron James and his high school teammates in Akron as they battled to win a title.

Cook, who stands at 6-foot-7, is two inches shorter than the four-time NBA Champion. He’s acting alongside Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things, Algee Smith from Euphoria and several more up-and-coming names in Hollywood.

Scoot Henderson — ESPN’s projected No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft — will play the role of LeBron’s teammate, Romeo Travis. Also, Michigan signee Jett Howard, son of Juwan Howard, will play Carmelo Anthony.

Shooting Stars is a Universal and SpringHill Co. production but it won’t be in theatres. The movie will go straight to Peacock’s streaming services, per NBCUniversal.

Michigan signee Jett Howard, son of @umichbball HC Juwan Howard, will also star in the LeBron’s new movie, playing the role of Carmelo Anthony.

Juwan and LeBron won two NBA championships together (2012, 2013) in Miami. https://t.co/zZk4v7WtXR pic.twitter.com/lS9k0RgemW

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 16, 2022

Ducks land five-star Mookie Cook

Mookie Cook committed to the Oregon Ducks on March 31, making a splash in the 2023 class. The five-star small forward is the second highest-ranked recruit to choose the Ducks in the modern recruiting era. Only Bol Bol ranked higher coming out of high school.

Cook is the No. 6 prospect in the 2023 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The Portland, Oregon native ultimately chose the Ducks over Kentucky and Gonzaga. He also received offers from Kansas, UCLA, Texas Tech, Michigan, Memphis, Arizona, among others.

Cook is Oregon’s second commitment of the class, joining four-star PG Jackson Shelstad.

Starring in a major motion picture will definitely help the new Oregon commit with NIL opportunities. Currently, he has an On3 NIL Valuation of $28,000, which is No. 22 in the country among basketball prospects.