Michigan basketball signee Jett Howard to play role in LeBron James movie

James Hawkins
The Detroit News

Michigan signee Jett Howard has landed a role in NBA superstar LeBron James’ new biopic movie.

Howard, the youngest son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, will appear in “Shooting Stars” as a young Carmelo Anthony during his high school days at Oak Hill Academy.

Michigan incoming freshman Jett Howard, right, will play Carmelo Anthony in a film about LeBron James' high school team.

The film, which is based on Buzz Bissinger’s 2009 book, focuses on the close-knit bond James built with his high school teammates and the challenges they overcame to win a national title at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Marquis “Mookie” Cook, an Oregon commit and one of the nation’s top recruits in the 2023 class, has been cast to play James. Anthony and James squared off once in high school and the phenoms lived up to the hype in a memorable showdown in 2002. James scored 36 and Anthony tallied 34 points and 11 rebounds to lead Oak Hill to a 72-66 win.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Caleb McLaughlin (“Stranger Things”) will play one of James’ teammates. Other actors who will appear in the film include Algee Smith (“Euphoria”), with Dermot Mulroney and Wood Harris portraying coaches.

Filming for the Universal Pictures production began this month in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, James’ hometown. The movie is set to be released on NBC’s streaming service, Peacock, in 2023.

During their NBA careers, James and Juwan Howard were teammates on the Miami Heat and won championships in 2012 and 2013.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins