AKRON, Ohio — Two Akron teens who have found a love of basketball got the opportunity to channel that passion in a new, unique outlet—landing roles in the new LeBron James movie "Shooting Stars."
The movie, currently streaming on Peacock, tells the story of James and the St. Vincent-St. Mary "Fab Five," which consisted of James, Willie McGee, Romeo Travis, Dru Joyce III, and Sian Cotton—while coached by Dru Joyce II in the early 2000s.
It's a story that many around Northeast Ohio know very well—but for Ascen Lomack and Thomas Shaw III, they hadn't yet been born.
Ascen, a 13-year-old heading into eighth grade, and Thomas, a 15-year-old headed into his freshman year, the teens are close to the story and had heard all about it from their parents. They're also close to many in the Fab Five because of their parents and the passion the two teens have always had for the game.
Starting to play as toddlers, Ascen and Thomas both have grown up with the game. From summer basketball camps to meet-and-greets with James at different events—the two have embodied the game within Akron for years.
So when casting began for "Shooting Stars," playing the role of young basketball players was easy work.
Ascen landed the role of Dru Joyce III while Thomas was cast at Willie McGee. That wasn't exactly how they intended it, however.
"It's funny because when we originally went [Thomas] was supposed to go for the role of Dru Joyce. Then when we got there, we saw Ascen. Ascen was like, 'I'm going for Willie McGee,'" said Thomas Shaw II, Thomas' dad. "So size-wise, and then they ended up just swapping them."
Even after swapping, the two teens and their castmates playing James, Cotton, and Travis found it simple to play the young "Fab Five."
"When they was on set, it was it almost was like they were really the kids, Willie and all them when they were little," said Anthony Lomack, Ascen's dad.
That's because, as Thomas said, like the players who came before them, their love of the game and friendship built on set made it seamless to portray.
"My crew basically made a brotherhood, with such little time and Ascen, Sir [Myles] and Kaden [Amari Anderson] it all became like a brotherhood, so it was kind of easy," Thomas said.
For Ascen, playing Lil Dru was made easier by seeing the similarities between him and his dad. Like the Joyce family, the Lomacks have a father-son coaching background, too.
"Lil Dru, his dad, Coach Dru, he coaches him the same as me and my dad. He coaches me on my team. And so we're basically identical, we have the same background," Ascen said.
While the two teens helped share a story that happened before they were around to see it, to them—like many in the city of Akron—the story of the "Fab Five" still serves as inspiration. That, perhaps, could lead to the next generation of young Akron athletes inspiring others as they write their own stories.
"I look up to them, to see the success in everything they overcame," Thomas said. And so I just want to be that type of role model for people them," Thomas said.
Thomas plans to continue playing basketball but also playing baseball as he enters high school, attending Hoban this fall.
Ascen is following the footsteps of the character he played, planning to play basketball at St. V when he enters high school next fall.
"Feels like a full circle, yeah," Ascen said.
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