Uncle Drew hits theaters July 29

Kieran Hogan, Reporter

Hollywood’s next NBA-inspired comedy hits theaters this week.

Temple Hill Productions’ Uncle Drew stars former and current NBA greats Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Reggie Miller and more, along with WNBA Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie.

The film follows Harlem native Dax, played by Lil Rel Howery, who is a coach in the Rucker Classic streetball tournament. Dax, determined to win after using his life savings to enter the tournament, finds the basketball legend Uncle Drew (Irving), and convinces him to play on the team. Dax and Drew then head out on a road trip to recruit former teammates (O’Neal, Miller, Robinson, etc).

Uncle Drew marks a Hollywood debut for most of these NBA stars, however O’Neal is not new to the big screen. Shaq has starred in cinematic classics such as Steel, Kazaam, and Scary Movie 4, as well as appearing in TV shows like The Simpsons, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Bernie Mac Show.

Howery, being one of the actors without a history in professional basketball, is a Chicago-native comedian. He’s best known for NBC’s The Carmichael Show, as well as his role in the Academy Award winning film Get Out.

Directed by Charles Stone III, Uncle Drew follows several years of rumors about the movie. It was finally confirmed by PepsiCo and Temple Hill Entertainment on February 16, 2017.

Stone has previously directed lesser-known films like Drumline, Paid in Full, and Mr. 3000.

The film has not been viewed by anyone yet, so reviews are not available. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 91 percent of users “want to see” the new movie.

Uncle Drew, coming out July 29, will star Shaquille O’Neal, Kyrie Irving, and Lil Rel Howery. The movie follows a team of elderly basketball players and their quest to win the Rucker Classic streetball tournament.