One Tree Hill stars had serious basketball creds — SkimNews
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- James Lafferty landed the role of Nathan Scott after a one-on-one audition game against a producer, having just been named MVP of Hemet High School's varsity basketball team in California as a 17-year-old senior.
- Paul Johansson was cast as villain Dan Scott after executive producer Brian Robbins watched him compete in LA's Entertainment League; Johansson had played internationally for the Canadian National Basketball Team and starred alongside Magic Johnson in a commercial.
- Robbie Jones played college ball at Cal from 1996 to 2000, then in the ABA and overseas in France, Argentina, and Mexico, before pickup games at UCLA — including one against a teenage Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant — led him into acting and the role of Quentin Fields.
- The "Hey 23" reunion filled UNC Wilmington's Trask Coliseum with nearly 5,000 fans on Sept. 19, featuring Lafferty, Chad Michael Murray, Antwon Tanner, Jones, Bryan Greenberg, and Stephen Colletti in jerseys with their characters' names.
- Lafferty was already in Long Beach State dorms planning to walk on to the basketball team when the OTH pilot got picked up; he also portrayed Steve Alford in ESPN's 2002 film "A Season on the Brink."
- Charity proceeds were directed to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and other causes chosen by the celebrities, organized by "Friends with Benefit" CEO Rae Agostino, who appeared as an extra on the show.
Why it matters: Real basketball résumés — not just acting chops — drove casting decisions for "One Tree Hill," with Johansson, Lafferty, and Jones each bringing legitimate competitive backgrounds (Team Canada, California high school MVP, Pac-10 starter) to their roles. That authenticity explains why a 23-year-old teen drama still pulls 5,000 international fans to Wilmington, NC, with proceeds supporting St. Jude.
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