Breaking: Johni Broome, a rising star for the Auburn Tigers basketball team, makes history by winning the coveted 2025 Oscar

LOS ANGELES, CA — In a stunning twist that no bracketologist could’ve predicted and no sports analyst saw coming, Auburn basketball star Johni Broome made history at the 2025 Academy Awards by winning the coveted Oscar for Best Actor. Yes, that Johni Broome — the 6-foot-10 rim protector, double-double machine, and face of Bruce Pearl’s powerhouse Auburn squad — is now an Academy Award winner.

For a player who has already rewritten the Auburn record books and dazzled on the NCAA’s brightest stages, Broome’s jump from hardwood hero to Hollywood headliner is the plot twist of the year.

“March Madness? That was just the warm-up,” Broome joked onstage during his acceptance speech. “This is March movie madness, baby!”

Broome’s breakout performance came in the indie sports drama “The Last Screen-Out,” a gripping, semi-biographical story about a former college basketball star who battles anxiety, fame, and the shadows of his past as he navigates life after the NBA. Critics hailed Broome’s portrayal of the protagonist, Deshawn Fields, as “raw,” “soulful,” and “shockingly layered.”

Director Ava Corrine, herself a rising name in auteur cinema, took a gamble casting Broome — a non-actor at the time — in a role that demanded both emotional depth and physical authenticity.

“I saw his postgame interviews and thought, ‘There’s something there,’” Corrine said. “Not just charisma, but pain. Truth. Vulnerability. I knew he could do it.”

And do it he did. From the moment the film premiered at Sundance in January 2025, Broome’s performance was the talk of the circuit. Film buffs and basketball fans alike were left stunned by his range.

“He had us crying in one scene and cheering in the next,” said Rolling Stone critic Elias Grant. “It was like watching Denzel with a vertical.”

To Auburn fans, Broome is already a legend. In the 2024-25 season, he led the Tigers to a 29-6 record, averaging 17.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. He was a Naismith finalist, SEC Player of the Year, and the heart and soul of Bruce Pearl’s squad.

But even as he dominated on the court, Broome had been quietly filming scenes for The Last Screen-Out in the offseason and during academic breaks, juggling early morning practices with late-night shoots.

“Dude barely slept,” teammate Donovan Reeves said. “We’d be getting up for weights at 6 a.m. and he’d roll in from set like, ‘Let’s work.’ That’s Broome. All grind.”

His commitment to both crafts became legendary inside Auburn Athletics. Head coach Bruce Pearl even adjusted practice schedules to accommodate filming days, calling the experience “a masterclass in time management and purpose.”

“This was bigger than basketball,” Pearl said. “This was about breaking ceilings. And Johni’s the type of leader who lifts others while he climbs.”

The Oscar moment itself was unforgettable. When Broome’s name was called — beating out Hollywood veterans like Timothée Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan — the Dolby Theatre erupted. Cameras captured shocked expressions, teary-eyed teammates in the crowd, and Bruce Pearl dabbing at his eyes in the front row.

Wearing a custom orange tuxedo (a nod to Auburn), Broome took the stage and delivered a heartfelt speech that paid tribute to his upbringing, his coaches, his faith, and, of course, the Auburn family.

“To every kid who’s been told to ‘stick to sports’ — I didn’t,” Broome said. “And tonight, I’m standing here because I believed in more than one dream.”

Social media exploded. ESPN broke into NBA coverage for a live feed. The hashtag #BroomeOscar trended worldwide. Even The Rock tweeted: “This dude just won a BLOCK PARTY and an OSCAR. Respect.”

Broome’s win has already sparked national conversations about the evolving identity of college athletes in the NIL era. Once confined to gymnasiums and classrooms, athletes are now becoming brands, entrepreneurs — and, apparently, Oscar winners.

Media scholar Dr. Elena Harris of USC called it “a paradigm shift.”

“This is a landmark moment,” she said. “Johni Broome didn’t just cross into film. He brought the world of college athletics with him. He redefined what success looks like post-college, even pre-professionally.”

It’s no secret that Broome leveraged his NIL earnings to invest in acting classes and indie productions. Through his agency, he partnered with a media incubator that specialized in giving athletes creative platforms. But none of that guaranteed an Oscar.

“Talent took over,” said Corrine. “Johni didn’t win this because he was a basketball player. He won because he bared his soul. And people felt it.”

Now the question on everyone’s mind: Will he enter the 2025 NBA Draft? Or head straight to Hollywood full-time?

Sources close to Broome say he’s considering both — but not rushing either decision.

“I’m taking some time,” Broome told reporters backstage. “I love basketball. That’s my first love. But I also love telling stories. Whether that’s on the court or in front of a camera — we’ll see.”

He’s already received interest from major studios, including Marvel and Warner Bros., as well as invitations to present at the Cannes Film Festival. Meanwhile, NBA scouts still see him as a late first-round talent with elite defensive instincts and improved mid-range touch.

“He could easily do both,” one scout said. “He’s that rare.”

Broome’s Oscar is yet another jewel in Auburn’s crown during what many are calling a golden age for the Tigers.

In the last five years, Auburn has reached multiple Sweet 16s, produced NBA talent, and cultivated a national brand that blends style with substance. With Bruce Pearl at the helm, the Tigers have become a perennial force in the SEC — and now, thanks to Broome, they’ve crossed over into pop culture in a way no other program can claim.

“You don’t just come to Auburn to hoop anymore,” said Pearl. “You come to become whoever you were meant to be.”

It’s easy to get caught up in the glitz, but those closest to Broome remember the humble kid from Plant City, Florida. A late bloomer in high school, overlooked by major programs, and constantly proving himself at every level.

“Johni was never handed anything,” said his high school coach, Marcus Wiggins. “He fought for every minute, every offer, every headline. That’s why tonight means so much.”

That same grit showed in his acting. Scenes in The Last Screen-Out required Broome to break down emotionally, relive past trauma, and speak vulnerably about mental health — all things he’s opened up about in real life.

“This wasn’t just a performance,” said co-star Tessa Rae, who played his love interest in the film. “This was therapy. And it was brave as hell.”

For Johni Broome, the Oscar is not a curtain call. It’s a curtain raise. Whether he returns for one final season at Auburn, enters the NBA, or continues climbing the Hollywood ladder, one thing is clear: he’s operating on a whole new level.

And for Auburn fans? They’ll forever hold the unique bragging right of cheering for an Oscar winner in the student section.“This is bigger than sports,” said Auburn student-body president Claire Reeves. “This is Auburn breaking barriers. And Johni led the way.”

As the golden statue glinted under the stage lights and the Tigers’ fight song blasted across the Dolby Theatre, one truth echoed louder than any acceptance speech:

Johni Broome didn’t just win an Oscar. He won history.