Apple has announced that the first season of the drama series, “Swagger” from creator and showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood, NBA superstar Kevin Durant and Imagine’s Brian Grazer, will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on October 29, 2021.
The 10-episode first season will premiere with the first three episodes, followed by one new episode weekly every Friday thereafter through December 17, 2021. The series hails from Thirty Five Ventures, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema.
Inspired by Durant’s experiences, “Swagger” explores the world of youth basketball, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption. Off the court, the show reveals what it’s like to grow up in America.
The new series is led by an ensemble cast of stars including O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Tristan Mack Wilds.
Jackson stars as Ike, a former star player who’s now a youth basketball coach; Hill stars as Jace Carson, a basketball phenomenon who is one of the top-ranked youth basketball players in the country; Azoroh plays Jenna, Jace’s mother who is determined to chart NBA success for her son; Ferrer plays Meg Bailey, a former basketball player and coach for a rival team; Wallis plays Crystal, a top young basketball player; Harris plays Musa, the team’s glue and point guard; Bingham plays Drew Murphy, a player from an affluent part of town; Irama plays Phil Marksby, the enforcer for a rival team; Nzeribe plays Royale, a sub-par player with a wealthy dad; and Wilds plays Alonzo Powers, the grassroots division leader at a major shoe company.
“Swagger” is created by Bythewood, who also writes, directs and serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Durant and Grazer. The series is produced for Apple by Thirty Five Ventures, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema. Also serving as executive producers are Rich Kleiman, Samie Kim Falvey, Francie Calfo and Samantha Corbin-Miller.
