‘Swagger’ could be the next ‘Friday Night Lights’
Aspiring hoops phenom Jace Carson is already a hero in his hometown, and word of his dazzling prowess on the court is spreading. He already feels that scoring a spot on an NBA team is like his signature shot – a slam dunk. He’s already visualizing being able to afford not just one, but three, lavender Lexuses for his mother.
He still has several years to wait before he can realize his dream, though: Jace is in the eighth grade.
As for legions of Black youths his age, the seductive lure of professional basketball offers not only a shot at stardom, but a ticket out of financial hardships and communities underserved – and in some cases actively mistreated – by educators, health care providers, politicians and police.
Jace’s journey is at the core of “Swagger,” a new Apple TV+ drama set in the fiercely competitive world of youth basketball. The 10-episode series notched favorable notices from critics and cultural commentators, including the Black List founder Franklin Leonard. Some have even compared it to “Friday Night Lights,” NBC’s acclaimed drama about a high school football team.
Like that beloved series, which premiered in 2006 and lasted five seasons, “Swagger” has much more on its agenda than the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Fractured Black families, racism, sexual misconduct, the overwhelming impact of social media and the lucrative intrusion by major sporting goods companies into youth athletics are among the themes explored.
It’s also a story about redemption, as illustrated by the struggles of Isaac Kennedy Edwards, aka “Icon,” a former championship player whose path to greatness was derailed. Barely holding it together with a meager job and a baby on the way, Edwards is seeking his own salvation while also trying to steer his talented young players, including Jace, away from temptations that could knock them off track.
“It’s a basketball show that’s not really about basketball,” said creator Reggie Rock Bythewood (“Get on the Bus,” “Shots Fired”). “It’s about growing up in America.”
The show stars O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Icon, Isaiah Hill as Jace and Oscar nominee Quvenzhane Wallis (“Beasts of the Southern Wild”) as Crystal,
a young basketball star who becomes increasingly traumatized by what she feels are inappropriate advances by her coach.
“Swagger” is inspired by NBA star and executive producer Kevin Durant’s own experiences playing youth basketball.
“Sports are a reflection of life, and there’s so much kids can learn about teamwork and getting better at your craft from youth basketball.” Durant wrote in an email to the Los Angeles Times. “At the same time, it’s a business, and there’s a lot of pressure to compete. There’s obviously a lot of similarities between Jace’s story and mine, from leading his team to his relationship with his mom. But he and the other characters have real stories of their own, and they go through what we all went through in the last year with the pandemic and more.”