Apple has ordered the planned drama series based on the early life of basketball star Kevin Durant to series, Variety has learned.
Titled “Swagger,” the series is inspired by Durant’s youth basketball experiences. It explores the world of AAU basketball in the nation’s capital, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the fine line between dreams and ambition, and opportunism and corruption.
The series, which was put into development at Apple back in February, hails from Imagine Television, Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures, and CBS Television Studios.
Reggie Rock Bythewood will serve as writer, director, executive producer, and showrunner. Bythewood previously collaborated with Imagine on the Fox limited series “Shots Fired,” which he created. His past credits include co-writing the screenplay for the Notorious BIG biopic “Notorious.”
Durant will executive produce along with Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo from Imagine, along with Thirty Five Venture’s Rich Kleiman and Bythewood. James Seidman will serve as the Imagine executive on the project. Sarah Flynn will serve as executive for Thirty Five Ventures.
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Durant currently plays for the Golden State Warriors and has won numerous accolades throughout his basketball career. In addition to being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, he has previously won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, been named NBA Rookie of the Year, and is a nine-time NBA All Star to name just a few of his accomplishments.
“Swagger” was one of the earlier projects that Apple put into development. The soon-to-be streamer has picked up a number of shows in the interim, and is currently prepping projects like the morning show drama starring Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon as well as a reboot of “Amazing Stories.”
