Apple Developing Basketball Drama

Apple is developing a basketball-themed drama series from NBA star Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Media and Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Television.

Titled Swagger, the sports drama will explore the world of AAU basketball in the nation’s capital, and the players, their families and coaches who walk the line between dreams and ambition, opportunism and corruption. Reggie Rock Bythewood (Shots Fired, Notorious) is on board to write and direct.

Grazer (Empire, Friday Night Lights), Francie Calfo (Shots Fired), Durant and Rich Kleiman (partner in the Durant Company/Thirty Five Media) will serve as executive producers. Imagine Television creative executive James Seidman will be overseeing the project for Imagine.

Grazer commented, “I am honored to be partnering with Kevin Durant and working again with Reggie on Swagger. These are two people who are superstars in the fields and bring with them an authentic voice to the project. After Friday Night Lights, I had wanted to make another sports-themed series for television, and when I met with Kevin, I knew Reggie would be the perfect person to create this world with compelling characters and a story worth telling.”

Durant added, “Working with Imagine Entertainment on this project is an unbelievable opportunity for our company, Thirty Five Media. They hold a well-respected place in the industry and have such a proven track record, that they’re going to do an amazing job collaborating with Reggie to bring this idea to life. I’ve lived and breathed basketball since I was a kid, and the idea for the show draws not just from my knowledge of that world, but the unique personalities involved and the drive that makes young players’ stories so compelling.”

Kleiman commented, “It was really important for us to work with someone who understands our vision and we believe Imagine Entertainment and Reggie Rock Bythewood are the perfect partners for us. Thirty Five Media is committed to developing unique content targeted to specific audiences in mind.”