As a kid, sports started out as a simple activity to get good exercise with. Little did I know that there were some who were already playing for their future, dreaming up something big. I became much more aware of this phenomenon in the year of 1994 when the documentary, “Hoop Dreams,” hit the big screen. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was not born to be one of those kids, but then again, few of us are.
I had not thought about “Hoop Dreams” for quite some time. I had not spent any time watching programs on Apple TV+, either, but I had heard about a new series that was something like “Hoop Dreams,” only it was an original story, rather than a documentary. 
The title? “Swagger,” created by Reggie Rock Bythewood, who also co-produced the show, along with Kevin Durant, Brian Grazer, Rich Kleiman and Samantha Corbin-Miller. Like many other shows, “Swagger” had multiple writers and directors, swapping out with each new episode. The idea is to maintain continuity, not just in the story, but especially with the characters.
Episode 1, ‘NBA,’ introduces us to the protagonist and prodigy of the story, Jace Carson, played by Isaiah Hill. We see him drawing up a puzzle with the help of his Dad, just before he takes off and mysteriously vanishes from the family, which is made up of: Jenna Carson, played by Shinelle Azoroh, and Jackie Carson, played by Jordan Rice. Just ahead of the bulk of the story, a title card flashes and reads “Before Amaud, Breanna, COVID.” This was intended to not only tell people what to expect from the show, in terms of the plot, but also let us know that if there were any details that seemed insensitive, concerning real life, they were not meant to be. The show starts out strong, showcasing Jace as he prepares for his future. Already, his goal is to one day play in the NBA. However, there are. Already challenges awaiting him, such as wrongful behavior by police officers in his community. Some of the words and emotions echoed by his mother and the like seem a bit over-dramatic, but there is no doubt that. Some who watch the series will be able to relate to this and that is a sad truth to realize.
Episode 2 is ‘Haterade.’ Jace is a part of a trend that shows puzzles all around him. Every morning, he touches the paper on his wall that reads “NBA.” Two, additional characters, which we were introduced to before, become more prominent here: Ike Edwards, played by O’Shea Jackson (“Godzilla: King of the Monsters”), and Meg Bailey, played by Tessa Ferrer (“Insidious: The Last Key”). Ike is the head coach of Jace’s team that he has just joined, which eventually takes on the name of “Swagger.” He also works at a Hope Depot type of store and has a pregnant wife at home. Meg is a former basketball player who has traded her on-court talents for a behind-the-scenes role, handling the business side of team Swagger. Jace’s mom continues to develop, as well. She is an attractive, smart and strong individual who also has great difficulty trusting anyone and it is understandable as to why. Additionally, a friend of Jace, who also plays basketball, Crystal Jarrett, played by Quvenzhane Wallis (“Trolls”), appears to be having some trouble with her head coach. The opening episode was good, but this episode was VERY good.
By the time Episode 3, ‘Mano a Mano,’ begins, Jace has established that he is a real player for his age bracket. So far, he has had a great victory, but also a great loss, on the court. This time, he is preparing to face a Puerto Rican prodigy, Nick Mendez, played by Jason Rivera. The discovery is that as different as these two seem, they are like 1 and 11 on the face of a clock: closer to being the same than they are to being different. Nick’s team and Jace’s team are also different in their approach to the game, at least when it comes to practice: one is more traditional and the other is unorthodox. Just watch and you will see which is which. There is a great moment in the game against each other when we see a fight for a loose ball and it parallels the inner fight these two kids have, also fighting for their basketball dreams. Another development, in a broader sense, is the dark underbelly of business, even at this age level. It is not just because of the inner workings of the biz, itself, but also a connection between a financial backer and the head coach of Swagger. This is another good episode.
Episode 4, ‘We Good?’ is where I saw a slight drop-off for the show, overall. Crystal’s struggles with her seemingly abusive coach are worsening and Nick is going through a family dilemma which sees him trying to leave his team and join Jayce’s. His mother is a bit like Jace’s, too, and this plays a definite factor in his decision-making. Jayce has begun to see the fruits of his successes, in the form of hanging out with celebrities, but also alienating. Himself from his team. The issue I was having here was not in the story, itself, but in how it was presented. It felt just a little bit choppy to me, but it is still a pretty good episode.
In the interest of time, consider the next three episodes as one, singular review. It happens to be the strongest frame of the series, in my view. ‘24-Hour Person’ is mostly about the development of the rest of the team. There is plenty of likability to go around and plenty of hardship and drama, but my personal favorite is Musa Rahim, played by Caleel Harris (“When They See Us”). He is a Muslim and a smooth-talking point guard. Actually, his dad is an assistant coach for Swagger, too. That is Naim Rahim, played by Sean Baker. Crystal’s coach issues have reached a breaking point and her closest friend, Jayce wants to help. Just keep in mind that people do not always do the best thing even if it might somehow be the right thing to do. ‘All on the Line’ picks up where the previous episode leaves off. Is it living in reality? Well, maybe and maybe not. It is becoming more clear that Jayce’s mom is too hard on him, but of course she has good intentions in the process. There is a great moment when Crystal is back with her team and the coach is no longer around. As others’ heads are bowed, she and another look up and lock eyes. She was never alone in her plight. Episode 7, ‘#Radicals,’ takes the series in a whole different direction and it is not without controversy, just in the nature of what it is all about. Six months have passed and COVID has impacted the court scene for everyone involved. As Swagger makes its way to another important game, a seriously egregious act takes place and it is shocking to witness. My thoughts were, “I don’t know if this sort of thing really goes on, but if it does, it’s an outrage (and it needs to stop)!” This provides perfect context for everything that happens thereafter and it is done in away that is accessible for all of the viewers and it is not overly preachy or judgmental. To me, it was an honest portrayal and it was extremely effective. These three episodes are truly the crux of the show and it was a pleasure to watch.
Unfortunately, “Swagger” does not stay on point from here, in my view. Episode 8 is the weakest of the bunch. Episode 7 did not need a follow-up, as I see it, and this episode took a little bit away from its a merits by sounding too repetitive. There is also the unrealistic inclusion of Crystal jointing team Swagger. I realize that these are 14-year old kids, but this is not something that goes on, from everything I can tell about youth league sports. Perhaps the makers of this episode were trying to make an idealistic point, but I do not think it was necessary and it was hastily executed, on top of that. Beyond that, Jayce begins to turn on his coach, thanks in large part to his mom, and it reaches a feverish pitch that I thought seemed silly and forced, as well. Chalk this one up as a rare loss.
The remaining two episodes, ‘Follow-through’ and ‘Florida,’ certainly improve on things from the previous installment, but they do not reach the level of episodes 5-7. I could personally relate to Jayce’s and his sister’s emotions about their dad. I identified with Jayce when his coach told him that he, “doesn’t play well when he’s angry,” haha! Not everyone is the same, right? Meanwhile, Meg is patching things up with her distant father as he is on his last legs. I thought the story here was a bit sloppy, again, but at this point I cared enough about the characters to just focus on what was happening and still enjoy it. Fatherhood really is the final theme as this series closes out. People are paying their respects to those who have passed on and others are dealing with those whom are still alive. I wanted this show to go out with a bang, but it did not quite live up to my expectations. I was not disappointed, per se, but I did want to see more emotional substance in the dramatic conclusion.
Overall, “Swagger” is a good series that had some moments of being very good (and great), but also a few moments of pretty good, on down to one moment of mediocrity. The quality of the production was consistently solid and most of the acting performances were believable, even though many of these actors are fairly inexperienced. Directing and writing for a show is hard work and a very different job from doing the same thing in the world of movies. I do not know where the show will go from here, but I could imagine it continuing on. Personally, I would not be hurt or bothered if this was a one-and-done affair, either. I have loved the game of basketball since the early summer of 1992 and I plan on continuing to love it, in some form or fashion. “Swagger” brought more depth to the game and I appreciated that, both as a fan and as a fellow human being. If you loved “Hoop Dreams,” I think you will like “Swagger.”
Creator: Reggie Rock Blythewood
Starring: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Tessa Ferrer, Quvenzhane Wallis, Caleel Harris, James Bingham as Drew Murphy, Solomon Irama as Phil Marksby, Ozie Nzeribe as Royale Hughes, Jason Rivera, Tristan Wilds as Alonzo Powers
Distributor: Apple Inc.
Release: October 29th, 2021 – December 17th, 2021
