Is ‘Swagger’ Based On A True Story?

(WARNING: Spoilers for Swagger season two will be found below.)

Swagger made its debut on Apple TV+ back in 2021 and since then it’s grown to be a standout on the platform as it caters to basketball fans as well as those who like a good coming-of-age story. The show stars Oshea Jackson Jr. as Ike “Icon” Edwards and Isaiah Hill as Jace Carson. Other notable actors in the show include Shinelle Azoroh as Jenna Carson (Jace’s mother), Tessa Ferrer as Meg Bailey, and Quvenzhané Wallis as Crystal Jarrett (Jace’s best friend and love interest). Swagger was created by Reggie Rock Bythewood and it turns out that a notable NBA player serves as the inspiration for the show.

Swagger is loosely based on the experiences of NBA star Kevin Durant who also serves as an executive producer on the show. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bythewood recalled taking a 45-minute flight from Los Angeles to Oakland, California (Durant was playing for the Golden State Warriors at this time) to meet with the star athlete and discuss an idea that turned into what we now know as Swagger.

“I was blown away by the vulnerability that he relayed to me,” Bythewood said. “The game changer was I found an emotional connection to his story with mine.”

In another interview with Boardroom, Bythewood explained how Durant’s true experiences were used in the show.

“Any sort of real-life events from KD’s life that I wanted to pull from, they gave me access to, but they also gave a lot of room and space and encouragement to pull from other places,” Bythewood said. These other places included Bythewood’s children, like his younger son who recently completed his freshman year at UCLA, the same school that Jace is eyeing a scholarship from during season two.

Seasons one and two of ‘Swagger’ are available to stream now on Apple TV+.