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In shaping Jace, you know, I asked a couple of questions. And so when I looked at that painting, I thought, like, in telling this story, our coaches, our community - I mean, as a storyteller, we're fighting for that side of his face that has innocence and vibrancy and promise. And on the other side of his face, it's bruised up and blood on his face. And on one side of his face, Emmett's face is, like, bright and optimistic and happy and innocent. And Lisa created this painting of Emmett Till. I saw this painting by this artist named Lisa Whittington.
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You know, August 28, 1955, Emmett Till was murdered. Well, first of all, let's just start with 14, right? The age 14 has historical context in America and particularly in Black America. He's got a lot to balance in his 14-year-old life, doesn't he?īYTHEWOOD: Yeah. SIMON: In a sense because he was so good.īYTHEWOOD: It was because he had so much promise. And it wasn't like everyone was, back off, Kevin Durant's on the floor and just, you know, and people will just fall in front of - they were really going after the kid.
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He was - so we started talking about Kevin's experiences, what it was like growing up as this 14-year-old kid who really aspired to get in the NBA and also really had to prove himself, was still going through ups and downs. You know, as great as a basketball player as he is - and I've rooted for Kevin - I flew out and met with him. SIMON: And I gather this was drawn from some of Kevin Durant's own experiences growing up in the DMV.īYTHEWOOD: And that was the launching pad. REGGIE ROCK BYTHEWOOD: A pleasure to be here. And the showrunner, writer and director is Reggie Rock Bythewood who joins us now. Kevin Durant, now of the Brooklyn Nets, is one of the show's executive producers. is the former high school star who becomes his coach. Shinelle Azoroh is his equally devoted mother. SIMON: Isaiah Hill is the young phenom Jace Carson who's determined to make it to the NBA. What do you think the haters want my baby to be? Tired. ISAIAH HILL: (As Jace) I'm too tired, too tired.ĪZOROH: (As Jenna) Tired can beat you, or you can beat tired. "Swagger," the new Apple TV+ series, opens with a gifted and ambitious 14-year-old athlete running in the pre-dawn darkness on the streets of the DMV - the District, Maryland and Virginia.