Swagger star O’Shea Jackson Jr. is speaking out about the Apple TV+ basketball drama’s cancellation after two seasons.
“Damn near no promotion. Couldn’t even talk about it when it aired because of the strike. And it still got up to Apple’s Top 4. But “the numbers weren’t there”. Right. Ima miss my boys,” Jackson wrote on X (fka Twitter).
Inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant’s experiences as a kid, Swagger explored the world of elite youth basketball clubs, the players, their families and coaches. In addition to Jackson, it starred Isaiah Hill, Shinelle Azoroh, Quvenzhané Wallis, Caleel Harris, Tristan Mack Wilds, Tessa Ferrer, James Bingham, Solomon Irama, Ozie Nzeribe and Jason Riveram.
In an Instagram post sharing news of the cancellation, series creator Reggie Rock Bythewood thanked Apple for allowing him to make “the show I wanted to make.”
“What an amazing adventure. In our two seasons, we have launched careers, disrupted genre, brought forth humanity through our characters, told stories we care deeply about, revolutionized the way to shoot basketball and had fun,” he wrote, adding “Apple, while you are not ordering a season three, I made the show I wanted to make. Thank you for that. Cast, writers and crew, you have my gratitude. Walk off the set with Swagger. For our FAMbase, you lifted us in ways we could have never imagined. To the industry, don’t take your foot off the gas. Keep telling our stories.”
The series was produced by Boardroom, Imagine Television Studios, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema, and executive produced by Bythewood, Durant, Brian Grazer, and Rich Kleiman. Francie Calfo, Tony Hernandez, Kristen Zolner and Joy Kecken also served as executive producers.