He sees this as his ticket and his opportunity to succeed, and that's how we come to the story. And that's really what's at stake for this kid, as he sees them. And if he plays good, he can just become a national star, and coaches will know his name. A popular basketball website called Overtime is going to come see him play. We meet Jace as an eighth-grader who has just turned 14. I mean, some of the most popular players have - you know, high school players have millions of followers. SIMON: And now, as you say, you don't even need that because they're on TikTok and other platforms.īYTHEWOOD: All over.
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SIMON: Yeah, I mean, just a few years ago, it struck me as outrageous that you would have pro and college scouts truly at youth basketball games in the middle of Croatia looking for talent. Well, you don't need that pressure anymore because of social media.
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Prior to LeBron James, every sort of high school player that was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, you know, never really reached their full potential, never really rose to the heights that everyone thought because of all that pressure that that Sports Illustrated cover put on him. Like, what would happen if one of the best players in the DMV - D.C., Maryland and Virginia area - stepped on the court and a lot of people forgot to treat him like a 14-year-old kid? Gee, I think I'm right in saying what I'm about to say. 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. 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.
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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. AZOROH: (As Jenna) Tired can beat you, or you can beat tired.