Dhruv Trivedi
‘Swagger’ on Apple TV+ is a sports drama that follows high school athlete Jace Carson, who dreams of playing in the NBA one day. Based on the experiences of NBA player Kevin Durant, the show follows the ups and downs of a young athlete and his teammates’ lives as they push to become State Champions and move up in the rankings.
However, no one is more driven than Jace, who lives and breathes his sport and is just starting to learn the ways of the world. Pushed by his mother and with the guidance of a coach that’s seen his own fair share of hardship, the opening episode sets Jace off on a remarkable journey that tests his body, mind, and spirit. Let’s take another look at ‘Swagger’ episode 1 and see how things are shaping up. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Swagger Episode 1 Recap
The episode opens with Jace as a child, solving a puzzle drawn by his father. We then come to the present, with Jace doing his pre-sunrise morning workout while his mother, Jenna, pushes him to go harder. We find out that the 14-year old high schooler is the best basketball player in the area and is looking for a new team to play with so that he gets noticed by athletic scouts. He is beginning to get attention on social media for his basketball skills, but the constant scrutiny on his game also makes the young athlete put on an air of overconfidence.
Jenna, always trying to do the best for her son’s basketball prospects, tracks down Coach Isaac (Ike), who divides his time managing a local team and working at a hardware store. Despite his humble appearance, Ike is a smart and highly accomplished basketball player. Jace finds this out the hard way during his first practice session with Ike when the coach beats him one-on-one. Embarrassed, the young boy leaves practice in a huff. Things get worse when a video of Ike dunking on him then goes viral.
Swagger Episode 1 Ending: Is Jace Leaving His Team?
Eventually, with some guidance from his mother, Jace decides to rejoin practice. He and Ike soon find common ground in their love for basketball and begin to set their sights on the state championship. However, an unpleasant experience with some bigoted police officers who briefly accuse Jace of being a car thief pushes Jenna to think harder about her son’s future in Ike’s team. During the next practice session, just as Jace is beginning to settle into the team, his mother tells the coach that other teams are inquiring about Jace and that she might consider them as viable alternatives to Ike’s team.
Jace’s mother, despite initially favoring Ike for his court-smarts, now begins to question her decision. The mother feels an overwhelming pressure to make the right choices for her son, which becomes abundantly clear when she explains to Ike how she has to protect him from criminal influences and the cops while raising him alone. Her son’s best chance of success is through basketball, and Jenna is adamant to not make any mistakes when it comes to Jace’s future.
Jenna’s concerns seemingly stem from what a rival coach has told her about Ike and his inability to financially support a team. She doesn’t want Jace to be left without a team halfway through the season and therefore begins to wonder whether having him join Ike’s team is the best option. For now, Jace is still on the team, but the ball is now in Ike’s court (pun intended) to impress the star athlete’s mother.
Who is Ike, aka “Icon”?
Ike is an unlikely coach that Jenna picks for Jace when they learn that a popular basketball scout might be visiting the area to watch the young athlete play. Ike, it is revealed, had a brief moment in the spotlight as a star college basketball player, which earned him the name “Icon.” However, he failed to get picked for the NBA, and his basketball career has since dwindled to coaching local teams.
When Jace initially signs up for Ike’s team, the latter gets a lot of jealous criticism from the other coaches in the area, who blame him for poaching an up-and-coming player from another team. However, Ike repeatedly demonstrates that he is more interested in improving Jace as a player than using him to build the team’s image. Jenna’s concerns are also revealed not to be completely unfounded as Ike struggles financially and has no good answer when Jace asks whether they’ll be able to afford to go to the State Championship.
Read More: Is Swagger Based on a True Story?
