Actors in series inspired by NBA star Kevin Durant continue hoops careers in Bay Area

HAYWARD, Calif. – College of Alameda guard Isaiah Hill was sent to the scorer’s table midway through the first half bycoach Gary Payton in their season opener against Chabot College on Nov. 7. As the 22-year-old entered the game to make his long-awaited college basketball debut, a fan in the stands yelled, “Jace Carson!”

“I was like, ‘Oh, s—. Hold on. Now it’s time to really play,’ ” Hill told Andscape after Alameda’s season-opening 84-77 loss. “I’m not going to have those actor dunks going on now …

“It definitely adds some pressure. Jace Carson on TV, he’s going to be in the NBA draft lottery. It’s time to come out here to get buckets. I hate to lose. Me and Jace share that similarity. I’m going to get going to help this team win conference.”

Hill hopes to make a name for himself as a junior college basketball player with Division I aspirations, but he is most known for playing the role of fictional young basketball star Jace Carson on the Apple TV+ series Swagger that was loosely based on and executive produced by Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. Carson’s rival-turned-beloved teammate on the show was Nick Mendez, who was played by actor and now University of San Francisco sophomore guard/forward Jason Rivera-Torres.

Hill and Rivera-Torres currently attend schools that are about 15 miles from each other and support each other in their college basketball careers after Swagger.

“It’s been a blessing to have that type of friend, someone I can call,” Rivera-Torres told Andscape after a recent USF practice. “He gives me support and I will support him the same way.”

Swagger was inspired by Durant’s AAU basketball experience while growing up in Maryland. Reggie Rock Bythewood, the show’s creator, executive producer and showrunner, focused the show on Carson, a national prep basketball star, and the players, coaches and financial sponsors around him. The show delved into dreams and nightmares of the AAU world, corruption, racism, ambition, opportunism, wealth disparity and overcoming mistakes.

Swagger debuted on Apple TV+ on Oct. 29, 2021, with 10 episodes its first season. The cast included O’Shea Jackson Jr., Orlando Jones, Academy Award nominee Quvenzhané Wallis, Tessa Ferrer, Caleel Harris, Christina Jackson, Shinelle Azoroh and Tristan Mack Wilds.

“I wasn’t involved in the day-to-day,” Durant said. “I was crafting the story and giving my insight on the life, crafting the whole life and the set. I gave them the outline of my story and the AAU story. [Bythewood] knew some people, too, within the [basketball] community. I just gave it some ideas.”

“The show really mirrored society. At the heart of it, the show had a cause that is bigger than yourself. That is what the real swagger is,” Hill said.

Hill grew up in South Orange, New Jersey, with a passion for basketball and acting. He is from an entertainment family that includes his aunt, singer Lauryn Hill.

With a push from his mother, Hill said, he was on an episode of Sesame Street in 2007 at 8 years old and tried out for Simba in New York City in the Broadway production of The Lion King and the television show One Tree Hill. He also played Julius Caesar in a junior high school play and modeled.

“I was horrible on Sesame Street. I was picking my nose when I was supposed to be counting to 100. But I was working with Big Bird’s nest and I was behind the scenes on set for the first time,” Hill said.

Hill said he played varsity basketball as a freshman and eventually became a three-star recruit at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. He received interest from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania and New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Class of 2021, according to 247Sports. He learned from a social media post that a new television show Swagger was looking for African American actors over 6 feet tall who could play basketball.

“My sophomore year in high school I saw an open call for Swagger on Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Instagram page,” Hill said. “A lot of friends in high school jokingly called me ‘KD’ [Durant]. That was my favorite player. I had his sneakers growing up …

“At first it was almost a joke. My friends tagged me 100 times under [her Instagram] post to raise awareness. And from there, little did I know, she had her eyes on me for Jace.” The 6-2 guard dunked in jeans and nailed jumpers during a screen test in Los Angeles. It delayed his college basketball career, but he landed the part to play Carson.

Like Hill, Rivera-Torres grew up playing basketball and dipping his toe into acting. The native of the Bronx neighborhood of New York was in short films Tio and Bad Uncle. His uncle, Robert Torres, told him about Swagger and he reluctantly sent a highlight tape in. Rivera-Torres landed the role of Mendez, a Puerto Rican prep basketball star.

“My uncle said that Kevin Durant was looking for some basketball players to act on a TV show. And my mom said, ‘You should try out.’ I told my mom that I didn’t want to do it, but [my uncle] kept pushing me to. It ended up being one of the greatest things I’ve ever done,” Rivera-Torres said.

With Swagger being filmed in Richmond, Virginia, Rivera-Torres also played basketball at John Marshall High School during the 2022-23 season. Some of the scenes of Swagger were filmed at the high school. The four-star recruit received offers from Vanderbilt, Hampton, Penn State, Texas Christian and others, according to 247Sports. The 2023 Virginia All-State First Team selection averaged 15.4 points, 3.4 assists, 7.7 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 1.4 blocks per game as a senior.

Hill and Rivera-Torres built a friendship that was fueled by their love of basketball while working on Swagger. Hill said they often worked on their games together on the set. Rivera-Torres said they also talked about their NBA dreams and aspirations.

“I came in the second episode, the very last scene. They embraced me with open arms, especially Isaiah. He’s such a kind, loving guy. Since day one, we have been pushing each other in the gym,” Rivera-Torres said.

“Right now, we are both battling tendonitis. That movie basketball has definitely taken a toll on us after playing basketball from 12 in the day to 11 at night filming plays,” Hill said.

Uncertain about the prospects for a third season of Swagger, Rivera-Torres accepted a basketball scholarship to Vanderbilt on June 5, 2023, and played last season. Hill remained focused on acting after being named to BET’s 2022 “22 Young Rising Black Hollywood Stars” list. He landed his first movie role, albeit a disappointing on, in the upcoming drama film called, One Spoon of Chocolate.

“The love that Swagger had on and off the set just wasn’t the same and it felt like more of a job,” Hill said of One Spoon of Chocolate. “I had to figure out what I wanted to be a part of in terms of building a career for myself.”

On Nov. 30, 2023, Reggie Rock Bythewood announced on social media that Swagger was canceled after two seasons. Durant and fellow executive producer and business partner Rich Kleiman were proud of what was accomplished.

“It’s over now. I was excited about it,” Durant said. “We took it up a notch in Season 2 storytellingwise [and] production. The cast got older. The continuity was there with the audience where they were used to the characters. The fans and audience loved it, too.”

“The cast was well-curated. The level of basketball was so real. We found it to be a great success to be able to do two seasons. There was frustration that we didn’t get a third, but I’d like to look at is as a win,” Kleiman said.

Hill and Rivera-Torres were crushed by the cancellation of Swagger and still hold out hope that Bythewood can get the show renewed for a third season on a different platform. If the show is renewed, they hope it will be filmed in the summer so it won’t prevent them from playing college basketball.

“Swagger was really super-special. I hope it comes back in the next year or so. I have heard talks about it coming back on different networks,” Hill said.

“I was definitely disappointed,” Rivera-Torres said. “We had a good run. That will always be my Swagger family.”

Rivera-Torres averaged 6.4 points and 3.1 rebounds as a freshman for Vanderbilt last season. On March 14, however, Vanderbilt fired coach Jerry Stackhouse, who was hired as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors. Rivera-Torres said he opted to enter the transfer portal on March 26 primarily because of the firing of Stackhouse.

On April 24, Rivera-Torres committed to play for San Francisco after considering four schools. San Francisco’s coaching staff was familiar with Rivera-Torres after he scored eight points and made two 3-pointers off the bench in Vanderbilt’s 73-60 loss to the San Francisco on Dec. 6. Dons coach Chris Gerlufsen was ecstatic to potentially add the 6-foot-6, 180-pounder for three seasons.

“He falls right in line with what guys look like here with his ability to score the ball,” Gerlufsen said of Rivera-Torres. “He’s a really good offensive rebounder for his size and he will continue to get bigger and stronger. I’m excited that he has three years to play. The key with the transfer portal is identifying guys who can grow with your program.

“He can be as good as anyone who has been here. He just needs some time to develop.”

“I just found a great situation. All these coaches here, especially C.G. [Gerlufsen], have shown me a tremendous amount of support and love,” Rivera-Torres said.

Gerlufsen said he watched Swagger after signing Rivera-Torres and enjoyed the show. The Dons coaching staff and players are also getting a kick out of having a celebrity actor on their roster.

“It’s funny because we go out in public and sometimes people ask for pictures,” Rivera-Torres said. “My teammates find it funny. Some of them watched the show and enjoyed the show as well.”

Rivera-Torres had 6 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench in 17 minutes in his Dons debut, an 86-78 win over visiting Cal Poly on Nov. 5. In two games this season, he’s averaging 5.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 26 minutes a game. Rivera-Torres is very excited about his future with the Dons and still has NBA aspirations, but he also hasn’t given up on acting.

“I’m definitely not done,” Rivera-Torres said. “Just this journey alone has taught me so much. I have some unfinished business for sure in the acting world as well. I’m exploring new options and I definitely want to make it to [the NBA]. And after my basketball career, I think I will explore [acting] as well.”

“I’m super-proud of him,” Hill said.

Hill was in limbo about whether to keep acting or pursue college basketball after Swagger. Inspired by Rivera-Torres and a lack of acting opportunities, Hill decided to play college hoops. He initially considered East Los Angeles College so he could play close to his grandmother.

Hill, however, was intrigued when told by a mentor that Payton, a nine-time NBA All-Star, was expected to become the coach at College of Alameda. The junior college with a struggling basketball program was located on the island of Alameda, next to Oakland, California. It was also a short drive away from Rivera-Torres at USF.

Hill drove to Boston from New Jersey and set up a late-night meeting with Payton after he watched him coach Bivouac to a 2024 Big3 championship in Boston on Aug. 18. The Basketball Hall of Famer said Jackson, the son of famed rapper and Big 3 founder Ice Cube, vouched for Hill as a basketball player. Payton said he also watched Hill’s high school highlights and Swagger basketball clips before offering an opportunity to play at Alameda.

“I wanted to learn from one of the best players to ever play in the game. He is one of the NBA’s Top 75 players,” Hill said of Payton. “A Hall of Famer. He is first guard ever to be Defensive Player of the Year. I thought I could play defense until I got here.”

“He was a great kid. I did a check on his background and found out he hadn’t played in several years and he was very athletic. So, I decided to take a chance on [Hill]. I never saw him play basketball, so I had to take someone else’s word. But he came in as a gentleman and talked about all the things he wanted to learn about basketball,” Payton said.

Hill’s debut with Alameda was in jeopardy due to a left calf injury that caused him to miss practices leading up to the John L. Wagoner Classic beginning at Chabot College on Nov. 7. He said he received a steroid shot in his calf in order to play in the season opener. He was also inspired to play because Alameda was limited to just seven players, including him, due to injuries and eligibility issues.

“I wanted to help my team. I had to get in the game and step up. Without me, it would have been six players,” Hill said.

Hill scored 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, had 2 assists and made all 4 free throws attempts against Chabot College. In his first real game since 2020, he looked like Jace Carson as he flew high for a one-handed jam in the second half. Through three games, Hill is averaging 16 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

Payton also wants to get the Jace Carson out of Hill’s game. The former Seattle SuperSonics star says Hill needs to play more within the offense and less one-on-one, and strongly voiced his displeasure during timeouts.

“He is still an ‘I.’ The ‘I’ is not going to work for me, the one-on-one basketball,” Payton told Andscape. “You got to feel the game out. You don’t win games one-on-one. I’m going to get that out of him.”

“I had Gary Payton screaming on me like I was his firstborn son. But you got to feel the love in that. Gary was raised pretty tough. I can feel the love when he is cursing me out. He is cursing the team out, but he is looking at me. To much is given, much is expected.

“I’m taking coach well. I just got to get more acclimated in the game,” Hill said.

Rivera-Torres said he hopes Hill, who doesn’t have any scholarship offers, can catch the eye of the Dons coaching staff. According to Rivera-Torres, Bythewood said he and some of Swagger actors plan to attend games this season. Hill and Rivera-Torres finally were able to connect for the first time in the San Francisco Bay Area on Nov. 2 when they attended singer Kehlani’s Crash World Tour at Chase Center.

“Kehlani is a friend and she got us in through will call,” Hill said. “I was feeling extra special. I also got to see where his head was at. Touched base with him.”

“This journey has been amazing with him, especially being basketball players first and turning into actors. Just having that co-star you can relate to on and off the set and pushing each other day in and day out has been amazing,” Rivera-Torres said.