Apple has announced that a new five-part documentary series, 'The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball', will make its global debut on Friday April 22nd on Apple TV+. The series will chronicle the inspiring, coming-of-age story of basketball phenom Makur Maker and premiere the same day as Apple's highly anticipated four-part 'They Call Me Magic' docuseries event.
Seth Gordon ('Undefeated', 'The King of Kong', 'For All Mankind') directs and executive produces the five-part series which follows Maker, the NBA hopeful who grabbed global headlines with his groundbreaking decision to forgo the NBA and play for Howard University, making him the highest-ranked high school player in the modern recruiting era to commit to a historically Black university (HBCU). The docuseries is an intimate look at Makur's life as a student-athlete with a dream of making it to the NBA, while unexpected physical challenges and a global pandemic threaten his college career. Off the courts, 'The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball' explores how his journey from fleeing war-torn South Sudan as a child and his tight-knit support system led him to go to an HBCU, and in turn, allowed him to make an impactful statement in the wake of America’s cultural response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
In addition to Gordon, Nikki Calabrese, Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn, Luis Lopez, Julia Gunn and Sony Pictures Television also serve as executive producers. The series is produced for Apple by Exhibit A and Boardwalk Pictures.
Fun Fact: The series was ordered by Apple back in May 2021 and was originally titled 'Big Man on Campus' before being renamed.
'The Long Game: Bigger Than Basketball' can now be pre-added to your Up Next queue.