If NBA fans don’t already believe in magic, the first trailer for Apple TV+’s They Call Me Magic might convince them otherwise.
On Saturday, the streaming service dropped the first trailer for the four-part docuseries, which follows the life and career of basketball super hero Earvin “Magic” Johnson. The series made its debut this weekend at the 2022 SXSW Film festival.
The series, directed by Rick Famuyiwa, gives NBA fans a glimpse into Johnson’s playing career, philanthropy, and effort to change the conversations around HIV. It features appearances from Magic himself, along with Cookie Johnson, EJ Johnson, Larry Bird, LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neil, President Obama, Fred Stabley Jr., Dwayne Wade, Jerry West, Michael Wilbon.
“If you don’t make a difference in the Black community, that doesn’t matter that you win a championship,” Johnson says in the 2-minute clip.
The trailer shows a variety of archival clips from throughout Johnson’s professional career, and touches on Johnson’s championship-winning Lakers teams, HIV press conference, and community work. Among the voices heard in the trailer is that of Barack Obama, who shares that Magic became “a role model for those who were also afflicted with the disease.”
The series, produced by XTR and New Slate Ventures, arrives on April 22. Check out the trailer up above.
