# Ballers (2015)

> A retired football star navigates life after the game while mentoring current and former players through the business of professional football.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/55723

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 47
- Episode runtime: 29 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, drama
- Created by: Stephen Levinson
- Network: HBO
- Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Rob Corddry, John David Washington, Omar Benson Miller, Troy Garity, London Brown, Donovan W. Carter, Arielle Kebbel
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2891574/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: witty, breezy, sardonic, sincere

## What critics say

Viewers broadly found Ballers an entertaining, charismatic sports-business comedy-drama carried by Dwayne Johnson's performance, with quality holding fairly steady until a weaker final season.

## Synopsis

Ballers (2015-2019) is an American comedy-drama series created by Stephen Levinson for HBO. Dwayne Johnson plays former football superstar Spencer Strassmore, who is trying to build a stable life in retirement while mentoring current and former players, with Rob Corddry as his scheming friend Joe Krutel and John David Washington as the young player Ricky Jerret. Each episode follows the daily grind of the football business: contract negotiations, endorsement deals, agents, financial advisors and the egos of athletes who still crave the spotlight. Spencer's goal is to stay useful and respected outside the game while the sport's machinery pulls everyone back in. The show runs for five seasons with a steady episodic rhythm built around players' careers, off-field temptations and the bonds of male camaraderie. Its tone mixes sardonic humor with breezy, irreverent sports-world satire and moments of genuine warmth. Viewers who enjoy the glossy excess and locker-room banter of Entourage will find a similar appeal, as will fans of Any Given Sunday's look at the professional sports world. The series has a polished HBO sheen, sunlit Miami-style luxury and a sincere affection for the athletes at its center.

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