Deon Taylor and Roxanne Avent Taylor's Hidden Empire Film Group is launching its first microdrama series with an unscripted look inside the world of youth basketball — and it has assembled a starting lineup to match the ambition.
NBA champions Trevor Ariza and Matt Barnes, actor Boris Kodjoe, and Deon Taylor — a former professional basketball player himself — will star in “I Am Hoop.” The documentary series explores fatherhood, mentorship, and life skills through the lens of elite youth basketball.
The vertical microdrama marks a first for the production company and arrives under the Hidden Empire Sports Collective banner. Set within the world of Southern California AAU basketball, the series follows a group of accomplished fathers as they guide their sons through one of the most competitive environments in youth sports.
Starring
Directed By
Omar Joseph
“Black and Blue,” “Fatale”
Executive Producers
Deon Taylor · Trevor Ariza · Matt Barnes · Omar Joseph · Ephraim Salaam · Boris Kodjoe · Lionel Benjamin
“Not everyone will make the league, but everyone can use the game to learn how to live.
Beyond the pursuit of making it in basketball, “I Am Hoop” centers on how the sport teaches discipline, tenacity, and resilience. The unscripted series captures the young athletes and their fathers off the court too — in long car rides, hotel hallways, and practices.
Taylor, Ariza, Barnes, and Joseph executive produce alongside former NFL star Ephraim Salaam, Boris Kodjoe, and Lionel Benjamin, who anchors the AAU world with lessons in athlete development and long-term growth for student-athletes and parents alike.
The project is part of Hidden Empire's growing emphasis on pro-athlete-driven content spanning sports, entertainment, and culture. The company holds development deals with a range of athletes, including Floyd Mayweather and Scottie Pippen — Mayweather's four-part docuseries is currently in production.