Ballers: 7 Things You Need To Know About The Rock's HBO Series

6. Key Themes Will Include Greed, Corruption And Excess

The most striking thing about the trailer isn't the plot, or even particularly the characters; it's the aesthetic. Ballers looks utterly decedent, peppered with yachts and sports cars as far as the eye can see. At one stage a character casually tosses a wad of bills in the air, while Strasmore even explicitly states "my dreams are all about deals and dollars". Such opulence is sure to come tumbling down around the heads of its main characters, probably as a consequence of their own greed. The show also appears to have shady side. For all the mansion parties and cheering football crowds, there are equally as many shady one-on-one conversations and conspiratorial agreements. The overriding mood here is selfishness. Each character seems keen to further their own agendas only - with the potential exception of Strasmore, who could well play the role of a frustrated mentor to the current pros.