When 'Ballers' Season 3 Will Return

The Season 2 finale of the HBO series Ballers will be on Sept. 25, but don't worry — Ballers was renewed for Season 3 after just two episodes of its new season. When will Ballers return? Well, just because the renewal arrived early doesn't mean more episodes will. UPDATE: According to an HBO press release, Ballers will return July 23 at 10 p.m. ET.

Earlier: The star of the series is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and he's in high demand. As you may know if you're following him on Instagram (and if you aren't, you're missing out), The Rock is very, very busy. Between starring in lots of upcoming blockbusters like Furious 8 and Baywatch, promoting the Disney animated film Moana with probable future EGOT-er Lin-Manuel Miranda, and starring opposite Kevin Hart in everything, The Rock probably doesn't have an extra second in his schedule for the next three years, so it's not like the series would film early anyway. Plus, if up until now Ballers has premiered in summer, it's probably going to continue premiering in the summer, so I'd expect it to start sometime in mid-2017.

And while there's lots of people who watch Ballers — according to Variety, 8.8 million viewers "watched each episode within seven days," and the Season 2 premiere netted 1.3 million viewers — TV snobs might be skeptical. No, Ballers doesn't have the same prestige as a series like The Night Of, but in some ways, it might actually be one of the most purely entertaining shows the network has had in a long time. Here's a few of the reasons why you might want to check it out.

Again, The Rock

Seriously, who doesn't like The Rock? He's one of the most naturally charming screen presences out there. And he's the lead character on Ballers, playing a former athlete turned sports agent. It's the rare non-action role for him, and he does very well with it.

It's Set In Miami

So many shows, on HBO and elsewhere, are set in either New York City or Los Angeles. That doesn't mean they're not great, but some of the things that are great about shows like One Mississippi, Vice Principals, Atlanta, and yes, Ballers, is that it's informed by being set somewhere else.

It's So Luxurious

Did you ever enjoy watching Cribs, just to see how everything from driving to work in the morning to eating a bowl of cereal can be totally different for the super-rich? Well, the Ballers cast is filled with people who range from making terrible decisions because they wish they were rich to those who already are super wealthy.

It's Unpretentious

So many shows have to fill a specific, serious niche in order to fit in and be critically acclaimed these days, but Ballers is pretty unpretentious.

It Literally Stars The Next Denzel Washington

So far, Washington's son John David Washington hasn't gotten the chance to go for very much award-worthy material in his performance, but as the son of double-Academy Award winner Denzel Washington, this could be the birth of the next second-generation Hollywood star.

It's Like TV Comfort Food

The plot of Ballers is pretty easy to follow. Basically, you're just rooting for The Rock and Rob Corddry's characters to succeed and to beat Andy Garcia. The series is undeniably watchable. So maybe, like millions of others, you should check it out and stream Seasons 1 and 2, so you can excitedly wait for Season 3 to premiere next year.

Image: Jeff Daly/Courtesy of HBO (4); Giphy (3)