There are very few people in the world who don’t know Michael Jordan and the incredible legacy that he has left in the game of Basketball, in addition to the impact and the legacy that the Jordan brand has had off the court. Michael Jordan and his career were unlike any other in the history of the NBA, and he is arguably the most important athlete in the history of American sports. His personal story has been told a few times, most recently in the last few years with the “Last Dance” Netflix/ESPN documentary that was met with critical acclaim. This time around there is another story that involves Michael Jordan that reveals how the historic deal between Michael and Nike came to be, which has gotten the cinematic treatment and care that it deserves.
Back in November of 2022, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon launched “Artists Equity” which is a production company whose goal is to build a creator-focused studio, focusing on the creator’s vision. Not only are they looking to create interesting projects that are creator-focused, but the company will also optimize the production process with shared participation in the commercial success of projects (which very few companies do). The inaugural film from the studio is titled “Air: Courting a Legend” and the entire team involved is full of some of the best talents in the business.
This is Ben Affleck’s 5th time behind the camera and unlike some of his previous movies, I think that you really see the type of identity he has as a filmmaker throughout the movie at this stage of his career. He also portrays Nike co-founder, chairman, and 17th richest man in the world Phil Knight. You can see that Ben really enjoyed telling this story as his performance is energetic, stoic, and quite funny at times. The real protagonist of this story though is the legendary Sonny Vacarro portrayed by Matt Damon who showed the drive and hunger that Sonny had to get Michael Jordan to sign with Nike ultimately. At the beginning of 1984, Nike only had a 17% market share in the Basketball market and had only made about 3 million dollars annually, only being known for making good running shoes, no one believed that they would sign anyone let alone Jordan who had already committed to Addidas (which was the popular brand at the time along with Converse who had the biggest reputation in the basketball market).
Sonny with the help of fellow Nike executives Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) and former player Howard White (Chris Tucker) took the chance and did something that was very much frowned upon at the time, meeting Jordan’s parents face to face. The other big role in the film is Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris played incredibly by Viola Davis (who Jordan picked to portray when he gave Ben Affleck his blessing to tell this story). Every scene that she is in brought so much attention and respect that I didn’t miss Michael being shown on screen. There is one scene towards the end that brings everything together and puts the whole movie in a class of its own that features Viola Davis and Matt Damon.
The wonderful thing about Air is that you don’t need to be a basketball historian or a sneakerhead to appreciate and understand what is going on, it’s a classic underdog story that everyone can love and take something from. It’s directed well and the movie isn’t a drag as it falls right under two hours. It also has a great soundtrack that served as a time capsule of sorts to the time that gave it the extra authenticity it needed. I think this is the perfect example of a general audience pleaser, everyone can pick up something different, and the story is so wonderful and absolutely the biggest decision in the history of the sneaker business.