Ben Affleck’s directorial venture, “Air”, depicts Nike’s chase to sign Michael Jordan, the NBA’s most sensational player. The movie highlights how the inclusion of Jordan helped Nike become a multi-billion dollar company and shows the unparalleled influence of His Airness beyond the basketball court. However, one interesting fact is that MJ himself never makes an appearance in the movie.
Can Any Actor Protray Michael Jordan in the Movie?
Ben Affleck revealed the reason for MJ’s absence from the movie stating Jordan is too big a personality to be portrayed by an actor. Affleck believes that if an actor plays Jordan, it would look fake, and the audience won’t be able to connect with the character. He believes that the audience already knows and remembers what the NBA star means to them, and projecting those feelings onto the movie works better than having an actor play the role.
Affleck, Damon, and Davis in Lead Roles
In “Air,” Affleck plays Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, while Matt Damon portrays the Nike executive who signed Jordan to his first shoe deal. Viola Davis plays the role of Deloris Jordan, Michael Jordan’s mother. Interestingly, Jordan himself requested that Davis play his mother, and Affleck was more than happy to oblige.
MJ Almost Signed with Adidas
It’s a little-known fact that when MJ first came into the league in 1984, he was leaning towards signing with Adidas. It was Deloris Jordan, MJ’s mother, who convinced him to attend Nike’s meeting. It was a wise decision as Nike’s offer was too good to resist, and the rest is history. Today, Nike is worth over $40 billion, and Michael Jordan himself has a net worth of over $2 billion, despite being retired for over two decades.
Even though Jordan retired from basketball over two decades ago, he remains one of the most significant sports endorsers in the world with the sensation’s net worth of over $2 billion, and Nike’s worth is over $40 billion. The former star’s inclusion in “Air” would have undoubtedly increased the hype around the movie, but Affleck’s decision to exclude him will add to the film’s mystique. The exclusion the star performer can not ignore his experience of acting. The greatest basketball player of all time debuted on screen in 1996 in a classic movie titled Space Jam.
Ben Affleck’s “Air” promises to be an exciting and inspiring sports drama that celebrates the legacy of Michael Jordan and his impact on the game of basketball and popular culture. Although Jordan won’t appear in the movie, his influence on Nike and the sports industry is undeniable. It is a story that will inspire generations to come, and Affleck has done justice to it by creating a movie that will resonate with fans of all ages.
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