Michael Jordan has been the face of basketball ever since he was brought into the limelight. Every sports agency wanted to sign the athlete to a contract but only a few were successful in doing so. After all, even MJ was someone who handpicked the best for himself. This means, he either got the best of the best for himself or walked away with nothing. Keeping his career as a testament to the statement, Jordan got the best of what there is to offer.
However, Michael Jordan signed one of the biggest endorsement deals in the history of sports. His pairing with Nike was one of the best things to happen in the world. Mike’s signature kicks not only changed the designs of future basketball shoes but also became a fashion statement. And the story behind it was truly interesting, which is what Ben Affleck wanted to bring out to the world.
Affleck directed a film called “Air” which is centered on the story of Sonny Vaccaro, who was an agent from Nike. The story was written around him and how his effort ultimately helped Nike dodge being canceled. “Air” would feature several important figures in the Chicago Bulls athlete’s life, but to everyone’s surprise, it doesn’t feature him. So the question of “Is Michael Jordan acting in Air?” changes to “Why is Michael Jordan not portrayed in Air?”
Why did Ben Affleck omit Michael Jordan from the movie?
Michael Jordan’s character plays a key role in the movie but isn’t shown on the screen. There were several reasons behind Affleck’s decision to not give Mike screen time at all. As the movie focuses on how Air Jordan came into existence and how the deal conspired, the director kept it to that alone. Mike certainly plays a role in the movie, but as an unseen figure.
Cookie & I saw AIR today & everyone will love it! It’s an excellent movie. Exceptional performance by Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mother & superb performances by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Chris Tucker! pic.twitter.com/VlCEXu3BVL
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 8, 2023
Keeping the character invisible was simply a decision made to amplify Jordan’s legacy. After all, showing the great lengths Sonny had gone to sign, Jordan would speak of the players’ greatness. Before he began his career, MJ was interested in also signing with Adidas, Nike’s biggest competitor in the market. Even though Ben Affleck chose to keep Mike invisible in the movie, he added characters that portrayed various people important to Jordan.
Ben Affleck’s ‘AIR’ currently has 99% on Rotten Tomatoes from 77 reviews.
Read our review: https://t.co/a418T2PP5I pic.twitter.com/9muYMMq0Z1
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 4, 2023
Apparently, Ben would often meet up with Michael Jordan to make the story as accurate as it could be. The movie currently has a 99% rating from its audience, which proves that Affleck’s direction was on point. Mike had a few demands that were to be met. As per MJ’s request, Ben made it a point to add the characters of his mother, father, and Nike’s Vice President, Howard White, were played. MJ specifically wanted Viola Davis to play his mother’s role.