Amazon Studios’ Air tells the incredible story of how Nike developed a partnership with Michael Jordan, created the hugely successful Air Jordan brand, and changed the way athletes are compensated for endorsements. Ben Affleck directs and stars in the film inspired by a true story – a film that wouldn’t have been made without the blessing of the NBA legend.
“I went to speak to Michael because I’ve been lucky enough to run across him a few times. I’m not going to act like me and him are friends, you know what I mean? Just like idolized the guy and every now and again I’ve had a chance to spend time with him. It’s been very memorable for me. Probably he’s forgotten it,” recalled Affleck during Air’s press conference. “So, I had at least enough of an in to say, ‘Hey, you know, can I come see you and just kind of run this past you?’
Because, to be honest, listen, from a point of view of a respect for him, his family, who he is, what he means from a selfish point of view, from the movie, like the stupidest thing in the world would be to go make a movie that involves… he’s not in, doesn’t appear in, nonetheless, that invokes his name and tells a part of his story that he was opposed to.”
Affleck continued: “If he said don’t do it, I just was going to not do it. That would be that. You know, over. Last conversation. And I was very, very prepared for that to be the result of that because I had no reason to think that he would be open to it or that he would welcome it, particularly since it wasn’t the Michael Jordan story where they had bought his rights and that sort of thing, which I would think might be discomforting.
However, what I found was that he was very gracious and actually when I said, ‘Look, this is not historically accurate in the sense that I can’t dot every I and cross every T, what time every phone call was made, this is going to have to be something of a fable, a parable, an inspiring story, and so I’m going to take liberties in order to make it an hour and 30, 40 minutes, but I don’t want to violate anything that’s fundamentally important or true to you.”
Affleck asked Jordan if there was anything that needed to be included in the film and was pleasantly surprised at the NBA superstar’s response.
“I think it was telling that he wasn’t somebody who was like, ‘Whoa, we got to talk about when I did this, and I did that,’ which there are people who take that approach. He only talked about other people. He wanted to make sure that other people who were meaningful were included in the story. George Raveling was one of them which was why Marlon [Wayans’] role is in the movie.”
Initially, Air was going to focus on Michael Jordan signing with Nike, with Michael as the key figure at the heart of the story. But after speaking with Jordan, Affleck realized there was a better way to approach the story behind the iconic basketball shoes.
“When I saw how he talked about his mother and the regard and esteem in which he held her… This is a very intimidating, powerful man,” explained Affleck. “He really is like it’s sort of like being on Olympus. You know, you’re around somebody who is as close to a deity as you’re going to find, you know?”
During their conversation, Affleck realized there was a better approach to telling the story of the first Air Jordan shoe.
“I saw a reverence and a respect and an adoration and love when he talked about his mother. And it just shocked me – and shame on me for not kind of assuming this was the case. But when I heard it, I realized right away this is the story. And this is a beautiful story. And it’s a story about Deloris Jordan and what she means to Michael, and that she’s emblematic of what so many mothers must have meant to so many athletes and entertainers and people in this business who are oftentimes very young and thrust into a world of fame and money. And that can be confusing.”
Affleck added: “And so I thought actually this is brilliant. This is what the story is. This is beautiful and this is the protagonist. And I said, ‘Who do you’ … offhandedly, which is always a mistake … ’Who do you think should play your mom?’ He said, ‘It has to be Viola Davis.’”
Ben Affleck understood why Jordan wanted Davis. Of course he’d want the very best to play his mother.
“I knew that it was incumbent on us to create a role that was worthy of Viola, and we tried to do that,” said Affleck. “I still think probably her saying yes, which has been a lifelong career ambition of mine, I thought I really will have made it as a director if I have Viola Davis in my movie and she said yes. I tried to believe it was me. I think a lot of it had to do with me being like, ‘Michael Jordan wants you to play his mom.’”
* * * * * * * * * *
Air opened in theaters on April 5, 2023. The R-rated film stars Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Julius Tennon.
