SALT LAKE CITY – Ben Affleck as Phil Knight. Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro. Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan. Chris Tucker as Howard White. Marlon Wayans as George Raveling.
“Air,” the new movie directed by Affleck and written by Alex Convery, tells the story of Nike’s pursuit to sign Michael Jordan and rescue the shoe and apparel company’s fledgling basketball division.
Nike’s gamble and Jordan’s decision changed the sneaker world almost immediately and continues to have an impact in fashion, sports and marketing 40 years later.
Air Jordans turned into a cultural phenomenon, selling millions shoes, making millions of dollars and leading to the Jordan Brand line of shoes and apparel under the Nike umbrella.
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The film does not include anyone playing Jordan – “Because I thought that the minute I turned the camera on somebody and asked the audience to believe that that person was Michael Jordan, the whole movie falls apart,” Affleck said.