Ben Affleck's 'Air' Trailer Teases Michael Jordan's Biggest Deal & Here's The Story Behind It
The '80s style in this movie is 👌
Ben Affleck in "Air." Right: Matt Damon in "Air."
Attention sneakerheads!
Michael Jordan’s historic Nike deal is getting the feature-film treatment in Ben Affleck’s upcoming movie Air, and the first trailer teases a Moneyball-like take on the iconic shoe partnership.
Warner Bros. just dropped the trailer for the flick ahead of its April 5 release, and while we don’t get to see Michael, there are plenty of familiar faces, quips and big 1980s wigs in the Affleck-directed film.
Affleck also stars in the movie as Nike boss Phil Knight, while buddy Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike exec who ultimately signed Jordan and later made the Air Jordan shoe a thing.
The movie also stars Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans and Chris Messina, as well as the great Viola Davis, who plays Jordan’s mom Deloris.
Here's what you need to know about the story that inspired the movie.
What is the true story behind Air?
If you’re not familiar with the Air Jordan story, it’s still remembered today as one of the biggest endorsement deals in history, and perhaps the thing that turned Nike into a top sports brand.
It all goes back to 1984, when Michael Jordan was in his senior year at North Carolina and still on the cusp of NBA superstardom.
Jordan hadn't even started with the Chicago Bulls, and Nike was still a tiny sports brand compared to Adidas, which dominated the market at the time.
But the folks at Nike saw something special in Jordan, and they went all-in on trying to sign him to an endorsement deal, ESPN reports.
In the end, Jordan inked a record-breaking five-year, $2.5-million deal with Nike, and the Air Jordan shoe was born. MJ would go on to win Rookie Of The Year with the Chicago Bulls, and he continued to back Air Jordans throughout his legendary career.
Meanwhile, Jordan's success propelled the Air Jordan sneaker to massive sales numbers, catapulting Nike to the top of the list for big sports brands in the world.
So while Air may not be a sports movie in the traditional sense, it's still a story that shaped sports, pop culture and shoes to this day.
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