Ben Affleck will portray Nike co-founder Phil Knight in the upcoming sports thriller “Air,” which follows the beginnings of Michael Jordan’s wildly successful collaboration with the shoe manufacturer.
Matt Damon portrays Sonny Vaccaro, the guy who sought to recruit Michael Jordan to a contract to wear the company’s shoes. Vaccaro’s narrative is the central focus of the film. Eventually, the contract was signed in 1984, when Jordan was a rookie with the Chicago Bulls.
The show will be based on the true story of how, in the 1980s, Nike marketer Vaccaro fought feverishly to get Michael Jordan to sign with the Swoosh. It is commonly known that Michael Jordan, possibly the greatest basketball player of all time, almost chose a different brand, but hopefully this dramatization can set the record straight. Affleck will be responsible for writing, directing, starring, and producing.
Amazon Studios and Skydance Sports are in the final stages of finalizing a contract that will make “Air” viable. Mandalay Pictures will participate in production as well. Jon Weinbach, president of Skydance Sports, and Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Pictures, were previously involved in the creation of The Last Dance, a sports documentary miniseries portraying Jordan’s career.
The film’s release date has been set for April 15th.
According to SportsKeeda.com’s analysis of the Nike-Jordan alliance, Michael Jordan inked a contract with Nike during his NBA rookie season in 1984. At the time, Adidas and Converse dominated the footwear industry. Prior to his agreement with Nike, it appeared like Jordan might join with Adidas. Nike presented the youngster with a more lucrative offer of $500,000 per year, which MJ could not refuse.
Late in 1984, Michael Jordan debuted his trademark Nike Air Jordan shoes for the first time. Jordan’s use of the shoes during a game was controversial. The league has a regulation permitting players to wear just white sneakers of any brand.
The red, black, and white colorway of the Air Jordans represented the Chicago Bulls’ colors. Because of this, Jordan was fined $5,000 each time he wore those shoes. Nike was eager to pay for everything, though, so that Michael Jordan could promote his sneakers.
Before the formal release of the Air Jordans at retail outlets, MJ was able to generate sufficient buzz. Air Jordans were debuted by Nike in 1985, and their sales exceeded expectations. In the first year alone, $126 million worth of Air Jordans were sold. These sneakers are what made Nike famous.
Jordan became probably the best basketball player in history. His shoe collection grew and probably became the finest sneaker collection of all time. According to Centuro Global, Michael Jordan has earned $1.3 billion from his Nike contract as of 2020.
»Ben Affleck will star in the forthcoming Michael Jordan documentary “AIR.”«