On April 5, 2023, the much anticipated Ben Affleck film “Air: Courting a Legend” made its debut. Affleck also stars in the movie among a talented supporting ensemble that includes Chris Tucker, Matt Damon, and Viola Davis. The movie follows the intriguing tale of how Nike and the pioneer of sports marketing Sonny Vaccaro persistently sought rookie Michael Jordan to sign with their brand. With a $30 million budget, “Air” gives viewers an insider experience at one of the most well-known athlete-brand collaborations in history.
Meanwhile, Matt Damon recently shared a hilarious anecdote of an encounter he had with the NBA legend, Michael Jordan.
Michael Jordan In Las Vegas
Actor Matt Damon had an unexpected encounter with the NBA legend, Michael Jordan, at a Las Vegas event. The actor, Ben Affleck, was also accompanying him. Ben had a question for Jordan: How was he able to play this well without being that tall?
According to USA Today, this is what Matt Damon said: “So Ben stands up, kind of puffs out his chest, stands tall right up against Jordan, and I think, ‘Oh God, I see where this is going.’ Ben’s tall, like 6-foot-3. So Ben goes, ‘No way you’re 6-foot-6.’ And Jordan goes, ‘Yeah, I am.’ And Ben goes, ‘No, not a chance, you’re 6-foot-4¾, four and three-quarters tops!'”. The actor surely is proud of being tall!
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That was the first encounter between the duo of Damon-Affleck and the NBA legend, Michael Jordan. Little did they know that they’d be working together years later on a movie documenting the history of “Air” Jordans.
“Air”- The Movie
The plot of the film “Air” centers on Nike’s attempts to sign Michael Jordan. At that time, he was still a promising rookie. It explains how Jordan’s ground-breaking profit-sharing contract with Nike would offer the athletes equity in the goods they were being used to market. It also highlights how the invention of the Air Jordan shoe altered pop culture once and for all. The film also explores the idea of transcendence through references to Jordan as an icon and his brilliance as existing outside of space and time.
Here’s the trailer for the movie:
The movie is set in the 1980s and places Air Jordan as an example of the rampant materialism of that era. Nike executives made sure that spiritual longing and hyper-celebrity would be inextricably linked and could be sold as an object by combining this specific athlete’s identity with a sneaker that bore his name. ‘Air’ brings into light the several Nike executives who worked on the creation of the Air Jordan. It shows how they saw the shoe as a way to give their own lives meaning.
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The movie already had its premiere and is expected to be a massive hit. Will you be watching?
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