What Made Michael Jordan Give Ben Affleck His Approval For ‘Air’ Movie? (Photo Credit: IMDb)
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Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’ is a true story based on Nike’s successful signing of the rising basketball superstar Michael Jordan. The renowned Nike Salesman Sonny Vaccaro was played by Matt Damon. The movie depicts Vicarro’s unrelenting effort to sign arguably the most prominent deal in sporting history. This has fostered the dizzying height Nike is enjoying today. The film was written by Alex Convery and directed by Ben Affleck.
It is worth noting that no cast played the role of Michael Jordan. The legendary NBA champion also didn’t take part in any production role. Be that as it may, Affleck wouldn’t produce such an enlightening movie without approval from the story’s most prominent figure.
Affleck visited Jordan on numerous occasions to gather details on how best to tell his story. However, getting approval from the six-time NBA champion was not without its conditions. According to Affleck’s account, Jordan insisted that he wanted Viola Davis to play the role of his mother. He also requested that the story of Howard White, his friend, be told in the movie. Chris Tucker was cast in the movie as White.
Affleck was initially worried that Davis might have been unavailable to take part in the movie. That would have left him stuck. Fortunately, it all worked out. Affleck spoke to the Hollywood Reporter. “Michael Jordan is – he’s a hero to me.” He continued. “And I know how important and meaningful a figure he is, particularly in the African-American community.”
Affleck also spoke about his friendship with the former NBA star. “I have to be very clear, this is not the authorized Michael Jordan story,” Affleck emphasized. “He was not compensated in a way that would be appropriate if this were that. If you’re going to do a Michael Jordan story, they should back the f*cking truck up.”
The enlightening Air movie turned out to be a success. It has gathered a lot of top ratings among basketball fans and avid movie lovers. MJ is not just the GOAT of Basketball but also one of the wealthiest figures in sporting history. His unparalleled height was fostered by the most significant sporting deal ever.
