Listen to Article + Become a member for exclusives 👍🏽

Air Jordans are single-handedly the most recognizable brand of shoes in the world! However, this was not always the case. Thanks to a team of Nike executives and a business wise mother, these shoes went from a shoemaker’s imagination, on to the feet of the greatest basketball player of all time!

Herein lies the legacy of behind the movie, Air, starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, and Chris Tucker!

In the eighties, there were three major shoe companies dominating the market, especially when it came to the sports world; Converse, Adidas, and Nike. However, Nike was the underdog and on its way to shutting down its athlete outreach department due to low sales.

Who is Sonny Vaccaro?

Salvation came when the company’s sports marketing executive ,Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), took a chance in trying to recruit then fledgling basketball star, Michael Jordan in a rather unorthodox way using a straightforward approach and sometimes pulling off acts above his pay grade! As we already know the result of this chance formed a partnership between Nike and Jordan that endures to this day, raking in billions for both parties annually.

However, this is not the best part of the movie, instead it’s seeing the process, blood, sweat, and tears on all sides that made this deal possible. Besides, the executives, when you see the magic that is Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis; fun fact, Michael Jordan would only agree to do the film if she played his mother), it will only reinforce the phrase, “Mother knows best.”

How did Nike and Michael Jordan’s endorsement deal revolutionize the sports world?

The deal between Jordan and Nike, changed the game for players and endorsements, and even trickled down to a few music stars and other celebrities. The Lebrons, Yeezys, and even Ivy Park; all can reference this precedent as the window that grew into a flood gate for all involved and generations to come. History is rarely this entertaining!

You can catch Air in theaters everywhere Wednesday, April, 5th!