Ben Affleck’s film ‘Air’ tells the story of how Nike managed to get Michael Jordan to sign with them. Needless to say, it’s expected to be a massive hit among the millions of NBA fans and sneakerheads out there.
The Jordan brand has experienced unprecedented success in the sneaker industry. They were pioneers in the game, and it’s perhaps the most recognizable and popular brand among enthusiasts all over the world.
That’s why it was kind of shocking to see that the actor who plays Jordan in the film never actually shows his face. When asked about that decision, Ben Affleck had quite a solid explanation for it.
No One Can Actually Portray Michael Jordan, Claims Ben Affleck
“Michael’s just too famous and too meaningful and too important and too much of an icon for me to believe, particularly given that there is only a couple of moments in the film that any actor could convince you that they, in fact, were Michael Jordan,” Affleck told Yahoo! News. “[Just] his silhouette is recognizable around the world.”
“And so I thought that it was actually more interesting that he exists above and outside, kind of in the clouds above everybody [and] everyone around him,” Affleck continued. “And also, I’m mindful of the fact that this is not the Michael Jordan story. We didn’t go get his rights. He didn’t get paid, like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna tell your story, your childhood, your thing.’ This is not that. And so I didn’t think it was really appropriate, frankly, to use that. This is a story about other people. It’s a sort of a fable using that story… You know, you’re f***ing around with an extremely important figure in American history, and I wanted to just handle that as respectfully and carefully as I could.”
Michael Jordan hasn’t picked up a basketball in public for two decades now, yet he continues to rule everything centered on this beautiful sport. That’s how big of a legend he still is to this very day.