Air

Description (No Spoilers)

AIR is one of those movies that sounds simple on paper… but becomes surprisingly fascinating once you start watching it. Based on the true story behind Nike’s partnership with Michael Jordan, the movie takes you back to the 1980s when Nike was struggling financially and desperately searching for a way to compete with bigger athletic brands.

Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, the Nike executive who believes rookie Michael Jordan could completely change the future of the company. The problem? At the time, Jordan was still unproven in the NBA, and almost everyone thought betting so much money on one player was a terrible idea.

What makes AIR so entertaining is that it’s not really about basketball. It’s about risk, business, marketing, negotiation, and believing in an idea before anyone else sees the potential. The movie also gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Air Jordan brand and the pressure involved in making one of the most important deals in sports history.

The cast is incredible. Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis all deliver excellent performances that make the story feel emotional, funny, and surprisingly inspiring.

Even if you know nothing about basketball or sneakers, this is still a fantastic watch.