Before Air could make it to theaters in 2023, Ben Affleck had to meet one very specific request from basketball legend Michael Jordan. Affleck, who directed the biographical film about Jordan’s groundbreaking Nike deal and the creation of the iconic Air Jordans, revealed that Jordan would only approve the movie if his demands were met.
Ben Affleck received one demand from Michael Jordan before making Air
On a recent episode of ALL THE SMOKE with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Ben Affleck opened up about pitching the movie to Michael B. Jordan. “Of all the people I talked to for that movie… he was the only one who was like, ‘Look… I can only tell you what I was there for, and what I know to be true,” Affleck said. He praised Jordan’s humility, pointing out that he didn’t pretend to know more than he actually did and stayed focused on what mattered most to him.
For Jordan, authenticity, especially around his family, was the most important part. Jordan demanded that Viola Davis must play his mother in the movie. Affleck shared, “He talked about his folks, and he talked about Chris Tucker’s character… He was like, ‘Yeah, and Viola Davis has gotta play my mom.'”
Getting Davis on board was non-negotiable, so Affleck personally reached out: “Hey Viola, we wrote this for you, and Mike said the only way this works is if you play his mom.” Fortunately, Davis agreed, and her portrayal of Deloris Jordan became the highlight of the movie.
Casting Michael Jordan’s father was trickier, thanks to his big personality and pride in his son. They eventually agreed on Julius Tennon for the role, alongside a star-studded cast including Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, and Chris Messina. Air hit screens in April 2023 and got props for its performances and attention to detail.
As soon as the podcast clip went viral, fans flocked to the comments section. Comments ranged from, “MJ defines humility at its finest. His accomplishments are above & beyond in the air, yet his words remain humble & grounded,” to the simple, “Awesome movie.”
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya on Mandatory.
