Air (2023)

Last updated:
August 24, 2025

Air (2023), directed by Ben Affleck, is a sports drama about Nike’s signing of rookie Michael Jordan. The film avoids typical basketball action and instead explores the behind-the-scenes business deal that changed the industry. It focuses on branding, negotiation, and the creation of the now-iconic Air Jordan line.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

The Struggling Nike Basketball Division

Set in 1984, Nike is lagging behind Adidas and Converse in the basketball shoe market. The company’s basketball division is close to being shut down, and Sonny Vaccaro (played by Matt Damon), a talent scout, is under pressure to find a breakthrough athlete who can revitalize Nike’s reputation.

Sonny’s Gamble on Michael Jordan

While others dismiss Jordan as a safe but not groundbreaking prospect, Sonny sees something special. He believes Jordan isn’t just another player but a generational talent who can embody Nike’s brand. This is a huge gamble, as Jordan prefers Adidas and has little interest in Nike at this point.

Courting the Jordans

Sonny goes around the traditional process by contacting Jordan’s parents directly, particularly his mother Deloris Jordan (played by Viola Davis), who becomes a key decision-maker. Deloris recognizes that Nike is willing to offer her son something Adidas and Converse won’t: a deal that includes a percentage of revenue from each shoe sold. This concept of giving an athlete a cut of product sales is revolutionary at the time.

The Presentation at Nike Headquarters

Sonny, along with Nike CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) and the rest of the basketball division, hosts the Jordans at Nike headquarters. They deliver a heartfelt pitch emphasizing not just Michael’s potential, but his unique role in basketball history. This scene is the emotional core of the film, where Nike stakes everything on Jordan’s future.

The Turning Point

What seals the deal is Sonny’s passionate speech, predicting Jordan’s career trajectory, his triumphs, and even the challenges he will face. He essentially convinces Deloris that Nike doesn’t just see Michael as another athlete—they see him as the face of a cultural movement.

Movie Ending

The film ends with Deloris negotiating terms that ensure Michael Jordan will receive a percentage of every Air Jordan sold. This was unprecedented at the time and would go on to become one of the most profitable deals in sports history. Nike’s basketball division, once on the brink of collapse, is revitalized, and Air Jordans become a global phenomenon, earning billions of dollars.

In the final scenes, text reveals the real-world aftermath: Michael Jordan never wore another brand of basketball shoes in his professional career. The Air Jordan line became one of the most iconic in sports and fashion. Sonny Vaccaro went on to change how athletes were marketed, while Nike grew into one of the most dominant brands in the world. Deloris Jordan is credited with ensuring her son’s long-term financial legacy.

The film closes not with Jordan himself—he is intentionally kept off-screen throughout—but with the people around him whose gamble reshaped sports marketing forever.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Air does not include any post-credits scenes. The story is fully resolved by the end, and the epilogue text provides all the necessary closure regarding the characters and their impact.

Type of Movie

Air is a sports drama/biographical drama, but rather than focusing on athletic competition, it emphasizes business negotiations, marketing, and the cultural significance of one historic deal.

Cast

Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan
Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser
Chris Tucker as Howard White
Chris Messina as David Falk (Michael Jordan’s agent)
Marlon Wayans as George Raveling

Film Music and Composer

The soundtrack features a strong lineup of 1980s hits that anchor the film in its time period, including songs by Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, and Dire Straits. The score was composed by Alexandre Desplat, whose music underscores the drama and emotional beats of the story.

Filming Locations

The film was primarily shot in Los Angeles, California, with sets designed to replicate Nike’s Oregon headquarters in the 1980s. Attention to detail in recreating the era—from office décor to fashion and even props like phones and cars—was essential to immersing the audience in the business world of the mid-80s.

Awards and Nominations

Critics praised Air for its screenplay and performances, especially Viola Davis’s portrayal of Deloris Jordan. The film earned critical acclaim, though it did not sweep major awards. It premiered at SXSW 2023 to strong reviews, and many critics ranked it among Ben Affleck’s best works as a director.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Ben Affleck revealed that Michael Jordan personally requested Viola Davis play his mother, saying she was the only actress who could portray her strength.
The real Sonny Vaccaro was consulted during the film’s development.
Affleck intentionally kept Michael Jordan mostly unseen in the film, wanting to preserve his legendary status rather than reduce him to a character.
The production team studied vintage Nike offices and even tracked down period-correct sneakers, computers, and cars for authenticity.

Inspirations and References

The film is inspired by real events surrounding Nike’s signing of Michael Jordan in 1984. It draws heavily from Sonny Vaccaro’s own accounts of the story and industry reports on how the deal revolutionized sports endorsements.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no widely reported alternate endings, though some extended negotiation scenes were trimmed for pacing. Early cuts reportedly featured more of Sonny’s personal struggles, but Affleck streamlined the narrative to focus tightly on the deal itself.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Air is not directly based on a book, though the events have been chronicled in various basketball histories and biographies of Sonny Vaccaro and Phil Knight (notably Knight’s memoir Shoe Dog). The film condenses and dramatizes events for storytelling, but the essence of the negotiations remains true to history.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Sonny watching Jordan’s college highlights over and over, convinced he’s found the future.
The Nike pitch meeting with the Jordans, where Sonny gives his heartfelt speech.
Deloris’s quiet but powerful negotiation, insisting her son receive a share of shoe profits.

Iconic Quotes

Deloris Jordan: “A shoe is just a shoe until my son steps into it.”
Sonny Vaccaro: “Money can’t buy you a legacy. That’s up to the man.”
Phil Knight: “We’re not in the shoe business. We’re in the business of inspiration.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The choice to never fully show Michael Jordan is deliberate, treating him as a mythic figure.
The Air Jordan logo and shoe are only revealed at the very end, underscoring the buildup.
Period-accurate Nike ads and commercials were recreated frame by frame.

Trivia

This is the first film produced under Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s production company, Artists Equity.
Ben Affleck played Nike co-founder Phil Knight while also directing, a dual role he last did in Argo.
The budget was relatively modest, but the film grossed well due to streaming rights deals.

Why Watch?

Watch Air if you love sports history, business dramas, or character-driven stories where the action is in negotiations and ideas rather than courts or fields. It’s about vision, risk, and the power of a single decision to reshape culture.

Air (2023)