Basketball is a global phenomenon. Being one of the biggest sports in the world, basketball—especially the NBA, is watched and adored by millions around the world every single day. It’s no surprise that the popularity of the sport has bled over to the silver screen, with basketball-themed movies such as the original “White Men Can’t Jump”, “Coach Carter”, “Love and Basketball” as well as the original “Space Jam” now heralded as cult classics.

While basketball movies certainly aren’t something new, there has been a notable increase in the production of such films in recent years. “Uncle Drew” “High Flying Bird”, “Hustle” and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” featuring the newly-crowned king of scoring LeBron James are among those that have released over the past five years. Not forgetting ESPN and Netflix’s award-winning docuseries “The Last Dance”, revolving around the career of His Airness himself.

Michael Jordan is and will remain as one of basketball’s finest, and it’s no surprise that even until this day, entertainment pieces about his playing career continue to hit mainstream media. This time, another fragment of Jordan’s long and illustrious career will be relived on the big screen: through Ben Affleck’s latest direction, “Air: Courting a Legend”.

To note, this isn’t the Hollywood star’s first foray into the basketball world either. In 2020, Affleck starred in “The Way Back”, playing the alcoholic Jack Cunningham who was recruited to become the head coach at his alma mater. The movie, while hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in terms of box office revenue, scored favorable reviews from both critics and fans alike. It’s no surprise he’s dipping his toes once again into the world of hoops, this time directing and starring in a retelling of Nike and Jordan’s marriage.

“Air” digs deep into Nike’s archives, all the way back to 1984 when “there’s nothing cool about Nike,” as mentioned by George Raveling (played by Marlon Wayans) in the movie. In a year where the Swoosh brand was struggling against heavyweight competitors such as Converse and adidas, something had to change drastically for the Beaverton-based athletic company.

Cue Sonny Vaccaro, played by co-star Matt Damon, who came up with a then-crazy idea to sign and create a signature shoe line for a NBA rookie at the time, Michael Jordan. The movie revolves around Vaccaro’s quest to convince both Nike’s CEO Phil Knight, played by Ben Affleck, as well as Michael Jordan and his family to join the Swoosh lineup. Yes, this is that moment that created the legendary silhouette that sneakerheads have come to love up until this very day.

While watching the trailer that released today, ardent sneakerheads will also be quick to recognize one of Nike’s most important designers featuring in it—Peter Moore, played by Matthew Maher, the man who created the Air Jordan 1 and Dunk silhouettes, as well as the iconic Jumpman logo.

Notably, while archival footage of Jordan will be shown during the movie, it is reported that His Airness himself will not be appearing in the film. The actor behind the rookie version of himself is yet to be revealed as well, creating a rife of anticipation across social media.

The movie promises to be an intriguing behind-the-scenes look into the Swoosh brand’s defining moment, one that would culminate into the the giants that they are today. Coupled with an all-star crew with the likes of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Matthew Maher and Chris Messina, “Air” looks set and ready to be the next big sports movie, one that will hopefully be adored by basketball fans, sneakerheads and the mainstream audiences.

“Air: Courting a Legend” will hit the box offices come 5th April. Check out the trailer for the movie as we eagerly await the release of the film.

In more regular-programming, check out an early look at the upcoming Nike Air Max 1 PRM Crepe “Soft Grey”.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros.