Air: “High Flying” Basketball Story

Although the plot of "Air" is about the development of the most coveted and profitable basketball sneaker ever created, the film is much more than a sports movie.  So far, it's my favorite movie of 2023! Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is a college basketball recruiting genius for Nike.  His job is to get the top college players, who have been drafted by the NBA, to sign a contract with Nike to wear their sneakers.  While Nike reigns supreme in running shoes, it is a distant third to Converse and Adidas in the basketball sneaker market.  It's 1984, and Viccaro wants to sign Michael Jordan.  He is convinced that Jordan is a transcendental talent and that, if Nike can sign him, their basketball sneaker division will take off! Unfortunately, Michael hates Nike and plans to sign with Adidas.  The Nike budget for signings is also very low.  Instead of signing several players, Vaccaro wants to spend it all on a chance to sign Jordan.  Vaccaro has to overcome multiple significant obstacles, including resistance from the co-owner and former CEO, Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), and the Director of Marketing, Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), who are also his close and long-time friends.  Jordan's narcissistic and arrogant agent, David Falk (Chris Mesina), adamantly refuses to even to set up a meeting between Jordan and Nike.  Vaccaro trusts his gut, takes huge risks, and sets the wheels in motion.  If he fails, it will be the end of the Nike basketball sneaker division, and he and Strasser will lose their jobs! Ben Affleck also directed the film and was rewarded with terrific performances from the ensemble cast, including Viola Davis.  The screenplay (by Alex Convery) is also excellent.  It's a film about pursuing your dream, having the courage to risk it all, and eventually coming out on top. What happened at Nike with the "Air Jordan" basketball sneaker is a shining example of the entrepreneurial spirit that made America great. Bottom Line: "Air" is a "Slam-Dunk!"