Directed by Ben Affleck
A sort of prequel to “The Last Dance,” it’s set in 1984, and depicts the daring real-life behind the scenes of how Nike, the upstart in the basketball shoe market, laid a big bet on a rookie N.B.A. player who had yet to impress in a game: Michael Jordan, whose career would forever change sports marketing and sneaker culture.
Nike was then, but had been struggling in the basketball market, overwhelmed by Converse that enclosed 54% of the markets and Adidas, which had 29%. Sales were so poor that Nike’s basketball division was about to be scrapped. The company’s chief executive officer, Phil Knight, and his marketing department needed a bold endorsement deal to resurrect the division.
Enter Sonny Vaccaro, a renegade talent scout in Nike’s basketball division. Faced with the challenge of discovering a star rookie to champion their product, Sonny zeroes in a single name: Michael Jordan, a fresh-faced, crowd-pleasing North Carolina phenom who’d recently been selected by and signed to the Chicago Bulls.
Despite Jordan being a known Adidas fan and uninterested in Nike, Sonny is convinced that he is a once-in-a-generation talent. He sees something special in Jordan after watching his college highlights—especially a clutch moment where the ball was entrusted to him instead of a senior player. Sonny argues that Nike should invest their entire basketball budget into signing Jordan instead of splitting it between three players.
Sonny's bold idea is met with resistance from multiple sides:
- Rob Strasser, Nike’s marketing VP, believes betting everything on one rookie is too risky.
- Michael Jordan’s agent, David Falk, declines to set up a meeting, because he says Adidas already has an agreement with Jordan for a fat deal.
- Phil Knight, Nike’s eccentric chief executive, is reluctant to sign off on a huge budget because the company is in financial trouble.
Undaunted, Sonny decides to take matters into his own hands. Ignoring protocol, he skips Jordan’s agent and just calls Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother, figuring she is the real power in the family.
Sonny goes to Wilmington, North Carolina, and gets Deloris to listen to Nike’s pitch. He goes on to explain that if Michael signs with Converse he joins the list of other players on the brand’s roster, including Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Adidas, in contrast, is chaotic and rudderless. At Nike, however, Jordan would be more than just another athlete—he would be treated as a rock star, the face of the brand.
The sharp negotiator listens carefully but is non-committal. But she is intrigued. She accedes to a meeting with Michael at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.
As Sonny locks the meeting, Nike’s small creative team scrambles to shape a shoe that exudes Jordan’s charisma, style and dominance.
- Jordan’s Bulls uniform, Peter Moore, Nike’s lead designer, fashions a bold new sneaker featuring a red-and-black color scheme.
- The moniker “Air Jordan” is coined, an homage to both Nike’s Air Sole technology and Jordan’s gravity-defying playstyle.
- Despite NBA rules that say shoes have to be at least 51% white, Nike announces they’ll pay any fines Jordan incurs by wearing non-compliant shoes — a marketing gamble that ends up paying off big time.
During the official pitch meeting, Phil Knight, Rob Strasser, and Sonny make their case to Michael and his parents. They emphasize that Jordan wouldn’t just be endorsing a shoe—he would be creating his own brand.
While Michael remains quiet, Deloris makes a groundbreaking demand:
Jordan must receive a percentage of every Air Jordan sale.
That was a historic demand in the sports world. No athlete had been paid royalties on shoe sales before.
Initially, Phil Knight bristles at the request, thinking it would set a poor precedent. But Sonny assures him that this isn’t just another athlete endorsement — it’s an investment in the future. Nike agrees to Michael’s terms, marking the first time an athlete gets a cut of the sales of his shoes.
Air Jordan estimated to have made $3 million in sales during its first year. Instead, they grossed $162 million — in what would become a landmark success that made Nike a global juggernaut, and changed the worlds of sports and marketing in the process.
These days, Air Jordans fetch more than $4 billion a year in sales alone, and Michael Jordan receives hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties from Nike annually, so Nike’s gamble on Jordan in 1984 ranks as one of the best sports bets ever made.
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Character Details
Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon)
- A risk-taking talent scout with an eye for potential.
- Defies the corporate structure to pursue Michael Jordan.
- Believes in betting big on one player rather than spreading Nike’s budget across multiple athletes.
Phil Knight (Ben Affleck)
- Co-founder and eccentric CEO of Nike.
- Initially hesitant about investing heavily in basketball but ultimately agrees to the groundbreaking Jordan deal.
- Obsessed with Nike’s philosophy of risk-taking and innovation.
Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman)
- Nike’s head of marketing, initially skeptical about putting all resources into Jordan.
- Plays a key role in shaping the Air Jordan branding and marketing strategy.
David Falk (Chris Messina)
- Michael Jordan’s aggressive and cutthroat agent.
- Initially dismisses Nike, believing Jordan will sign with Adidas or Converse.
- Furious when Sonny bypasses him to meet directly with Jordan’s mother.
Deloris Jordan (Viola Davis)
- The real power behind Michael Jordan’s decisions.
- Recognizes that Nike offers Michael something unique—ownership over his brand.
- Negotiates the first-ever athlete shoe royalty deal, securing Jordan’s long-term financial success.
Peter Moore (Matthew Maher)
- Nike’s lead shoe designer.
- Designs the first Air Jordan sneaker with a bold red-and-black colorway.
- Later creates the iconic Jumpman logo.
Howard White (Chris Tucker)
- A former basketball player and Nike executive.
- Helps bridge the gap between Nike’s executives and Michael Jordan’s family.
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