Michael Jordan's real path to Nike revealed as historian debunks Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's 'Air'

Is Sonny Vaccaro really nan visionary down Michael Jordan's lucrative business pinch Nike, arsenic portrayed successful nan 2023 movie, Air?

Speaking astatine Fan Duel's Run It Back Tip Off Experience up of Tuesday's NBA Opening Night, retired Nike historiographer Scott Reames poked immoderate holes successful nan communicative spun by head Ben Affleck and writer Alex Convery.

'I was tense erstwhile they started trading it pinch nan tag line: Inspired by existent events,' Reames told MC Michelle Beadle astatine nan arena successful nan Bronx connected Tuesday evening. '… There was truth successful a batch of it, but it was described to nan incorrect person.'

Set successful nan early and mid-1980s, nan movie centers connected Nike's hunt for a caller spokesperson successful an effort to compete pinch Converse and Adidas. Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon, is tasked by Nike CEO Phil Night to find that person, who yet turns retired to beryllium a peculiar rookie retired of North Carolina.

'So Sonny Vaccaro, Matt Damon was a cardinal character, cardinal star,' Reames told nan crowd connected Tuesday. 'And according to nan movie, he did everything.

'And successful reality, Sonny Vaccaro was important successful really he fundamentally convinced Nike to motion Michael Jordan,' Reames continued. 'But his domiciled aft that beautiful overmuch disappeared.'

Instead, Reames explained, it was nan efforts of Rob Strasser (played by Jason Bateman) and Peter Moore (played by Matthew Maher) that helped move nan Jordan-Nike business into nan billion-dollar roar it became.

'They did nan lion's stock of each nan things you saw successful nan movie that was fixed to Matt Damon,' Reames said.

While immoderate parts were embellished, different scenes were imagined altogether. No, Jordan's mother Deloris was not nan main negotiator connected her son's behalf, and Vaccaro's sojourn to nan Jordan family successful North Carolina 'never happened,' according to Reames.

Reames besides recalled a chat pinch Knight astir nan movie aft nan Nike CEO had caught a sneak peek.

According to nan legendary sneaker magnate, 'Air' did a bully occupation of capturing nan ambiance of nan Nike offices successful nan 1980s.

'He said: 'I emotion really it nails nan 1984 vibe successful nan office,, everything was spot on,' Reames said, paraphrasing Knight.

As for nan remainder of it, Knight was little impressed.

'He goes: 'Oh no, they sewage everything wrong,' Reames said, drafting immoderate laughs from nan crowd.

Reames described his ain acquisition of seeing nan film, saying he had to many times punctual himself 'it's not a documentary, it's not a documentary.'