Ben Affleck Reveals Michael Jordan's Thoughts on 'Air,' 1 Demand Before Making Movie

Ben Affleck says NBA legend Michael Jordan would only greenlight his 2023 biographical movie Air if Viola Davis was cast to play his mother.

Affleck, who directed the film about the deal between Nike and Jordan that led to the production of the Air Jordan, talked about his pitch to Jordan on Wednesday's episode of ALL THE SMOKE with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson.

"It's interesting. Of all the people I talked to for that movie, talking about he humility— he was the only one who was like, 'Look... I can only tell you what I was there for, and what I know to be true. I'm not going to talk about what happened when I wasn't in the room,'" Affleck said about Jordan.

"Everyone else was like, 'This is what happened, this is what happened.' He was the only one who was like, 'I know what I know, and I don't know what I wasn't there for. Here's what matters to me.'"

Affleck continued, "He talked about his folks, and he talked about Chris Tucker's character... He was like, 'Yeah, and Viola Davis has gotta play my mom.'"

Air, starring Davis as Jordan's mother and Julius Tennon as his father alongside a cast featuring Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman and Chris Messina, ultimately gained Jordan's approval before it aired in theaters in April 2023.