“I Remember Wearing Adidas”: Ben Affleck Recalls Oscar Winner Younger Brother’s Impact on Bringing Out the Michael Jordan Fandom

Jordans are arguably the kings of the sneaker industry. The Nike Jordan brand has made Michael Jordan a billion dollars since his deal in 1984. The partnership truly revolutionized the Nike brand. However, the story wasn’t always the same. Before their tie-up, Nike was merely an emerging sports apparel brand. Director Ben Affleck recently revealed how he recalled Nike overtaking Adidas in the market while researching for his upcoming movie.

The Hollywood actor recently appeared on Complex’s sneaker shopping with co-stars Matt Damon and Chris Tucker. During the discussions of the film, Affleck recalled putting on pairs of Adidas shoes before Nike struck gold with MJ.

Ben Affleck saw a picture of his brother in Michael Jordan sneakers

Before the Jordan brand, companies like Adidas and Converse led the market. In the NBA, Converse was arguably the most popular brand. The major reason was they had two of the biggest stars in the NBA, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird under their label. On the other hand, Adidas was a huge brand in and of itself. Even Michael Jordan had no interest in Nike. However, with the guidance of his parents, MJ chose the swoosh that would change the dynamics of the market altogether.

While on Sneaker shopping, the ‘Air'(based on the inception of the Jordan brand) cast spoke about their relationship with the brand and how they became a part of the craze. Affleck remembers his younger brother, Casey Affleck and he being major sneakerheads back in the day. Casey himself is a well-established actor, even winning an Oscar for his role in Manchester by the Sea. When researching for the film, the ‘Batman’ actor recollected finding a picture of his brother wearing a pair of Jordans.

Reliving the moment, the DC star spoke about his sneaker choice before the Michael Jordan x Nike takeover. He said, “I remember when the Jordans came out.” Affleck continued, “We were definitely like into shoes. I remember like wearing Adidas and how big that was…. And then it became all about Nike and Jordans.”

Of course, in 1984, the Jordan brand was single-handedly responsible for the power shift. Nike put all their chips on the table for a guy like Michael Jordan. They even went as far as paying the $5000 fine the NBA put on the sneakers during its initial years. They did so expecting the first-year sales to be around $3 million. Shockingly, they ended the year with over $126 million worth of Jordans sold.

READ MORE-Rare Picture of Billionaire Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Other Legends Sends Shockwaves Through the NBA World: “Is This Real?”

From then on, it was domination and nothing else. Today the brand has still stayed relevant enough to be the leader on the sneaker market. As long as they keep the creativity alive, it doesn’t look like a worthy opponent can emerge to dethrone His Airness from the throne.

Watch This Story – Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and other NBA stars sharing rare moments with Barack Obama