While the new Michael Jordan movie Air hit the screens yesterday, director and Academy Award winner Ben Affleck continues to stay busy promoting the film. Affleck, along with his friend Matt Damon, managed to sign a stellar cast for the movie which has hyped the fans. However, finding someone to play the role of a 23-year-old Michael Jordan is not an easy job. Though many wanted Jordan himself to play his character in the movie, Affleck took time to explain why it was not possible.

The 50-year-old used Denzel Washington’s iconic Malcolm X to justify his decision to not cast Michael Jordan himself in the movie. After several updates and sneak peeks, Air has finally hit the theatres with the excitement among fans palpable.

Ben Affleck reveals why he didn’t cast Michael Jordan in ‘Air’

After the massive success of The Last Dance, Affleck and Damon decided to give fans a detailed look into one of the biggest moments in sports history. Revolving around the works of a Nike sales executive, Affleck has brought light to the existence of Sonny Vaccaro who made the historic Jordan deal happen. 

However, fans’ focus is always on the Chicago Bulls legend. 8x NBA All-Star Paul George even expressed his disappointment at the fact that Affleck could not cast the six-time champion. In an interview for The Rich Eisen Show, Affleck revealed his reasons for not casting MJ.

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Affleck mentioned, “I don’t have the rights to make the Michael Jordan story…and If you are gonna convince somebody, if it’s possible, that you are going to able to convince an audience that a different person than the Michael Jordan that everybody knows incredibly well…you are gonna have to get an actor like that caliber.” He added, “no one’s gonna believe me is some actor shows up in the middle of the movie.”

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Affleck went on to use Denzel Washington’s ‘Malcolm X’ to support his decision. “Denzel and Malcolm X, when that movie ended, they showed Malcolm X and I was like ‘Oh Malcolm X didn’t look like Denzel’. I thought Denzel was Malcolm X,” he revealed. Affleck ended by mentioning, “The only person who could play it, that you know the 23-year-old Michael Jordan turned 60 yesterday and I can’t afford him” 

The star-studded cast of the ‘Air’

Apart from choosing a unique story, Affleck has managed to pull in a vibrant cast for important roles in the movie. Chris Tucker, famous for his work in the Rush Hour franchise, is playing the role of Jordan brand’s vice president. Viola Davis, another Academy Award winner, is playing the role of MJ’s mother, Deloris Jordan. Moreover, Matt Damon will be playing the role of Sonny Vaccaro. Ben Affleck is also playing a crucial role in the movie as Vaccaro’s boss Phil Knight.

Watch this story: “Just days after Charles Barkley’s demand, Michael Jordan gets asked for another public apology by his harshest rival”

The movie has received rave reviews from critics and is expected to be one of the biggest films of the year. Are you excited to watch Air? Share in the comments below.