Air

Michael Jordan’s face is only seen via archival highlights in Air, but it’s first and foremost a salute to his immense legacy on and off the court.

Bolstered by a top-notch cast, this riveting true-life drama from director Ben Affleck is a well-rounded glimpse into an era when sports, marketing, and personal branding converged like never before and changed an industry forever.

These days, it’s hard to imagine Nike holding just a 17 percent market share in athletic shoes, yet that was the case in 1984, when the fledgling company founded by eccentric executive Phil Knight (Affleck) was struggling just to keep its basketball division afloat.

Knight is losing patience with Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), the hoops guru and compulsive gambler he hired to scout players and entice prodigies to sign lucrative marketing deals. That year, Sonny is convinced that Jordan will become a generational talent.

But after the Chicago Bulls select him third overall in the NBA draft, Jordan’s hot-tempered agent (Chris Messina) says he will sign with Adidas. “World-class players don’t wear third-rate shoes,” he boasts.

Lacking the necessary financial resources, Sonny works every angle and breaks every rule just to get a meeting with Jordan’s parents, particularly his pragmatic mother, Deloris (Viola Davis).

Even then, the chances of closing a deal are slim, sending Sonny and collaborators Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman) and Howard White (Chris Tucker) into desperation mode. Risking financial ruin and his own reputation, Sonny knows Nike needs the equivalent of a half-court buzzer-beater.

Right from the opening tip-off — a pop-culture montage that sets the tone — the film is steeped in 1980s nostalgia, with long cars and track suits accompanied by a vintage soundtrack.

With crackling dialogue and a lighthearted tone, rookie screenwriter Alex Convery digs beneath the overblown egos and corporate suits to find characters who might not be likeable but at least they’re colorful. Fortunately, Davis steals her scenes as a matriarch and savvy negotiator who provides an emotional anchor and a moral compass.

The film is less convincing while scrutinizing how teenage athletes are courted and treated as commodities and cash cows. In that regard, Jordan’s story paved the way for more equitable name, image, and likeness reimbursements today.

Although it conveniently downplays some underlying capitalist greed, Air is compelling and insightful. Even if you already know the ending, it’s a slam dunk.

Rated R, 112 minutes.