Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone, but commercials are still rolling. The latest news in the world of basketball is now on Michael Jordan. After seeing the trailer for the new film, “Air,” everyone is asking the question “Who is playing Michael Jordan in the film?”
The star-studded cast, with Ben Affleck directing and starring in the film, reunites him with Matt Damon on the big screen, alongside Viola Davis, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Jason Batman.
“Air” is a movie centered around Phil Knight, played by Ben, and Matt Damon plays Sonny Vaccaro, a wild card of a marketing executive who wanted to bet his future on MJ. Vaccaro’s quest to sign then-rookie basketball player Michael Jordan to wear the brand’s shoes.
So, who is playing Michael Jordan? Well, this is what they are saying. “It is important to know that the story itself has almost no Michael Jordan. This means there is no character of Michael Jordan, only an idea.”
Well, I think it is impossible to do a story all around Michael and his mother, played by Viola and not Mike. Well, that’s just not right. More on the answer to that question next week.
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Speaking of basketball, my alma mater Duquesne University and the A-10 Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion hosted a webinar on Thursday, Feb. 23, featuring Claude Johnson, author of “The Black Fives: The Epic Story of Basketball’s Forgotten,” the webinar pays tribute to Black History Month and was broadcast live on campus, and available to watch via replay.
Johnson, who is an author, historian, and founder of the Black Fives Foundation, has gained widespread national attention for chronicling this inspirational story.
The idea for Johnson’s book began while he was working for the NBA in the late 1990s. During that time, he discovered an 800-page NBA Encyclopedia 50th Anniversary Book that dedicated just three pages to African American basketball teams who had played prior to the league’s formation in 1950. That set Johnson on a path to uncover and spotlight the deep history of African Americans playing basketball across the U.S. – both men’s and women’s teams – and ultimately led him to create the Black Fives Foundation.
Along with co-chairs of the A-10’s Commission on Racial Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Duquesne University President Ken Gormley and La Salle University Athletic Director Brian Baptiste served as moderators of the virtual discussion, which was filmed in Duquesne’s new state-of-the-art media studio. Hats to Duquesne University for bringing this to our audience.
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Also grabbing the attention is the upcoming film “Creed lll.” Dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life.
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