Years After Father’s Unfortunate Demise, Billionaire Michael Jordan Dodged Ben Affleck’s Personal Questions: “That’s When I Understood..”

The great Michael Jordan was an embodiment of a superhero for many when he played for the Chicago Bulls. Especially during the three-peat era, Jordan was absolutely untouchable in the league. But even the greatest sporting heroes need their own superhero to look up to and rely upon. That role in the superstar’s life was played by his father, James R Jordan Sr.

The father-son relationship and its impact on Jordan’s game was beautifully captured in the 2020 documentary, The Last Dance. Jordan’s father was his biggest supporter and he would often show up to his games to cheer his boy up. James Jordan’s unfortunate demise in 1993 left the NBA legend in a state of crisis. Jordan still seems to be carrying some deep-rooted hurt from the past, as he recently avoided some personal questions from Hollywood superstar Ben Affleck.

Michael Jordan avoided Ben Affleck’s personal questions

Oscar-winning actor Ben Affleck has directed the movie Air, which is based on the era-defining collaboration between a rookie basketball player and Nike. Air Jordan is arguably the biggest shoe line ever by any athlete. This collaboration between Affleck, Jordan, and Amazon Studios aims to capture everything that went behind the scenes, prompting the inception of the giant brand.

In his recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor delved into his conversations with the 6x NBA Champion regarding this movie. Affleck recalled asking Jordan some personal questions about his father for the movie. However, MJ managed to dodge the questions and shift the narrative in a completely different direction.

During the interview, Affleck revealed, “I said, “Any anecdotes about your dad?” And without going into any more detail, he actually talked about his mom, who wasn’t really in the script. That’s when I understood what the movie was. Talking to him about his mom was incredibly moving, and I realized, “Oh, this isn’t about Nike.”

Jordan’s mother was also a huge part of his support system while growing up. He has always shown tremendous respect and admiration for everything his parents had done for him. Acclaimed actor Viola Davis will be playing the role of Jordan’s mother in the upcoming movie.

Jordan on Viola Davis playing his mom

The veteran actor also talked about asking His Airness for recommendations on which actor should play the role of his mother Deloris. Affleck recalled Jordan’s response when Viola Davis’ name was brought up in the conversation. Jordan said, “That’s my mom.” In an instant, Affleck understood Jordan’s vision for the role. He said, “He was dead serious. “’Viola Davis, that’s my mom.’ And that was it. Discussion was over. However it happened, it wasn’t his problem, but it was going to f*cking happen. And I was like, “OK, Mike.”

The movie is set to release on the 5th of April in the United States.

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